The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writers:

George Roy Hill (story)
William Goldman (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 March 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

Robert Redford Takes to the Skies in This Rousing Adventure

Plot:

A biplane pilot who had missed flying in WWI takes up barnstorming and later a movie career in his quest for the glory he had missed...

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Barnstorming | Circus | Biplane | California

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Waldo Pepper
Bo Svenson	...	Axel Olsson
Bo Brundin	...	Ernst Kessler
Susan Sarandon	...	Mary Beth
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Newt
Edward Herrmann	...	Ezra Stiles
Philip Bruns	...	Dillhoefer
Roderick Cook	...	Werfel
Kelly Jean Peters	...	Patsy
Margot Kidder	...	Maude
Scott Newman	...	Duke
James S. Appleby	...	Ace
Patrick W. Henderson Jr.	...	Scooter
James N. Harrell	...	Farmer (as James Harrell)
Elma Aicklen	...	Farmer's Wife
Deborah Knapp	...	Farmer's Daughter
John A. Zee	...	Director, Western Set
John Reilly	...	Western Star
Jack Manning	...	Director, Spanish Set
Joe Billings	...	Policeman
Lawrence P. Casey	...	German Star (as Lawrence Casey)
Greg Martin	...	Assistant Director
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kenny E. Bishop	...	(uncredited)
A.L. Camp	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Harvey Christiansen	...	Farmer in Crowd (uncredited)
William Creamer	...	Country Man in Restaurant (uncredited)
Cheryl Downey	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Inge Erving	...	City Woman in Restaurant (uncredited)
Todd Ezell	...	Carny Barker (uncredited)
John Guttman	...	Poth Farmer #2 (uncredited)
Robert S. Holman	...	Farmer at Fence #1 (uncredited)
Elsie Julian	...	Country Woman in Restaurant (uncredited)
Patrick G. Koerber	...	Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Ruby Leonard	...	Ruby (uncredited)
James Patrick Lockett	...	Boy from Poth (uncredited)
Richard A. Meyer	...	Poth Farmer #1 (uncredited)
Steve Moriarty	...	Airport Mechanic (uncredited)
Wayne Nowotny	...	(uncredited)
Harold Offer	...	City Man in Restaurant (uncredited)
Murray Pollack	...	Doctor (uncredited)
James Rosborough	...	Farmer at Fence #2 (uncredited)
Art Scholl	...	Red Baron (uncredited)
George W. Smyth	...	Little Falls Farmer (uncredited)
Robert W. Winn	...	Theater Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
George Roy Hill

Writing credits
George Roy Hill		(story)
William Goldman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Crawford Jr.	....	associate producer (as Robert L. Crawford)
George Roy Hill	....	producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Art Direction by
Henry Bumstead

Set Decoration by
James W. Payne		(as James Payne)

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist
Fred C. Blau Jr.	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Lorraine Roberson	....	hairdresser (uncredited)

Production Management
Lloyd Anderson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerry Ballew	....	second assistant director
Ray Gosnell Jr.	....	first assistant director (as Ray Gosnell)
Scott U. Adam	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Cheryl Downey	....	apprentice assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Gil Aguilar	....	construction propmaker (uncredited)
Chester Duncan	....	property master (uncredited)
Peter Ivy	....	construction propmaker (uncredited)
John R. Jensen	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Henry Larrecq	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Buzz Newhouse	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
William A. Petrotta	....	second prop man (uncredited)
Ken Price	....	construction propmaker (uncredited)
John Riggen	....	construction grip (uncredited)
Thomas L. Roysden	....	leadman (uncredited)
Billy Lee Smith	....	construction propmaker (uncredited)
Jimmy Stewart	....	construction propmaker (uncredited)
Greg Villalva	....	construction propmaker (uncredited)
Greek Wade	....	construction propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Peter Berkos	....	supervising sound editor
Robert J. Miller	....	sound (as Bob Miller)
Ronald Pierce	....	sound
Roger Sword	....	sound editor
Jack Danskin	....	mikeman (uncredited)
William Griffith	....	radio man (uncredited)
Melvin M. Metcalfe Sr.	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
Dennis C. Salcedo	....	optical sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ben McMahan	....	effects supervisor
Bruce Wolke	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
James S. Appleby	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buff Brady	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Edward T. Clahan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Erik Cord	....	stunts (uncredited)
Howard Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Harris	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Kazian	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank L. Pine	....	stunts (uncredited)
Audrey Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
Art Scholl	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles W. Short	....	camera operator (as Chuck Short)
Oscar Barber	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)
Richard Barth	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Nick Brown	....	electrical best boy (uncredited)
Joe Cucci	....	second grip (uncredited)
Pete Hopki	....	assistant camera: Chicago (uncredited)
Robert C. Jessup	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Earl Kennedy	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Don Lambert	....	key grip (uncredited)
Al Martino	....	camera mechanic (uncredited)
Lou Noto	....	assistant camera: Chicago (uncredited)
Vincent Saizis	....	camera operator: Chicago (uncredited)
Edward Thompson	....	dolly grip (uncredited)
Timothy E. Wade	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Shari Rhodes	....	casting coordinator: Texas (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bernie Pollack	....	costume supervisor
Norma Brown	....	costumer: women (uncredited)
Jules Melillo	....	costumer: men (uncredited)
Joe Williams	....	costumer: men (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Richard Wahrman	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Jack Lloyd	....	transportation captain (uncredited)

Other crew
James S. Appleby	....	air work
Wayne Berg	....	air work
Charlsie Bryant	....	script supervisor
Howard Curtis	....	air work
Mike Dewey	....	air work
John Kazian	....	air work
Thomas G. Mooney	....	air work
Frank L. Pine	....	air work (as Frank Pine)
Frank Price	....	air work
Audrey Saunders	....	air work
Art Scholl	....	air work
Frank Tallman	....	air sequences supervisor
Frank Tallman	....	air work
Ralph Wiggins	....	air work
Irving Kramer	....	location auditor (uncredited)
Sharon Mayhew	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Dominic Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Ruth Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Giff Tallman	....	air observer (uncredited)
Danny Young	....	payroll timekeeper (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Jennings Lang
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1975) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cinematique  cosmetics
• Hatfield History of Aeronautics  still photographs courtesy of
• Marion Dougherty Associates  casting
• Tallmantz Aviation  air work
• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | UK:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:G | Australia:PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Elgin, Texas, USA

Company:

Jennings Lang

Trivia:

When Ezra Stiles (Edward Herrmann) tries to do an "outside loop" in a homebuilt airplane, the aircraft actually is a modified De Havilland "Chipmunk". The prototype first flew in 1946.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Waldo Pepper walks out on the wing to practice his first wing walk, the shadow of the camera can be seen on the plane.

Quotes:

Dillhoefer:Now, here's what we do. We put her up on the wing...
Duke:And she'll fake being afraid...
Dillhoefer:Right.
Duke:And the wind will blow her clothes off!
Dillhoefer:Yes! Yes!
Waldo Pepper:Wait! Why would the wind blow her clothes off? When I'm wing-walking, the wind doesn't blow MY clothes off.
Dillhoefer:Fool! Nobody wants to come and see YOU with YOUR clothes off!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Las adolescentes (1975)

Captures a Lost Era

A richly detailed period film, "The Great Waldo Pepper" is a wonderful tribute to the early days of American pilots and aviation done with a Norman Rockwell tone.

What is the allure of the skies? Everything else, money, love, companionship, takes a backseat to the thrill and exhilaration Waldo Pepper (Robert Redford) and his fellow pilots experience when barnstorming over mid-west America, circa 1934. Director George Roy Hill, one of the best in the business, explores this feeling but gives us no easy answers. As the story of Waldo Pepper unfolds, we must decide for ourselves what motivates these aviation pioneers to climb into their Curtiss JN-4 biplanes and stunt for the public.

Part of the answer might lie in the fact that many barnstormers of the 1930's had been combat pilots in the First World War. They were young, eager and reckless. Up there, they found a sense of honor and chivarly and more than a few fancied themselves as knights of a new age, their steed now made of fabric, wood, bracing wire and powered by 100 horses spinning a propeller. After the war they came home, happy for the war to be over but missing a feeling that had taken hold of them over the skies of France. Through his original story and an outstanding screenplay written by William Goldman, George Roy Hill has beautifully captured the character of these men and the era in which they lived. And, sadly, occasionally died.

The on ground relationships between the characters have depth and are very believable. Consider Waldo Pepper and his closest childhood friend, Ezra Stiles (wonderfully played by Edward Herrmann). Waldo is a pilot, first and foremost. Ezra, who is also a pilot, prefers designing aircraft to flying. Together, they attempt to design, build, and fly an aircraft to be the first to accomplish an aerial maneuver known as the outside loop. In a conversation while watching an airshow, Waldo questions the feasability of Ezra's design (it's a monoplane in an age when monoplane designs were considered inferior to biplanes). Ezra counters Waldo's questions, in true close friend fashion, with the design stunts Waldo attempted when they were young which caused Waldo injury, concluding with "then don't tell me how to design aircraft". This scene contains humor and also adds depth and believability to their friendship.

The aviation sequences are just as believable and very real. When this film was made in 1975, there were still limitations to special effects. Every shot and scene of the pilots and aircraft are real (and there are quite a few) and incredible. There are no "bluescreen" shots. With every close-up of Robert Redford in the cockpit, you can see he is really in the air. As good as computer effects are today, I still can't see how this could have been done any better. There was also a strong desire on the filmmakers part concerning accuracy. These are aircraft really are JN-4s, Sopwith Camels, and Fokker Triplanes. All period aircraft. And my hats off to Hollywood stunt pilot Frank Tallman (who has passed away since) and his crew for the outstanding stunt flying accomplished in this film. Hollywood legend has it that Mr. Tallman actually ended up in the hospital with two broken legs because of an air accident with high tension wires which occurred during filming.

This is an overlooked, wonderful film. It is both drama and comedy, elements which George Roy Hill and William Goldman bended beutifully together, as in their previous work, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". "The Great Waldo Pepper" is a very heartfelt, human story which captures an era of freedom in the skies which we will, sadly, never see again.