The Black Hole (1979)

Director:

Gary Nelson

Writers:

Jeb Rosebrook (story) and
Bob Barbash (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A journey that begins where everything ends!

Plot:

A research vessel finds a missing ship, commanded by a mysterious scientist, on the edge of a black hole.

Plot Keywords:

Black Hole | Palomino | Robot | Space | Event Horizon

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Maximilian Schell	...	Dr. Hans Reinhardt
Anthony Perkins	...	Dr. Alex Durant
Robert Forster	...	Captain Dan Holland
Joseph Bottoms	...	Lieutenant Charles Pizer
Yvette Mimieux	...	Dr. Kate McCrae
Ernest Borgnine	...	Harry Booth
Tom McLoughlin	...	Captain S.T.A.R. (as Tommy McLoughlin)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roddy McDowall	...	V.I.N.CENT. (voice) (uncredited)
Gary Nelson	...	Drone with Mask Removed (uncredited)
Slim Pickens	...	B.O.B. (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Gary Nelson

Writing credits
Jeb Rosebrook		(story) and
Bob Barbash		(story) &
Richard H. Landau		(story) (as Richard Landau)
Jeb Rosebrook		(screenplay) and
Gerry Day		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ron Miller	....	producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Frank V. Phillips		(director of photography) (as Frank Phillips)

Film Editing by
G. Gregg McLaughlin		(as Gregg McLaughlin)

Production Design by
Peter Ellenshaw

Art Direction by
John B. Mansbridge
Robert McCall		(as Robert T. McCall)
Al Roelofs

Set Decoration by
Frank R. McKelvy
Roger M. Shook

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas

Makeup Department
Gloria Montemayor	....	hair stylist
Nadia	....	makeup artist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup supervisor

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
Christopher Disney Miller	....	second assistant director (as Christopher D. Miller)
Tom McCrory	....	assistant director
Joseph Paul Moore	....	second assistant director (as Joseph P. Moore)

Art Department
Robert Ayres	....	production illustrator
Leon Harris	....	production illustrator (as Leon R. Harris)
Gene Johnson	....	production illustrator
Fred Lucky	....	production illustrator
Wilbur L. Russell	....	property master
Gary Zink	....	welder/fabricator

Sound Department
Wayne Allwine	....	sound effects editor (as Wayne A. Allwine)
Nick Alphin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Barney Cabral	....	dialogue replacement (as Bernard P. Cabral)
Norman Carlisle	....	dialogue replacement
George Fredrick	....	sound effects editor
Robert Hathaway	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bob Hathaway)
Ben Hendricks	....	special sound effects (as Ben F. Hendricks)
John Jolliffe	....	sound effects editor (as John J. Jolliffe)
Stephen Katz	....	additional special sound effects
James MacDonald	....	special sound effects
Bud Maffett	....	sound mixer (as Henry A. Maffett)
Al Maguire	....	dialogue replacement
Joe Parker	....	sound effects editor (as Joseph Parker)
Frank Regula	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Frank C. Regula)
Herb Taylor	....	sound supervisor
Louis Terrusa	....	sound effects editor
John Van Frey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Wylie	....	special sound effects (as William J. Wylie)

Special Effects by
Hal Bigger	....	assistant mechanical effects
Danny Lee	....	mechanical effects supervisor
Eric Allard	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Gary D'Amico	....	special effects (uncredited)
Allen Hurd	....	special effects crew (uncredited)
Hans Metz	....	special effects foreman (uncredited)
Mike Reedy	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Ken Speed	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Fred E. Branson	....	optical printer operator
Bob Broughton	....	optical photography coordinator (as Robert Broughton)
Art Cruickshank	....	director of miniature photography
Harrison Ellenshaw	....	matte effects
Peter Ellenshaw	....	miniature effects creator
Peter Ellenshaw	....	miniature effects supervisor
Constantine Ganakes	....	assistant matte artist
Joe Hale	....	animation special effects
Ray O. Hoar	....	optical printer operator
Ted Kierscey	....	animator (as Ted C. Kierscey)
Bill Kilduff	....	operator: A.C.E.S.
Dorse A. Lanpher	....	animator
Eustace Lycett	....	composite optical photography
David Mattingly	....	assistant matte artist
Stephen McEveety	....	production assistant: miniatures unit (as Stephen M. McEveety)
Phil Meador	....	optical printer operator (as Philip L. Meador)
Arthur Miller	....	matte photography
Roger Redel	....	gaffer: miniatures unit (as Roger E. Redel)
Forrest Reed	....	key grip: miniatures unit (as Doc Reed)
Terence Saunders	....	chief model maker
Terence Saunders	....	miniature mechanical effects
Ed Sekac	....	matte photography
Robert R. Wilson	....	operator: A.C.E.S.
Thomas Baker	....	main title graphics (uncredited)
Mike Edmonson	....	special effects miniatures (uncredited)
Barry Seybert	....	graphic artist: opening titles (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Couch	....	stunts
Howard Curtis	....	stunts
Len Glascow	....	stunts
Bob Herron	....	stunts
Billy Bob Jackson	....	stunts (as Billy Jackson)
Melvin Jones	....	stunts
Katee McClure	....	stunts
Stevie Myers	....	stunts
Terry Nichols	....	stunts
Alan Oliney	....	stunts
Ron Oliney	....	stunts (as Ronald Oliney)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunts (as Conrad Palmisano)
Regina Parton	....	stunts
Don Pulford	....	stunts
Bobby Sargent	....	stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt double: Anthony Perkins (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lloyd Ahern II	....	camera operator (as Lloyd N. Ahern)
Bernie Bayless	....	best boy (as Bernard F. Bayless)
Carl Boles	....	gaffer
Donald Capel	....	key grip
Howard Hagadorn	....	second grip (as Howard L. Hagadorn)
Robert LaBonge	....	first assistant camera
Sid Lucero	....	grip
Louis Niemeyer	....	assistant camera
Cecil Wilson	....	second assistant camera (as Cecil R. Wilson)
Dan Delgado	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Wynn Hammer	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Brian L. McCarty	....	video assist operator (uncredited)
Peter McEvoy	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Dye	....	costumer
Chuck Keehne	....	costume supervisor
Jack Sandeen	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Nicholas Vincent Korda	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Evelyn Kennedy	....	supervising music editor
Helen Sneddon	....	music editor
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer
Albert Woodbury	....	orchestrator (as Al Woodbury)

Other crew
George F. McGinnis	....	creator: robots
Tom McLoughlin	....	coordinator: sentry robots (as Tommy McLoughlin)
Sandy Nelson	....	script supervisor
Dana Winseman	....	video playback services (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Productions (presents)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Distribution Company (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures Entertainment (1979) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Toho-Towa (1980) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Walt Disney Pictures (1980) (France) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1985) (Greece) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Nothing's New Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Suomi-Filmi
• Walt Disney Home Video (1981) (UK) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1980) (USA) (VHS) (as Walt Disney Home Entertainment)
• Walt Disney Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• A.C.E.S. Automatic Camera Effects Systems (miniatures unit: special effects photographed by)

Other Companies

• Continental Camera Systems  pitching lens relay systems by (as Continental Camera)
• Buena Vista Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints) (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2004) | UK:A (original rating) | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Peru:PT | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

The laser pistols originally had light up tips that would activate when the actors pressed the trigger, thus giving the animators cues as to when someone was actually firing the guns. This proved to be a problem however because the actors would unconsciously press the triggers when they were not supposed to often times inadvertently shooting cast members.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the sentry robot pounces on the Captain during the fight to save Kate, the robot does not have his metallic exoskeleton on over his legs (he's merely wearing red leggings). In the next shot, his regular robot shell is visible over his legs again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
V.I.N.CENT:[beep] 2130; day 547. Unscheduled course correction due at 2200. Pre-correction check: rotation axis plus three degrees. Nitrous oxide pressure: 4100 rising to 5,000. Quad jet C and D on preselect. Rotor ignition sequence beginning in 3-0. Thruster line reactors on standby.
Captain Dan Holland:V.I.N.CENT, notify me with 15 to go. Alex?
Dr. Alex Durant:Yes, Dan?
Captain Dan Holland:Have you determined a difference in ETAs with and without our correction?
Dr. Alex Durant:Working on it. You know, we shouldn't be needing a correction at this time. V.I.N.CENT, run a confirmation on the last inertial fix and check it with another celestial, please.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.3" (2011)

A Forgotten Classic

Not only is The Black Hole beautifully made from a technical aspect, it has marvelous performances. Robert Forester (Jackie Brown), Anthony Perkins (Psycho), Ernest Borgnine, Maximillian Schell. It does get a little campy but it is a Disney movie after all and it can be forgiven its attempts at comic relief. This is a very unlikely sort of film for Disney, were it made today it would have been made under the Miramax header rather than Disney, and like another unlikely Disney film, Tron, it is tragically underrated. The special effects and set design are breathtaking, but it is the script which is the best part. The ending is one of the most surreal and haunting in any science fiction film (and especially bold for a Disney film) The characterizations are wonderful and the robots, especially Maximillian (in my book the greatest cinematic robotic villain to date), are unforgettable.