Marooned (1969)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Mayo Simon (screenplay)
Martin Caidin (novel)

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 | NASA | Oxygen | Orbit | Hurricane

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

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
Frank Marth	...	Air Force Systems Director
Craig Huebing	...	Flight Director
John Carter	...	Flight Surgeon
Vincent Van Lynn	...	Aerospace Journalist
George Gaynes	...	Mission Director
Tom Stewart	...	Houston Cap Com
Duke Hobbie	...	Air Force Titan Specialist
Walter Brooke	...	Network Commentator
Dennis Robertson	...	Launch Director
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Couch	...	Russian Cosmonaut (uncredited)
Mauritz Hugo	...	Hardy - Reporter (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Guest in Observation Room (uncredited)
Mary Linda Rapelye	...	Priscilla Keith (uncredited)
Bruce Rhodewalt	...	Computer Technician (uncredited)
George R. Robertson	...	VIP (uncredited)
George Smith	...	Cape Weather Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
John Sturges

Writing credits
Mayo Simon		(screenplay)
Martin Caidin		(novel)

Produced by
Frank Capra Jr.	....	associate producer
M.J. Frankovich	....	producer

Cinematography by
Daniel L. Fapp		(director of photography) (as Daniel Fapp)

Film Editing by
Walter Thompson

Production Design by
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Frank Tuttle

Production Management
William O'Sullivan	....	executive production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ralph E. Black	....	second unit director (as Ralph Black)
Daniel McCauley	....	assistant director (as Daniel J. McCauley)
Michael Daves	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Mel Swope	....	first assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Sound Department
Les Fresholtz	....	sound
Arthur Piantadosi	....	sound

Special Effects by
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects coordinator (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Lawrence W. Butler	....	special visual effects
Donald C. Glouner	....	special visual effects
Robie Robinson	....	special visual effects
Terence Saunders	....	miniature crew (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill M. Ryusaki	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
W. Wallace Kelley	....	director of photography: second unit
Hal Landaker	....	video supervisor
Nelson Tyler	....	aerial photographer
Val O'Malley	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Seth Banks	....	costumer

Other crew
Martin Caidin	....	technical advisor
John Franco	....	script supervisor
George Smith	....	technical advisor
Norman Stuart	....	dialogue coach
William Widmayer	....	photographic consultant

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Frankovich Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Film-Verleih (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (laserdisc)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Videosonic Arts (1986) (Greece) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Sunset Gower Studios  sound stages

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:

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

Filming Locations:

Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

One of the few films in which "NASA" is referred to correctly by the rules of grammar. "NASA" is an acronym for the "National Aeronautics and Space Administration." At the press conference, Gregory Peck's character Keith says, "... resources of 'the' NASA," as in "THE National Aeronautics and Space Administration." Most films use the acronym incorrectly as a proper name, as in, "... resources OF NASA," which would actually be "...resources of National Aeronautics and Space Administration," and does not make proper grammatical sense when the "the" is left out.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Mediterranean coastline as seen from orbit on several occasions barely resembles the correct geography. Spain is distorted and the Strait of Gibraltar is almost unrecognisable.

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:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Fugitive Alien (#4.10)" (1991)

A little dry, but good.

I just rented this on VHS recently. After watching it, I remember that I had seen it many years ago. It was so long ago that I didn't remember details.

I actually liked it. The movie is rather dry, but I actually found it a refreshing change from movies that will throw in all sorts of irrelevant extras to make it an "excitement fest".

Apollo 13 did do a much better job of showing how Mission control worked in a crisis, but Marooned was made before the Apollo 13 mission took place.