starring Patrick O'Neal and John Carradine, prior to "The Sentinel." He is currently preparing a sequel to his best seller.

Hot on the heels of his stunning cinematic debut as a poignant transsexual in "Dog Day Afternoon," for which he won an Academy Award nomination, and his controversial appearance in "Lipstick," Chris Sarandon undertakes the role of a prosperous lawyer in "The Sentinel." Sarandon has appeared in two Broadway musicals, "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and "The Rothschilds," in "Candida" at the Shaw Festival in Canada, and in numerous regional and off-Broadway shows.

After winning popularity and critical acclaim in "Nashville" and the Universal movie-for-television, "Sunshine," Cristina Raines takes on the demanding role of Alison Parker, the young model caught in a battle between the forces of good and evil in "The Sentinel."

Veteran character actor Martin Balsam, who portrays an absentminded but brilliant scholar, grounded his successful acting career on experience gained during the days of live television. He has appeared on Broadway in such plays as "The Rose Tatoo" and "In the Middle of the Night," and in such films as "Twelve Angry Men," "Psycho," "A Thousand Clowns" (for which he won an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor), "Murder on the Orient Express" and "All the President's Men."

In the pivotal role of the ancient priest who maintains a vigil on the topmost floor of an old brownstone is John Carradine. "The Sentinel" is the inimitable actor's 466th film; his others range from "Stagecoach" and "The Grapes of Wrath" to "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex." Carradine has also appeared in such stage hits as "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "The Madwoman of Chaillot."

Jose Ferrer, who appears in "The Sentinel" as a conspiratorial cleric, has portrayed such characters as

Toulouse-Lautrec in "Moulin Rouge," the Dauphin in "Joan of Arc," the hypocritical cleric in "Miss Sadie Thompson" and the title role in "Cyrano de Bergerac," which won him an Academy Award as Best Actor. His latest film is "Voyage of the Damned."

Ava Gardner whose performances in such films as "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," "Mogambo," "The Barefoot Contessa," and "On the Beach" made her a star of the first magnitude, was paged to play the part of an elegant but mysterious real estate agent. Most recently, she was seen in Universal's "Earthquake" and "The Bluebird."

For the role of Monsignor Franchino, an actor of great personal dignity was required; appropriately cast was Arthur Kennedy. One of the foremost interpreters of the work of Arthur Miller, having appeared on Broadway in "All My Sons," "Death of a Salesman" and "The Crucible," Kennedy has also been impressive in films; he has received five Academy Award nominations for his moving performances in "Champion," "Trial," "Peyton Place," "Some Came Running" and "Bright Victory."

The peculiar charm of Mr. Chazen is impishly captured by Burgess Meredith, one of the foremost actors of stage, screen and television. Meredith began his acting career on Broadway in "Winterset" and "Of Mice and Men," and has brought his distinctive talents to the screen in such films as "The Story of G.l. Joe," "Advise and Consent," "McKenna's Gold," "The Day of the Locust" and the current blockbuster, "Rocky." He is also well remembered as the evil Penguin of television's "Batman."

Playing a bizarre "Sentinel" character is .one of New York's most colorful actresses, Sylvia Miles. A two-time Academy Award nominee (for

"Midnight Cowboy" and "Farewell, My Lovely"), Miles divides her time between the stage and films, and is currently appearing in the off-Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' "The Night of the Iguana."

Deborah Raffin, a relative newcomer to the screen, undertakes the role of a lovely young model, which she has been for several years. She began her acting career as Liv Ullmann's daughter in "Forty Carats" and has since appeared in "The Dove" and "Once Is Not Enough."

Eli Wallach, who is on a constant shuttle between stage and screen, appears in the role of Detective Gatz. The busy Wallach sprang to stardom in a flock of Tennessee Williams plays: "This Property Is Condemned," "The Rose Tattoo," and "Camino Real." Among his other Broadway successes are "Yellow Jack," "Mr. Roberts" and "Waltz of the Toreadors." On screen, Wallach has scored in "The Misfits," "The Magnificent Seven," "Lord Jim" and "How the West Was Won." He recently completed Stanley Kramer's "The Domino Principle."

Rounding out the cast of "The Sentinel" are Christopher Walken, Jerry Orbach, Beverly D'Angelo, Hank Garrett and Robert Gerringer. Dick Kratina was the director of photography and Bernard Gribble and Terence Rawlings the film editors, with production design by Philip Rosenberg, costumes by Peggy Farrell and music by Gil Mell.

"The Sentinel" began filming under Michael Winner's direction on May 21, 1 976; principal photography was completed on July 22. More than forty locations were used during the course of production, all within the city limits of New York, ranging from a spacious mansion in Riverdale to a simple church in the shabby inner city of lower Manhattan.