Marooned (1969)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Martin Caidin (novel)
Mayo Simon (writer)

Release Date:

11 December 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Three marooned astronauts. Only 55 minutes left to rescue them. While the whole world watches and waits...

Plot:

Three American astronauts are stranded in space when their retros won't fire. Can they be rescued before their oxygen runs out?

Plot Keywords:

Astronaut | Oxygen | Space | NASA | Orbit

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Gregory Peck	...	Charles Keith
Richard Crenna	...	Jim Pruett
David Janssen	...	Ted Dougherty
James Franciscus	...	Clayton Stone
Gene Hackman	...	Buzz Lloyd
Lee Grant	...	Celia Pruett
Nancy Kovack	...	Teresa Stone
Mariette Hartley	...	Betty Lloyd
Scott Brady	...	Public Affairs Officer
Craig Huebing	...	Flight Director
Frank Marth	...	Air Force System Director
John Carter	...	Flight Surgeon
Vincent Van Lynn	...	Aerospace journalist
George Gaynes	...	Mission Director
Tom Stewart	...	Houston Cap Com

Also Known As:

Space Travelers (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Iceland:12 | USA:TV-PG | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Norway:12 (original rating) | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The space station using a spent Saturn S-IVB stage was based on early proposals during the Apollo Applications Program; at the time of filming, what came to fruition as Skylab was still under development. The only differences between the orbital workshop depicted in the film (which has a rocket motor attached) and the real Skylab was the incorporation of the Apollo Telescope Mount and two docking ports on the docking module, not to mention the absence of a rocket motor. The real Skylab was launched as a 'dry' workshop using a surplus Saturn V #SA-513 (originally earmarked for the canceled Apollo 18 mission). The three-man crew in the film spend 5 months living in space; the longest duration in the real Skylab was 84 days during the final mission, Skylab 4.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Astronaut Lloyd does his "acrobatics" with the rocket pack, the sunlight is clearly hitting his right side. However, when he makes a 360 turn, the sunlight remains on the right side of his suit no matter what position he is in during the turn.

Quotes:

Clayton Stone: Jesus, fifty-five minutes... We'll be pretty cold by then.
Buzz Lloyd: Well, one of us's gonna have to go. I mean uh... that's what we're talkin' about, isnt it? One of us goes and the... other two stay. What... what are we gonna do?
Clayton Stone: Alright look. Let's do this scientifically: two big guys throw the little guy out, okay?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Space Travellers (#5.1)" (1992)

Suspense in theory but lacking on the screen.

Another space flick that came out during the height of the space program. Only a tad better then 1968's Countdown and the tad refers to the props. The story it would seem would be filled with plenty of suspense but this ones orbit just decays and falls. Three astronauts played by Richard Crenna, James Franciscus and Gene Hackman who have been in a space station climb aboard their Apollo craft to come home and the engine says no.

Marooned in orbit the ground control crew led by Gregory Peck scratch their heads and try to figure out what to do before the trios air supply runs out. David Jansen wants to rescue them in an untried spacecraft but Peck is reluctant. To make matters worse a hurricane is brewing. The astronaut wives are brought into the picture to help boost the suspense. Will they make it? Who can help them? If you've never seen it it's worth a look. After seeing Apollo 13 however you may laugh at this one. The space travelers on MST3K do.