Orca (1977)

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

Luciano Vincenzoni (story) and
Sergio Donati (writer)

Release Date:

22 July 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama | Horror

Tagline:

Terror just beneath the surface

Plot:

A hunter squares off against a killer whale seeking vengeance for the death of its mate.

Plot Keywords:

Whale | Killer Whale | Revenge | Death | Ice

Cast

Richard Harris	...	Captain Nolan
Charlotte Rampling	...	Rachel Bedford
Will Sampson	...	Umilak
Bo Derek	...	Annie
Keenan Wynn	...	Novak
Robert Carradine	...	Ken
Scott Walker	...	Swain
Peter Hooten	...	Paul
Wayne Heffley	...	Priest
Vincent Gentile	...	Gas Station Attendant
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Dock Worker

Also Known As:

Orca: Killer Whale
The Killer Whale

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | UK:18 (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

Malta

Company:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Trivia:

The killer whale was portrayed by a combination of stock footage taken at Marine World in Redwood City, California, and an animatronic whale which was filmed off the coasts of Malta and Newfoundland.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Orca attacks Ken, it's seen that the orca grabs Ken's arm with its jaws, and then drags him into the water. However in the shot where orca drags Ken into the water, the Orca has nothing in its jaws, and Ken is nowhere to be found. This hints that a video of an orca jumping and splashing was used to complete the effect.

Quotes:

Rachel: The killer whale. He is a mammal with warm blood, found in every sea.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ghost Voyage (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

My Love, We Are One

Bow down to the Killer Whale.

The story of vengeance as a male Killer Whale witnesses its mate and unborn calf die at the hands of a money hungry boat captain (Richard Harris) looking to capture the female to put into an aquarium.

When you hear people talk about Killer Animal movies, it's super rare to hear someone mention, Orca. And I don't know why. It's has a great idea, a great animal and a great lead actor in Richard Harris.

I see that most people's biggest gripe with the film is the plot. People seem to find the idea ridiculous and silly. An animal that's doing whatever it can to get even with the murderer of his loved ones, I think is awesome. The Killer Whale is the top predator in the ocean, with no known enemies, besides man itself. Which this movie shows. Their techniques of hunting can range from stealth, to group collaboration, to speed and power. They're an amazing creature that learn fast, have known to assist humans in entertainment and hunting, it's evident they can use wit and have many tricks up their sleeve.

I can understand that people may not like the acting (though Richard Harris was very good), but the story is awesome. This tale of Orca vengeance is cool, badass and maybe a tad more realistic than you may think. Though, I won't be holding my breath for a Killer Whale or any wild animal to destroy a sea-side fishing community. But if there's one wild animal out there that can do such a thing, it's definitely the Killer Whale. And of course, the Duck-billed Platypus, obviously.