Ice Station Zebra (1968)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Alistair MacLean (novel)
Douglas Heyes (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

23 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

It's a race for the secret ... or TOTAL DESTRUCTION

Plot:

Commander James Ferraday, USN, has new orders: get David Jones, a British civilian, Captain Anders, a tough Marine with a platoon of troops...

Plot Keywords:

Ice | Marine | Nuclear | Submarine | Spy

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Rock Hudson	...	Cdr. James Ferraday
Ernest Borgnine	...	Boris Vaslov
Patrick McGoohan	...	David Jones
Jim Brown	...	Capt. Leslie Anders
Tony Bill	...	Lt. Russell Walker
Lloyd Nolan	...	Admiral Garvey
Alf Kjellin	...	Col. Ostrovsky
Gerald S. O'Loughlin	...	Lt. Cdr. Bob Raeburn
Ted Hartley	...	Lt. Jonathan Hansen
Murray Rose	...	Lt. George Mills
Ron Masak	...	Paul Zabrinczski
Sherwood Price	...	Lt. Edgar Hackett
Lee Stanley	...	Lt. Mitgang
Joseph Bernard	...	Dr. Jack Benning
John Orchard	...	Survivor
William O'Connell	...	Survivor
Michael T. Mikler	...	Lt. Courtney Cartwright
Jonathan Goldsmith	...	Russian Aide (as Jonathan Lippe)
Ted Kristian	...	Wassmeyer
Jim Dixon	...	Earl MacAuliffe
Boyd Berlind	...	Bruce Kentner
David Wendel	...	Cedric Patterson
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	...	Lyle Nichols
Craig Shreeve	...	Gafferty
Michael Grossman	...	Kohler
Wade Graham	...	Parker
Michael Rougas	...	Fannovich
Jed Allan	...	Peter Costigan
Lloyd Haynes	...	Webson
Buddy Garion	...	Edward Rawlins
T.J. Escott	...	Lt. Carl Mingus (as T. J. Escott)
Buddy Hart	...	Hill
Gary Downey	...	Lorrison
Robert Carlson	...	Kelvaney
Don Newsome	...	Timothy Hirsch
Jim Goodwin	...	Survivor
William Byron Hillman	...	Philip Munsey (as Bill Hillman)
Dennis Alpert	...	Gambetta
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Louie Elias	...	Maneuver Sergeant (uncredited)
Ty Haller	...	Pvt. Grey (uncredited)

Directed by
John Sturges

Writing credits
Alistair MacLean		(novel)
Douglas Heyes		(screenplay)
Harry Julian Fink		(screen story)
W.R. Burnett		uncredited

Produced by
James C. Pratt	....	associate producer
Martin Ransohoff	....	producer
John Calley	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Michel Legrand

Cinematography by
Daniel L. Fapp		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
George W. Davis
Addison Hehr

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Jack Mills

Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist
Peter R.J. Deyell	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ralph W. Nelson	....	unit production manager
Dave Friedman	....	production manager (uncredited)
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	assistant production manager: MGM (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thomas J. Schmidt	....	assistant director
Lynn Guthrie	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Tom Jung	....	poster designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
Glenn E. Anderson	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Earl McCoy	....	special effects
Henry Millar	....	special effects (as H.E. Millar Sr.)
Ralph Swartz	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Robert R. Hoag	....	optical effects
J. McMillan Johnson	....	special visual effects
Carroll L. Shepphird	....	special visual effects
Clarence Slifer	....	special visual effects
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Phil Adams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Budd Albright	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roydon Clark	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Downey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lee Faulkner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary McLarty	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Wilson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Ziker	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John M. Stephens	....	additional arctic photography
Nelson Tyler	....	additional arctic photography
Doug Byers	....	underwater electrician (uncredited)
Robert Jason	....	electrician (uncredited)
Owen Marsh	....	underwater camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Michel Legrand	....	conductor

Other crew
John M. Connolly	....	technical adviser (as Capt. John M. Connolly U.S.N. Ret.)
Norman Stuart	....	dialogue coach

Production Companies

• Filmways Pictures (as A Filmways Picture)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1968) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1969) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Gibraltar Productions  Rock Hudson courtesy of (as Gibraltar Productions, Inc.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

148 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track | Mono (35 mm prints) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Norway:11 | Norway:12 (1970) | Sweden:11 | USA:G | Singapore:PG | UK:U | Canada:G (Manitoba) (original rating) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) (video rating) (1991) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG | West Germany:12 (f) | Brazil:Livre | Netherlands:6

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Filmways Pictures

Trivia:

The movie's plot has similarities with the real life 1962 CIA Project COLDFEET aka Operation Coldfeet. Conducted in May and June of that year, the assignment purpose was to gather intelligence from an abandoned Soviet arctic research ice station. Two agents parachuted from a B-17 Flying Fortress and searched the facility and were collected three days later via the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the sub breaks through the ice they shoot up flares with small parachutes. The parachutes however seem totally unaffected by the howling winds.

Quotes:

David Jones:Where were you stationed, Captain, before you were picked up in transit?
Capt. Leslie Anders:Asia
David Jones:Ah, then you haven't been on the ice before either.
Capt. Leslie Anders:No, Sir. A bullet goes just as fast up here as it does down there.
David Jones:Not quite. An insignificant difference, perhaps, but I think you'll find the operational characteristics of the M-16 indicate that a bullet will decelerate as much as 40 feet per second per second faster in these climate conditions. It's denser air, you know.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Day the Earth Froze (#5.22)" (1993)

Great Adventure Film

This film is very underrated on this site. It is in a genre that is not really made very often any more--action adventure that is plausible both in plot and technology. And the action adventure plays equal footing to the actual acting and dialog. It is closer to an World War II action film than to, say, one of Arnold Schwartzeneger's action films.

As an artistic piece of work, the lack of women (and any romantic story) keeps this cold war picture completely focused on the primary story, and makes the actors work all that much harder to keep the viewer engaged.

There is also a good bit of spectacular on-location filming that still takes your breath away with its beauty. The actual polar icecap scenes (with actors) where the focal point of the movie's action takes place is a set. And it is a glorious one. No CGI imagery here! I bought this DVD for this film in a bargain bin. If you get the chance snap one up, or rent it and watch it on a decent TV. Great transfer.

Good score as well.