The Gypsy Moths (1969)

Three skydivers and their travelling thrill show barnstorm through a small midwestern town one Fourth of July weekend.

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

William Hanley (screenplay), James Drought (novel)

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Gene Hackman

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Burt Lancaster	...	Mike Rettig
Deborah Kerr	...	Elizabeth Brandon
Gene Hackman	...	Joe Browdy
Scott Wilson	...	Malcolm Webson
William Windom	...	V. John Brandon
Bonnie Bedelia	...	Annie Burke
Sheree North	...	Waitress
Carl Reindel	...	Pilot
Ford Rainey	...	Stand Owner
John Napier	...	Dick Donford

Storyline

On a 4th of July weekend, three barnstorming skydivers arrive to perform in a small Kansas town. They are hosted by the youngest member Webson's aunt, the unhappily married Elizabeth. While Browdy one-nights with a topless dancer, a doomed romance flares up between Elizabeth and Rettig. Tension builds, and explodes with a spectacular skydiving show.

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Plot Keywords:

kansas | fourth of july | skydiving | cuckold | face slap | 

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Taglines:

When you turn on by falling free... when jumping is not only a way to live, but a way to die, too... you're a Gypsy Moth.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die den Hals riskieren

Filming Locations:

Abilene, Kansas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

John Frankenheimer Productions Inc., Edward Lewis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to director John Frankenheimer, the dancers in the go-go club were local Kansas girls, not city girls, because they looked authentic.

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Goofs

During the parachute jump that opens the film, the Gypsy Moths jump from the exact same plane flown by the same pilot they meet and hire - supposedly for the first time - in another town several days later.

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Quotes

[Last lines]
Elizabeth Brandon: He wanted me to go with him.
Allen Brandon: Did he?
Elizabeth Brandon: [long pause] The thought terrified me.
Allen Brandon: And me...

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Connections

Featured in The Sky Divers (1969)

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Soundtracks

"Wild Blue Yonder"
("U.S. Air Force Song")(uncredited)
Music and lyrics by Robert MacArthur Crawford
First two lines sung by Gene Hackman

User Reviews

A very good cast playing three skydivers and their traveling thrill show perform his skills through a small midwestern town

On a 4th of July weekend , three air stunt parachutists (Burt Lancaster, Gene Hackman and Scott Wilson as Malcolm though John Phillip Law was first cast but had to be replaced because of an injury to his wrist) arrive to carry out their skills at a small Kansas town located in Midwest . The trio of barnstorming skydivers are hosted at house ownership a dysfunctional and unhappy marriage (Deborah Kerr , William Windom) . The inhabitants of the small town feel both attracted and threatened to the skydivers . Meanwhile , they go to a top-less club (according to director the dancers in the go-go club were local Kansas girls, not city girls, because they looked authentic) where meet a sexy woman (Sheree North) . At the end takes place a dangerous fall to death, as when jumping is not only a way to live, but a way to die, too .

This dramatic picture is packed with skydiving , romance , love story and the drama is maintained throughout. The picture relies heavily on the doomed romance that flares up between Elizabeth well played by Deborah Kerr and Rettig magnificently performed by Burt Lancaster until a surprising final when tension explodes with an impressive skydiving show . Interesting screenplay which manages to catch the growing ambivalent and disillusionment of travellers in search of money and the quiet desperation of a marriage ; it was written by Willian Hanley , based on the novel by James Drought . There aren't special effects but ¨stunts¨ who make it astounding . Experienced but amateur skydivers, most with several thousand jumps to their credit , were brought in from California to double for the actors . During the filming at the airfield in Benton, Kansas, the director , wanted to get a real, horrified reaction from the extras playing the audience, so he had a Mannequin dressed like a skydiver and tied it under a helicopter which ascended a couple of hundred feet, then released the dummy . The skydiving equipment the Gypsy Moths use in the film was sport parachuting state-of-the-art for the late 1960's . The picture collaborated to create the ¨ skydiving genre film ¨ , thus many years later were shot various movies about this sport : ¨Break Point¨ (Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves) , ¨Terminal velocity¨ (with Charlie Sheen and Natassja Kinski) and ¨Cutaway¨ (Tom Berenger and Stephen Baldwin) . Appropriate cinematography by Philip Lathrop with good aerial scenes though is necessary a perfect remastering . Adequate musical score fitting to tension by the master Elmer Bernstein .

The motion picture was compellingly directed by John Frankenheimer , though being slow-pace, and some moments boring . It is considered to be one of Frankenheimer's less satisfying works and failed at box office ; however being one of John Frankenheimer's two favorites of the films he has directed . In the beginning he worked for TV and turned to the cinema industry with The Young Stranger (1957) . Disappointed his with first feature film experience he came back to his successful television career directing a total of 152 live television shows in the 50s. He took another opportunity to change to the big screen , collaborating with Burt Lancaster in The Young Savages (1961) and Birdman of Alcatraz(62) ending up becoming a successful director well-known by his skills with actors and expressing on movies his views on important social deeds and philosophical events and film-making some classics as ¨The Manchurian candidate , Seven days of May and The Train¨. Rating : 6 , well worth seeing. The flick will appeal to Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr fans .