Runaway is a 1984 science fiction thriller written and directed by Michael Crichton (the author of Jurassic Park). Set in the near future where robots are a part of everyday life, Tom Selleck stars as a Detroit police sergeant who is part of a special unit that handles robots that go against their programming and threaten the population. The film, which also stars Gene Simmons and Kirstie Alley, was a box office disappointment, but is notable for its predictions of how a police department would operate in the future.
The following weapons were used in the film Runaway:
The missile-firing pistol used by Dr. Charles Luther (Gene Simmons) in the movie was probably designed by the prop department.
Though the model info is unknown, the base of the gun is clearly a 1911 style frame, probably provided by Detonics. Interestingly, the publicity materials for the film (especially in the theatrical poster) showed Tom Selleck holding the gun though he never uses it in the movie. The story alludes to one of the scientists working with Luther being an expert in propulsion & perhaps the supplier of the gun & its ammo. The runaway squad's chief tech officer (Stan Shaw) later calls the mini-rockets "smart bullets."
The projectiles are all electronic "heat seeking missiles" with a back half made up of solid propellant, making use of valves for directional control. They are able to be programmed to "go after" a specific person using a person's unique heat pattern as a signature.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingSgt. James cuts open one of the missiles while Ramsay watches. Neither man bothering to wear a speck of protective gear. James even lights a cigarette!Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe dissected bullet. In 1983/84 this kind of micro computer was radical science fictionError creating thumbnail: File missingRamsay finds 2 unfired missiles inside the hotel room where Thompson was shotError creating thumbnail: File missingA missiles POV shotError creating thumbnail: File missingIt is unknown whether the missiles can alter speed, but they don't move any more quickly than a man can run during this POV sequence when Ramsay is running from a missile. He turns and looks back several times during this sceneError creating thumbnail: File missingRamsay ducks away from a smart missile in flight. The missiles, while in flight, are depicted as nothing more than black streaks. This was quite effective in real time as the film was made long before freeze framing on computers was possible. But here, it shows us they may have simply painted on the film negative to animate the bullets.Error creating thumbnail: File missingYes, they both just stand there and watch the black streak move around themError creating thumbnail: File missingIt misses Johnson somehow, even though he is just standing there wide eyedError creating thumbnail: File missingThompson stares at the missile before it turns back around to kill Johnson. Note, she doesn't seem to be using her Detonics here, while she has the custom long slide in the next few shotsError creating thumbnail: File missingJohnson takes an explosive projectile in the back
Detonics SpeedMaster
The Detonics SpeedMaster is used as the service handgun of Sgt. Jack R. Ramsay (Tom Selleck) and Officer Karen Thompson (Cynthia Rhodes). The SpeedMaster is a custom Detonics 1911 model featuring a compact CombatMaster slide, the longer grip frame of a ScoreMaster, a 6" barrel, and a barrel weight. The pistol was specifically built by the Detonics company for Tom Selleck for use in the film, as Selleck was friends with the owner of Detonics.
Selleck's screen-used gun later became a part of the inventory of Stembridge Gun Rentals, and would later appear in Terminator 2: Judgment Day used by Linda Hamilton.
Johnson (Chris Mulkey) uses what is likely to be a Smith & Wesson Model 36 chief's special, but it is never shown well enough to be sure. Johnson uses it to fire at Ramsay after he kicks in the hotel room door, thinking it's Luther come to kill him.
In one of the films more tense scenes, Ramsay uses a laser gun with a battery pack on his belt to stop a murderous runaway inside a suburban home. It should be noted that Tom Selleck's character only fires this weapon in the film. He never fires his main sidearm, or his compact backup.
Today it is very common to see officers carrying semi-automatic handguns, but in 1983 (when the film was shot) most police agencies issued revolvers. These custom belt rigs were way ahead of their time.
