IMDb > The China Syndrome (1979)
The China Syndrome
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The China Syndrome (1979) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   14,716 votes »
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Down 15% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
James Bridges
Writers:
Mike Gray (written by) &
T.S. Cook (written by) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The China Syndrome on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 March 1979 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Drama | Thriller See more »
Tagline:
Today, only a handful of people know what it means... Soon you will know. See more »
Plot:
A reporter finds what appears to be a cover-up of safety hazards at a nuclear power plant. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 10 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(60 articles)
66th Cannes Film Festival Review - Grand Central (2013)
 (From Flickeringmyth. 18 May 2013, 8:19 AM, PDT)
Mike Gray dies: 'The China Syndrome' co-writer was 77
 (From Pop2it. 3 May 2013, 6:02 PM, PDT)
R.I.P. Mike Gray
 (From Deadline TV. 3 May 2013, 3:15 PM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Art imitates life See more (84 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Jane Fonda ... Kimberly Wells

Jack Lemmon ... Jack Godell

Michael Douglas ... Richard Adams
Scott Brady ... Herman De Young

James Hampton ... Bill Gibson
Peter Donat ... Don Jacovich

Wilford Brimley ... Ted Spindler

Richard Herd ... Evan McCormack
Daniel Valdez ... Hector Salas
Stan Bohrman ... Pete Martin

James Karen ... Mac Churchill
Michael Alaimo ... Greg Minor
Donald Hotton ... Dr. Lowell
Khalilah Ali ... Marge
Paul Larson ... D.B. Royce
Ron Lombard ... Barney
Tom Eure ... Tommy

Nick Pellegrino ... Borden
Daniel Lewk ... Donny
Allan Chinn ... Holt
Martin Fiscoe ... Control Guard
Alan Kaul ... TV Director
Michael Mann ... TV Consultant
David Eisenbise ... Technical Director
Frank Cavestani ... News Reporter
Reuben Collins ... Sportscaster
E. Hampton Beagle ... Mort
David Pfeiffer ... David

Lewis Arquette ... Hatcher
Dennis McMullen ... Robertson
Rita Taggart ... Rita Jacovich
James Hall ... Harmon

Carol Schlanger ... Waitress (as Carol Helvey)
Trudy Lane ... Alma Spindler
Jack Smith Jr. ... Tom
David Arnsen ... KXLA Cameraman
Betty Harford ... Woman at Demonstration
Donald Bishop ... Hearings Chairman
Al Baietti ... Pro-Nuclear Witness
Diandra Morrell ... Sasha
Darrell Larson ... Young Demonstrator
Roger Pancake ... Gate Guard
Joe Lowry ... Security Agent
Harry M. Williams ... Fire Rescue
Dennis Barker ... Jaws of Life
Joseph Garcia ... Highway Patrolman
James Kline ... Jim
Alan Beckwith ... Technician
Clay Hodges ... SWAT Squad Leader
Val Clenard ... Val Clenard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Paul Eastman ... Reporter (uncredited)
Robert S. Woods ... (uncredited)
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Directed by
James Bridges 
 
Writing credits
Mike Gray (written by) &
T.S. Cook (written by) and
James Bridges (written by)

Produced by
Michael Douglas .... producer
Bruce Gilbert .... executive producer
Penny McCarthy .... assistant producer
James Nelson .... associate producer
Jack Smith Jr. .... assistant producer
 
Cinematography by
James Crabe (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
David Rawlins 
 
Casting by
Sally Dennison 
 
Production Design by
George Jenkins 
 
Set Decoration by
Arthur Jeph Parker 
 
Costume Design by
Donfeld 
 
Makeup Department
Bernadine M. Anderson .... makeup artist: Ms. Fonda (as Bernadine Anderson)
Kaye Pownall .... hairstylist (as Kay Pownall)
Don Schoenfeld .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
James Nelson .... unit production manager
James A. Dennett .... production manager (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kim Kurumada .... first assistant director
Barrie M. Osborne .... second assistant director (as Barrie Osborne)
Joel Chernoff .... second unit director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Rafael Caro .... art department staff
Rick Carter .... art department staff (as Richard Carter Jr.)
Joseph Hurley .... art department staff (as Joe Hurley)
Terry E. Lewis .... property master (as Terry Lewis)
William Maldonado .... construction coordinator
Richard McKenzie .... art department staff
Rudy Reachi .... assistant prop man
Ray Villalobos Sr. .... paint foreman (as Reynaldo Villalobos)
R. Chris Westlund .... lead man (as Chris Westlund)
S. Bruce Wineinger .... construction foreman (as Bruce Wineinger)
William Ladd Skinner .... set designer (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Fred J. Brown .... sound effects editor (as Fred Brown)
Willie D. Burton .... sound mixer (as Willie Burton)
Gene Corso .... sound effects editor
Les Fresholtz .... re-recording mixer (as Lester Fresholtz)
Marvin E. Lewis .... boom operator (as Marvin Lewis)
Mary McGlone .... sound effects editor
Michael Minkler .... sound re-recording mixer
Lorane Mitchell .... sound effects editor
Arthur Piantadosi .... re-recording mixer
Samuel C. Crutcher .... assistant sound editor (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Bruce Mattox .... special effects assistant
Henry Millar Jr. .... special effects
 
Visual Effects by
Richard Edlund .... miniature photography
Michael L. Fink .... electronic consultant (as Mike Fink)
Richard E. Hollander .... electronic consultant (as Richard Hollander)
James F. Liles .... special photographic effects
Matthew Yuricich .... matte paintings
Stuart Ziff .... electronic effects
 
Stunts
Bob Harris .... stunt coordinator (as Bobby Harris)
Carey Loftin .... stunt coordinator
Hubie Kerns Jr. .... stunt driver (uncredited)
Bryce Guy Williams .... stunt double: Jack Lemmon (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
James O. Blair .... gaffer (as James Blair)
Robert Duggan .... best boy grip
Robert Isenberg .... camera assistant
Hal Landaker .... video consultant
Tom Prophet Jr. .... key grip
Daryl Smith .... best boy electric
Peter Sorel .... still photographer
Mike Sweeten .... camera operator
Reynaldo Villalobos .... second camera (as Ray Villalobos)
 
Casting Department
Stanzi Stokes .... assistant casting (as Stanzi Foster)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Aggie Guerard Rodgers .... costumer: ladies (as Agnes Rodgers)
Eddie Marks .... costumer: men (as Edward Marks)
 
Editorial Department
Francesca Emerson .... assistant editor
 
Music Department
Jim Henrikson .... music editor
Francesca Emerson .... assistant music editor (uncredited)
Dan Wallin .... score mixer (uncredited)
 
Transportation Department
Eddie Baken .... transportation captain
Craig Pinkard .... transportation coordinator
 
Other crew
Marty P. Ewing .... production assistant (as Marty Ewing)
Debbie Getlin .... assistant: Mr. Bridges (as Deborah Getlin)
Richard Holley .... helicopter pilot (as Rick Holley)
Alan Kaul .... technical advisor: news
Ronnie Kramer .... production secretary
Doe Mayer .... video sequences designer
Ramon Pahoyo .... craft service (as Ramone Pahoyo)
Eileen Peterson .... publicist
Ken Ryan .... production auditor (as Kenneth Ryan)
Marshall Schlom .... script supervisor
Gayle Simon .... researcher
Teddy Stewart .... researcher
Douglas E. Stoll .... location manager (as Douglas Stall)
Richard Thomason .... helicopter pilot
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
122 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 (original rating) | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:AL | UK:PG | Australia:PG | Canada:PG
Filming Locations:
1000 N. Crescent Drive, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USASee more »
Company:
IPC FilmsSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
The first script for the film was written in the mid-1970 Michael Douglas initially wanted to produce this film immediately after One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). Jack Lemmon agreed to play his role as early as 1976. Douglas was enormously grateful to Lemmon as he remained ready to start work at very short notice for over a year before production started and in the process cost himself alot of other work. To returnm the favour, Douglas amended the shooting schedule to allow Lemmon to attend rehearsals to for the Broadway stage play of Tribute (1980) which Lemmon would later star in the film version of.See more »
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Throughout the film, Michael Douglas makes the mistake of pronouncing the word "nuclear" as the incorrect "noo-kyoo-ler". (A mistake he also makes in The Game (1997)).See more »
Quotes:
Ted Spindler:He was not a loony. He was the sanest man I ever knew in my life.See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Simpsons: The Trouble with Trillions (#9.20)" (1998)See more »
Soundtrack:
Somewhere in BetweenSee more »

FAQ

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Is this movie based on a novel?
Why was the pump shaking and shuddering so much?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
58 out of 82 people found the following review useful.
Art imitates life, 17 December 2002
Author: tlbrn85 from USA

As someone who lives a sneeze away from TMI, I can tell you how this movie was received in my area...people were terrified.

The administrators at TMI were hardly forthcoming about the situation. Some of the advice we got now seems laughable; I was in HS at the time, and for our protection, the teachers closed all the windows...wow. My one social studies teacher went to see the movie, and when they got to the part about the meltdown destroying an area the size of PA, he said that people started screaming.

So this movie is pretty surreal for me; it seems that it was only dumb luck that kept the plant from a meltdown. Every now and then I drive past it, and it still seems as sinister as it did then. Watching "The China Syndrome" seemed like watching the local news.

Was the above review useful to you?
See more (84 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The China Syndrome (1979)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Nuclear safety Rammu
Karl Grossman says NRC knew chances of core meltdown in US within 20yrs mickeyone
Classic plot hole lthrsmith
with Japan's nuclear disaster now... kimasabe90035-1
Does not hold up TaxPayer99
Emergency! Engine 51 abeaux
See more »

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