The Cat from Outer Space (1978)

Director:

Norman Tokar

Writer:

Ted Key (written by)

Release Date:

9 June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Mysterious visitor with unknown powers on our planet for supplies.... A six-pack of tuna?

Plot:

A UFO is stranded on earth and impounded by the US government. Its pilot, a cat with a collar that has special powers...

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Collar | UFO | Love Interest | Friend

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ken Berry	...	Frank
Sandy Duncan	...	Liz
Harry Morgan	...	General Stilton
Roddy McDowall	...	Mr. Stallwood
McLean Stevenson	...	Link
Jesse White	...	Earnest Ernie
Alan Young	...	Dr. Wenger
Hans Conried	...	Dr. Heffel
Ronnie Schell	...	Jake - voice / Sgt. Duffy
James Hampton	...	Capt. Anderson
Howard Platt	...	Col. Woodruff (as Howard T. Platt)
William Prince	...	Mr. Olympus
Ralph Manza	...	Weasel
Tom Pedi	...	Honest Harry
Hank Jones	...	Officer
Rick Hurst	...	Dydee Guard
John Alderson	...	Mr. Smith
Tiger Joe Marsh	...	Omar
Arnold Soboloff	...	NASA Executive
Mel Carter	...	1st Soldier
Dal McKennon	...	Farmer (as Dallas McKennon)
Alice Backes	...	Farmer's Wife
Henry Slate	...	Sandwich Man
Roger Pancake	...	Red
Roger Price	...	1st E.R.L. Expert
Jerry Fujikawa	...	2nd E.R.L. Expert
Jim Begg	...	Dydee Driver
Peter Renaday	...	Bailiff (as Pete Renaday)
Rickie Sorensen	...	Technician (as Rick Sorensen)
Tom Jackman	...	Army Engineer
Fred L. Whalen	...	Sarasota Slim
Joseph G. Medalis	...	Sucker (as Joe Medalis)
Gil Stratton	...	1st NASA Scientist
Jana Milo	...	2nd NASA Scientist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sorrell Booke	...	Presiding Judge (uncredited)
Jackson Bostwick	...	Additional Voices (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Tokar

Writing credits
Ted Key		(written by)

Produced by
Ron Miller	....	producer
Norman Tokar	....	co-producer
Jan Williams	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Charles F. Wheeler		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Cotton Warburton

Art Direction by
E. Preston Ames		(as Preston Ames)
John B. Mansbridge

Set Decoration by
Norman Rockett

Makeup Department
Lola Kemp	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist

Production Management
John D. Bloss	....	production manager (as John Bloss)
Christopher N. Seiter	....	unit production manager (as Christopher Seiter)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Carroll	....	second assistant director (as William Carroll)
Gene Sultan	....	assistant director
Arthur J. Vitarelli	....	second unit director

Art Department
Eric A. Hulett	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Bob McLing	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ben Hendricks	....	sound editor (as Ben F. Hendricks)
Bud Maffett	....	sound mixer
Herb Taylor	....	sound supervisor
George Fredrick	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Art Cruickshank	....	special effects
Danny Lee	....	special effects
Eustace Lycett	....	special effects
Gary D'Amico	....	special effects (uncredited)
Mike Edmonson	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Allen Hurd	....	special effects crew (uncredited)
Hans Metz	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)
Mike Reedy	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Harrison Ellenshaw	....	matte artist (as P.S. Ellenshaw)

Stunts
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt player (as Gerald Brutsche)
Fred Dale	....	stunt player
Bob Harris	....	stunt player
Julie Ann Johnson	....	stunt player
Carey Loftin	....	stunt player
Regis Parton	....	stunt player (as Reg Parton)
Walter Robles	....	stunt player
Tom Steele	....	stunt player
Jack Verbois	....	stunt player
Dick Warlock	....	stunt coordinator (as Richard Warlock)

Camera and Electrical Department
Rexford L. Metz	....	photography: second unit (as Rexford Metz)
Dan Delgado	....	best boy (uncredited)
Peter McEvoy	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Louis Niemeyer	....	first assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Chuck Keehne	....	costumes
Emily Sundby	....	costumes

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Evelyn Kennedy	....	music editor

Other crew
Gary Bertz	....	pilot
Rudy Cowl	....	animal trainer
Thomas H. Friedkin	....	pilot (as Tom Friedkin)
James W. Gavin	....	pilot (as Gavin James)
Frank L. Pine	....	pilot (as Frank Pine)
Ross Reynolds	....	pilot
Don Spinney	....	animal trainer
Frank Tallman	....	pilot

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Productions (presents)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Distribution Company (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Walt Disney Productions (1979) (France) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1990) (Greece) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (1996) (Spain) (VHS)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Starz / Anchor Bay (1999) (USA) (video) (widescreen)
• Walt Disney Home Video (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Canada:G (video rating) | Portugal:M/6

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

Sorrell Booke's final film performance.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Early in the film, Frank and Jake discuss procuring the bar of gold necessary to repair the ship. During the discussion, Jake says that he will need to reduce it while retaining all its properties. Later, when Jake reduces the gold to the size of a small pencil, Liz easily picks it up. If the "reduced" gold had retained all of its original properties as Jake said, it should have had the same mass as a bar of gold.

Quotes:

Dr. Elizabeth 'Liz' Bartlett:But I don't have a parachute!
Mr. Charlie Olympus:Then you have a problem.
Mr. Stallwood:But I don't have a parachute either!
Mr. Charlie Olympus:Then you have the same problem.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Making a 'Splash' (2004) (V)

My memories of The Cat From Outer Space.

This is one of my all time favorite childhood movies. (Another was a movie about a robotic dog named C.H.O.M.P.S. another great family movie.) I am 33 now but was 6 years old at the time when this movie first aired. I remember watching The Cat From Outer Space back home on my parents big wooden Zenith console TV set. (Yeah those were the thing to have back then… That was a time where there weren't any VCR's or cell phones. There certainly weren't any DVD's or flat screen TV's.. In fact the only flat screen I remember was the super 8 motion picture roll up screen my dad dragged out into the living room when we wanted to play the silent 8 mm motion picture movies we took of our vacations… Ahh yester-year.) For years I had this stuffed cat (that kind of looked like Jake). I also had this toy plastic ring toss set. I used one of the rings from the set and it fit perfectly on the stuff cat I had. For years (as a child) I was able to play The Cat From Outer Space at home with my home made figure to represent Jake. This movie has stood out for me since I first saw it as a child and now today I still look back on those years with fond memories. This movie is definitely a charming lighthearted tale (or should I say tail) and I certainly recommend it for the young and adult alike.. It's a movie that all can watch, love and enjoy. It's a movie that also has some of the actors that were big at that time.. Sandy Duncan, Roddy McDowall.. To name a few were big stars at that time… Their acting is timeless in this movie classic. OK So if you like family movies and have a soft spot for fun and youth in your heart… Get the kids together (or just pretend you're a kid again yourself) and have a great time watching, The Cat From Outer Space.

Rob..

NYC