The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Michael Crichton (novel)
Nelson Gidding (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 March 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The picture runs 130 minutes!... The story covers 96 of the most critical hours in man's history!... The suspense will last through your lifetime!

Plot:

A group of scientists investigate a deadly new alien virus before it can spread.

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Baby | Satellite | Virus | Biological Weapon

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Arthur Hill	...	Dr. Jeremy Stone
David Wayne	...	Dr. Charles Dutton
James Olson	...	Dr. Mark Hall
Kate Reid	...	Dr. Ruth Leavitt
Paula Kelly	...	Karen Anson
George Mitchell	...	Jackson
Ramon Bieri	...	Major Manchek
Peter Hobbs	...	General Sparks
Kermit Murdock	...	Dr. Robertson
Richard O'Brien	...	Grimes
Eric Christmas	...	Senator from Vermont
Mark Jenkins	...	Lt. Shawn (Piedmont team)
Peter Helm	...	Sgt. Crane (Piedmont team)
Joe Di Reda	...	Wildfire Computer Sgt. Burk (as Joe DiReda)
Carl Reindel	...	Lt. Comroe
Ken Swofford	...	Toby (technician)
Frances Reid	...	Clara Dutton
Richard Bull	...	Air Force major
John Carter	...	MP Capt. Morton
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Ballantyne	...	Hospital director (uncredited)
Ivor Barry	...	Murray (uncredited)
Joe Billings	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Michael Bow	...	MP at Stone's (uncredited)
Walter Brooke	...	Assistant to Cabinet Secretary (uncredited)
Susan Brown	...	Allison Stone (uncredited)
Jan Burrell	...	Mother (Piedmont) (uncredited)
Dee Carroll	...	Technician (uncredited)
Duke Cigrang	...	Father (Piedmont) (uncredited)
Michael Crichton	...	Bearded surgeon (uncredited)
Lisa Daniels	...	Woman (uncredited)
Sandra de Bruin	...	Technician (uncredited)
Bill Dunbar	...	Vandenberg AFB sergeant (uncredited)
Harold Dyrenforth	...	(uncredited)
Walker Edmiston	...	Voice (uncredited) (voice)
Judy Farrell	...	Pam (uncredited)
Lance Fuller	...	Man (uncredited)
James W. Gavin	...	Dempsey (helicopter pilot) (uncredited)
Ray Harris	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Rob Hughes	...	Air Force technician (uncredited)
Jason Johnson	...	Dr. Benedict (uncredited)
Glenn Langan	...	Cabinet Secretary (uncredited)
Bart La Rue	...	Medic captain (uncredited)
Johnny Lee	...	Boy (uncredited)
Theodore Lehmann	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Tom McDonough	...	Stetson (uncredited)
David McLean	...	Sen. McKenzie (New Mexico) (uncredited)
Cliff Medaugh	...	Civilian (uncredited)
Victoria Paige Meyerink	...	(uncredited)
Midori	...	Bess (lab technician) (uncredited)
Robert 'Bob' Olen	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Francisco Ortega	...	Gateman at Agricultural Center (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Pete 'Old Doughboy' Arnold (uncredited)
Michael Pataki	...	Operator of 'The Hands' (uncredited)
Alma Platt	...	Woman (uncredited)
Quinn K. Redeker	...	Capt. Morris (uncredited)
Georgia Schmidt	...	Old lady (Piedmont) (uncredited)
Reuben Singer	...	Dr. Rudolph Karp (uncredited)
Robert Soto	...	Manuel Rios (the baby) (uncredited)
Gilchrist Stuart	...	Man (uncredited)
Joan Swift	...	Decontamination receptionist (uncredited)
Lorna Thayer	...	Woman (uncredited)
Garry Walberg	...	Technician (uncredited)
Len Wayland	...	Utah crash site officer (uncredited)
Gary Waynesmith	...	Air Force technician (uncredited)
Russ Whiteman	...	Civilian (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Michael Crichton		(novel)
Nelson Gidding		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Wise	....	producer

Original Music by
Gil Melle		(as Gil Mellé)

Cinematography by
Richard H. Kline		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stuart Gilmore
John W. Holmes

Production Design by
Boris Leven

Art Direction by
William H. Tuntke		(as William Tuntke)

Set Decoration by
Ruby R. Levitt		(as Ruby Levitt)

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ernest B. Wehmeyer	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ridgeway Callow	....	assistant director

Art Department
Thomas Wright	....	production illustrator

Sound Department
James R. Alexander	....	sound (as James Alexander)
Ronald Pierce	....	sound
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound

Visual Effects by
James Shourt	....	special photographic effects
Douglas Trumbull	....	special photographic effects
Albert Whitlock	....	matte supervisor
John Whitney Sr.	....	early video effects for film (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Helen Colvig	....	costumes

Music Department
Gordon Clark	....	music engineering
Allan Sohl	....	music engineering

Other crew
W.M. Blackmore	....	animal sequences filmed under supervision of: The American Humane Assn.
Attila De Lado	....	titles & opticals: Universal Title (as Attila de Lado)
Dr. Richard Green	....	technical advisor
George Hobby	....	technical advisor
Marie Kenney	....	script supervisor
William Koselka	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents) (as Universal)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1973) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1972) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinema Classics (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• DiscoVision (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc) (unreleased)
• Esselte CIC Video (1983) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1990) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• SWL James Shourt (special visual effects) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• American Humane Association, The  animal sequences filmed under supervision of (as The American Humane Assn.)
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)  scientific background support by (as Cal Tech)
• Central Research Labs  scientific equipment from
• Concord Electronics  scientific equipment from (as Concord Electronics Corp.)
• Du Pont Instrument Products Division  scientific equipment from
• Hollywood Video  TV by
• Honeywell  scientific equipment from (as Honeywell Corp.)
• Image Transform  video effects for film (uncredited)
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory  scientific background support by (as The Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
• Korad Lasers  scientific equipment from
• Perkin-Elmer  scientific equipment from (as Perkin-Elmer Corp.)
• Project Scoop at Vandenberg Air Force Base  we received the generous help of many people attached to
• R.C.A.  scientific equipment from
• Technicon  scientific equipment from (as Technicon Corp.)
• Universal Title  titles & optical effects
• Van Waters & Rogers  scientific equipment from
• Wildfire Laboratory  we received the generous help of many people attached to (as Wildfire Laboratory in Flatrock, Nevada)

Runtime:

131 min | Belgium:115 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (2003) | Canada:G (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:G | West Germany:12 | UK:AA (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Red Rock Canyon State Park - Highway 14, Cantil, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Dr Stone says, "The SDS has arrived, no doubt." when his wife says someone is at the door to see him. The Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was a college protest group active in the late 1960s to whom Dr Stone alludes.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When they first subject the lab animals to the virus, on the right hand side of the screen in the reflection of the metal walls you can see the crew rushing towards the monkey cage to revive him right before they cut back to the shot of the scientists.

Quotes:

[arriving at the virus site via helicopter]
Dr. Jeremy Stone: If anything happens to us, you have your orders.
Dempsey: Yes sir. Proceed directly to Wildfire, and then, uh...
[makes slashing motion across neck]
Dempsey: ...zzZZTT!
Dr. Jeremy Stone: [to Hall] If we're eliminated, the aircraft and pilot'll have to be sterilized.
Dempsey: Uh, wait a minute. That's not what they told me... just "incinerated."

Movie Connections:

Edited into "The Six Million Dollar Man: Population: Zero (#1.1)" (1974)

This is one of my favorite movies.

First of all, I must confess that I am a Si-Fi nut. I've seen lots of Si-Fi movies and The Andromeda Strain is definately in my top five. The plot is very interesting in that it deals with a microscopic organism from outer space that is brought back to Earth by a satellite. The cast is outstanding, especially Arthur Hill who plays the leader of the research team. One of the great things about the movie is that it moves right along. So many movies seem to lag, especially at the beginning as the characters are being introduced. However, in this movie, even the beginning is exciting. I've watched this movie over and over, and never seem to get tired of it. It's just plain fun.