Capricorn One (1977)

Director:

Peter Hyams

Writer:

Peter Hyams (written by)

Release Date:

2 June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The most important event in our nation's history...what if it never really happened?

Plot:

A NASA Mars mission won't work, and its funding is endangered, so they decide to fake it just this once. But then they have to keep the secret...

Plot Keywords:

Mission | Astronaut | NASA | Journalist | Escape

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Elliott Gould	...	Robert Caulfield
James Brolin	...	Charles Brubaker
Brenda Vaccaro	...	Kay Brubaker
Sam Waterston	...	Peter Willis
O.J. Simpson	...	John Walker
Hal Holbrook	...	Dr. James Kelloway
Karen Black	...	Judy Drinkwater
Telly Savalas	...	Albain
David Huddleston	...	Hollis Peaker
David Doyle	...	Walter Loughlin
Lee Bryant	...	Sharon Willis
Denise Nicholas	...	Betty Walker
Robert Walden	...	Elliot Whitter
James Sikking	...	Control Room Man (as Jim Sikking)
Alan Fudge	...	Capsule Communicator
James Karen	...	Vice President Price
Virginia Kaiser	...	Mrs. Price
Nancy Malone	...	Mrs. Peaker
Hank Stohl	...	General Enders
Norman Bartold	...	President
Darrell Zwerling	...	Dr. Bergen
Milton Selzer	...	Dr. Burroughs
Lou Frizzell	...	Horace Gruning
Chris Hyams	...	Charles Brubaker, Jr.
Seanna Marre	...	Sandy Brubaker
Paul Picerni	...	Jerry
Barbara Bosson	...	Alva Leacock
Paul Haney	...	Paul Cunningham
Jon Cedar	...	F.B.I. Man Number 1
Steve Tannen	...	Man at Hangar Number 1
Trent Dolan	...	Man at Hangar Number 2
Todd Hoffman	...	N.A.S.A. Usher
Marty Anka	...	Bartender
Kenneth White	...	Tracking Technician (as Ken White)
John Hiscock	...	Reporter Number 1
Bridget Byrne	...	Reporter Number 2
Colin Dangaard	...	Reporter Number 3
James Bacon	...	Reporter Number 4
Sandy Davidson	...	N.A.S.A. Reporter
Ron Cummins	...	F.B.I. Man Number 2
Dennis O'Flaherty	...	F.B.I. Man Number 3
Zack Taylor	...	F.B.I. Man Number 4
Frank Farmer	...	Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Monty Jordan	...	Army Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Hyams

Writing credits
Peter Hyams		(written by)

Produced by
Paul Lazarus III	....	producer (as Paul N. Lazarus III)
Michael I. Rachmil	....	associate producer (as Michael Rachmil)

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Bill Butler		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
James Mitchell

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Albert Brenner

Art Direction by
David M. Haber

Set Decoration by
Rick Simpson

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris

Makeup Department
Emma M. diVittorio	....	hair stylist (as Emma Di Vittorio)
Michael Westmore	....	makeup artist (as Mike Westmore)

Production Management
Michael I. Rachmil	....	unit production manager (as Michael Rachmil)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Frost Sanders	....	second assistant director (as Jack Sanders)
Irby Smith	....	first assistant director
Peter L. Bergquist	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Joe Longo	....	lead man
Ken Orme	....	second prop man (as Kenny Orme)
Julian Sacks	....	assistant art director
George Stokes	....	construction coordinator
Marty Wunderlich	....	property master
Vern Hendrickson	....	swing gang (uncredited)
Nikita Knatz	....	production illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Les Fresholtz	....	re-recording mixer (as Lester Fresholtz)
Jerry Jost	....	sound mixer
Joseph Kite	....	boom man (as Joe Kite)
William Manooch	....	sound recordist (as Bill Manooch)
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Arthur Piantadosi	....	re-recording mixer
Robert G. Henderson	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bruce Mattox	....	special effects
Henry Millar Jr.	....	key special effects
Henry Millar	....	special effects (as Henry Millar Sr.)
Robert Spurlock	....	special effects (as Bob Spurlock)
John Minasian	....	miniature helicopter pilot (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Ernie Huber	....	miniature coordinator

Stunts
Bill Hickman	....	stunt coordinator
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	....	stunt double: Brenda Vaccaro (uncredited)
J. David Jones	....	aerial stunts (uncredited)
Monty Jordan	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Walter Robles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Tallman	....	stunts: aerial (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David L. Butler	....	aerial camera operator (as David Butler)
Colin J. Campbell	....	gaffer (as Colin Campbell)
Earl L. Clark	....	first assistant camera operator (as Earl Clark)
James R. Connell	....	camera operator
George Hill	....	key grip
J. David Jones	....	pilot: camera helicopter (as David Jones)
Bruce McBroom	....	still photographer
Rene Menoni	....	second assistant camera operator
David B. Nowell	....	assistant aerial camera operator (as David Nowell)
A.D. Presley	....	electrical best boy
George Staubs	....	best boy grip
John Burton Jr.	....	animation camera operator (uncredited)
Ron Veto	....	grip (uncredited)

Animation Department
Bob Richardson	....	animator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jered Green	....	costumer number 1 (as Jered Edd Green)

Editorial Department
Nancy Sales	....	assistant film editor
Charles Tetoni	....	associate film editor

Music Department
Aaron Rochin	....	music recordist (as Aron Rochin)
Leonard A. Engel	....	music editor (uncredited)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ed Arter	....	transportation co-captain
James D. Brubaker	....	transportation coordinator
Russell McEntyre	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Lew Grade	....	presenter: for Associated General Films (as Sir Lew Grade)
J. David Jones	....	aerial coordinator (as David Jones)
Karen Jones	....	bookkeeper
Clay Lacy	....	pilot: Lear Jet
George Nolan	....	helicopter pilot
Brent Sellstrom	....	video coordinator
Dr. Seuss	....	Miss Vaccaro's reading of "Fox In Socks" presented by special arrangement with
Al Shenfeld	....	production auditor
Frank Tallman	....	aerial coordinator
Frank Tallman	....	pilot: Stearman
Ron Underwood	....	location manager (as Ronald B. Underwood)
Karl A. Wickman	....	helicopter pilot (as Karl Wickman)
Marshall J. Wolins	....	script supervisor (as Marshall Wolins)
Tracy Berns	....	secretary to director (uncredited)
Tracy Berns	....	secretary to producer (uncredited)
Dixie J. Capp	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Charles Conley	....	craft service (uncredited)
Carol Shapiro Janson	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Dan Perri	....	title designer (uncredited)
David Schmoeller	....	intern: American Film Institute (uncredited)
Art Scholl	....	pilot (uncredited)

Thanks
Dr. Seuss	....	Miss Vaccaro's reading of "Fox in Socks" presented by special arrangement with

Production Companies

• Associated General Films (for)
• Incorporated Television Company (ITC) (from) (as ITC Entertainment An ATV Company)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Europa Film (1978) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Filmways Australasian Distributors (19??) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Toho-Towa (1977) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Artisan Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Artisan Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• CBS / Fox Video (1989) (Greece) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (198?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Elephant Films (2009) (France) (all media)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• ITV DVD (2007) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Live Home Video (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Live Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1980) (USA) (TV)
• Scanbox Entertainment (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Top Tape (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• United American Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Van der Veer Photo Effects (special visual effects by) (as Van Der Veer Photo Effects)
• DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (DFE) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• Bureau of Land Management  we gratefully acknowledge (as Ridgecrest Resource Area of the Bureau of Land Management of the United States Department of the Interior)
• Nissan Cars Corporation  Datsun cars supplied by (as Nissan Motor Corporation in U.S.A.)
• General Electric (GE)  television sets courtesy of (as General Electric Company)
• Continental Camera Systems  aerial photographic equipment furnished by (as Continental Camera Systems Inc.)
• Grove Manufacturing / Santa Fe Equipment  we gratefully acknowledge (as Grove Manufacturing Company/Sante Fe Equipment Company)
• Raytheon Data Systems  we gratefully acknowledge (as Raytheon Data Systems Inc.)
• Tallmantz Aviation  we gratefully acknowledge
• Worldstage Division of Intercontinental Satellite Network  we gratefully acknowledge (as Worldstage Division of Intercontinental Satellite Network Inc.)
• Western Helicopter  we gratefully acknowledge (as Western Helicopter Inc.)
• Pacific Telephone  we gratefully acknowledge (as Pacific Telephone Company)
• Birtcher  we gratefully acknowledge (as Birtcher Corporation)
• Clay Lacy Aviation / Gates Aviation  Lear Jet furnished by (as Clay Lacy Aviation/Gates Aviation)
• Cadillac Motor Division  cars supplied by
• Perseverance Records  soundtrack (re-release)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

123 min | Japan:130 min (original release)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) (2000) (2005) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG (certificate no. 25000) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:6 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (tv rating)

Filming Locations:

Imperial Valley, California, USA

Company:

Associated General Films

Trivia:

James Brolin is the lead astronaut in the Earth's first ever attempt at a mission to Mars. In Men in Black 3 (2012), Brolin's son, Josh Brolin, as the Young Agent K, partakes in the launch of the Apollo 11 rocket for the Earth's first every trip to the Moon.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Learjet takes off after the astronauts escape, the Government car windshield breaks before the jet passes over the vehicle. There are nine holes in the windshield supposedly made by a landing gear; the car is also pointed down the runway from the camera view inside, but the exterior shot the car is parked on an angle.

Quotes:

Robert Caulfield:Look, when a reporter tells his assignment editor that he thinks he may be on to something that could be really big, the assignment editor is supposed to say: "You've got forty eight hours, kids, and you better come up with something good or it's going to be your neck!" That's what he's supposed to say, I saw it in a movie.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Room 101: Episode #11.5" (2007)

Too late for the heroes

This movie came one year too late."Star Wars" happened,for better or for worse,depending on whom you ask.This is clever sci-fi,very close to Crichton's work,before he gets bogged down in Jurassic Park and spielbergesque follies.("Mondwest" "Coma" and later "looker")Is it sci-fi anyway?Admittedly,it's unlikely as hell,but not much more than many a spy thriller.

In the movie,this whole performance was to make people believe the astronauts actually landed on Mars.This trickery,isn't it what Peter Hyams (and all other directors!) does when he makes his movie?His whole performance is to make US believe that Astronauts are to land on Mars but... They do it with mirrors,like Jorge Luis Borges.

The second part of the movie is a chase,a well done thriller,in landscapes recalling "Planet of the apes(1968)".Hyams does not show the killings,and the way James Brolin manages to show the way to his wife,then to journalist Gould is pretty smart.The ending verges on black humor.Had this movie been released five or ten years sooner,when sci-fi had strong scripts ,it would have been deservedly acclaimed.But in the land of special effects and childish stories ,it became a sleeper,every sci-fi buff should know.Neither "outland" (some kind of remake of "high noon " on Jupiter),nor "2010" (which failed dismally as a "2001" sequel)is on a par with "capricorn one".