Meteor (1979)

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Stanley Mann (screenplay) and
Edmund H. North (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 October 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

There's No Place On Earth To Hide!

Plot:

After a collision with a comet, a nearly 8km wide piece of the asteroid "Orpheus" is heading towards Earth...

Plot Keywords:

Satellite | Nuclear Weapons | NASA | Comet | White House

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Paul Bradley
Natalie Wood	...	Tatiana Donskaya
Karl Malden	...	Harry Sherwood
Brian Keith	...	Dr. Dubov
Martin Landau	...	General Adlon
Trevor Howard	...	Sir Michael Hughes
Richard Dysart	...	Secretary of Defense
Henry Fonda	...	The President
Joseph Campanella	...	General Easton
Bo Brundin	...	Rolf Manheim
Katherine De Hetre	...	Jan Watkins
James G. Richardson	...	Alan Marshall
Roger Robinson	...	Bill Hunter
Michael Zaslow	...	Sam Mason
John McKinney	...	Peter Watson
John Findlater	...	Astronaut Tom Easton
Paul Tulley	...	Astronaut Bill Frager
Allen Williams	...	Astronaut Michael McKendrick
Bibi Besch	...	Helen Bradley
Gregory Gaye	...	Russian Premier (as Gregory Gay)
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Yamashiro
Burke Byrnes	...	Coast Guard Officer
Joseph G. Medalis	...	Bartender (as Joe Medalis)
Charles Bartlett	...	Guard
Raymond O'Keefe	...	Guard
Henry Olek	...	Army Translator
Peter Bourne	...	U.N. President
Stanley Mann	...	Canadian Representative
Ronald Neame	...	British Representative
Philip Sterling	...	Russian Representative
Arthur Adams	...	Ghana Representative
Fred Carney	...	United States Representative
Sybil Danning	...	Girl Skier
Meschino Paterlini	...	Boy Skier
Johnny Yune	...	Siberian Man (as Jon Yune)
Eileen Saki	...	Siberian Woman
Christine Anne Baur	...	Communications Center Technician (as Chris Baur)
Paul Camen	...	Communications Center Technician
Dorothy Catching	...	Communications Center Technician
Bill Couch	...	Communications Center Technician
William Darr	...	Communications Center Technician
Joan Foley	...	Communications Center Technician
Paul L. Ehrmann	...	Communications Center Technician (as Paul Laurence)
John Moio	...	Communications Center Technician (as Johnny Moio)
Read Morgan	...	Communications Center Technician
Conrad E. Palmisano	...	Communications Center Technician (as Conrad Palmisano)
Tony Rocco	...	Communications Center Technician
Jesse Wayne	...	Communications Center Technician
Carole Hemingway	...	Sherwood's Secretary
Clete Roberts	...	Network Newscaster
Stu Nahan	...	Football Announcer
Osman Ragheb	...	Swiss TV Newscaster
Yung Henry Yu	...	Chinese Fisherman (as Yu Wing)
Tsui Ling Yu	...	Chinese Fisherman's Wife (as Yau Tsui Ling)
Ricker Slaven	...	Canteen Worker (as Rick Slaven)
James Bacon	...	News Reporter
Yani Begakis	...	News Reporter
Selma Archerd	...	Woman in Subway
Domingo Ambriz	...	Boy with Radio
Peter Donat	...	Opening Sequence Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Simon Cadell	...	BBC News Reporter (uncredited)
George Golden	...	U.N. Meeting Attendee (uncredited)
Wei Tu Lin	...	Escaping Tenant (uncredited)
Tony Regan	...	U.N. Meeting Attendee (uncredited)
John Spencer	...	Control Center Worker (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	U.N. Meeting Attendee (uncredited)

Directed by
Ronald Neame

Writing credits
Stanley Mann		(screenplay) and
Edmund H. North		(screenplay)
Edmund H. North		(story)

Produced by
Sandy Howard	....	executive producer
Gabriel Katzka	....	executive producer
Arnold H. Orgolini	....	producer (as Arnold Orgolini)
Theodore R. Parvin	....	producer (as Theodore Parvin)
Run Run Shaw	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematography by
Paul Lohmann		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Carl Kress

Production Design by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)

Art Direction by
David A. Constable

Set Decoration by
Barbara Krieger

Costume Design by
Albert Wolsky

Makeup Department
Del Armstrong	....	makeup artist
Sugar Blymyer	....	hair stylist
Edwin Butterworth	....	makeup artist (as Ed Butterworth)
Lynn Del Kail	....	hair stylist
Hallie Smith-Simmons	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Frank Baur	....	production supervisor
Salvatore Billitteri	....	post-production executive
Lam Chua	....	production manager/Hong Kong (as Chua Lam)
Jere Henshaw	....	executive in charge of production
Chris Holenia	....	production manager/Europe
Ephraim 'Red' Schaffer	....	production manager: second unit (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
D. Scott Easton	....	second assistant director (as Scott Easton)
Daniel McCauley	....	first assistant director (as Daniel J. McCauley)
Albert M. Shapiro	....	second assistant director (as Albert Shapiro)
Ephraim 'Red' Schaffer	....	assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
David Evans	....	assistant property master
Jack M. Marino	....	property master (as Jack Marino)
Gary Martin	....	construction coordinator
Tom Southwell	....	assistant property master
Kevin Shanks	....	drapery man/floor covering (uncredited)

Sound Department
Craig Huxley	....	electronic effects (as Craig Hundley)
Joe Kenworthy	....	sound boom operator
Michael J. Kohut	....	re-recording mixer
Tom McCarthy Jr.	....	sound editor
William L. McCaughey	....	re-recording mixer (as William McCaughey)
Charles E. Moran	....	sound editor (as Charles Moran)
Aaron Rochin	....	re-recording mixer
Jack Solomon	....	sound mixer
Mark Winitsky	....	sound editor
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Glen Robinson	....	special effects supervisor
Robert Staples	....	special effects supervisor
Allen Hurd	....	special effects (uncredited)
Wayne Rose	....	special effects crew (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Margo Anderson	....	visual effects supervisor
Byron Bauer	....	visual effects unit
Allen Blaisdell	....	visual unit camera operator
Dave Cornell	....	visual effects unit
William Cruse	....	visual effects
Alessandra De Clario	....	visual effects unit
Sam DiMaggio	....	visual unit camera operator (as Sam Di Maggio)
Jim Doyle	....	visual effects unit
Marcia Dripchak	....	visual effects unit
Mimi Gramatky	....	visual effects unit
John Greenleigh	....	visual effects unit
Ron Kolman	....	visual effects unit
Dennis Michelson	....	visual effects unit
Charles Naddour	....	visual effects unit
Martin Jay Sadoff	....	visual effects editor
Catherine Schlesinger	....	visual effects unit
Clyde Tichenor	....	visual unit physicist
Max W. Anderson	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Robert Blalack	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Paul Kassler	....	model maker (uncredited)
Paul Kassler	....	sculptor (uncredited)
Pete Kleinow	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Michael Minor	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Gene Warren	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Robbie Banks	....	stunt person
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt person (as Bruce Barbour)
Leah Creed	....	stunt person
Roger Creed	....	stunt coordinator
Ted Duncan	....	stunt person
Larry Duran	....	stunt person
Barbara Eaton	....	stunt person
Kenny Endoso	....	stunt person
Martha Garza	....	stunt person
Len Glascow	....	stunt person
Marilyn Jones	....	stunt person
Valerie Kelly	....	stunt person
Jack Lilley	....	stunt person
Nick Palmisano	....	stunt person
George Robotham	....	stunt person
Sonny Shields	....	stunt person
Al Wyatt Sr.	....	stunt person (as Al Wyatt)
Leslie Hoffman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Ferra	....	assistant cameraman
Ron Frantzvog	....	assistant cameraman
James Globus	....	still photographer
Gerald A. King	....	key grip (as Gerald King)
Edmond L. Koons	....	camera operator (as Edmond Koons)
J. Michael Marlett	....	gaffer (as Mike Marlett)
Guy Polzel	....	key grip
Thomas Thatcher	....	best boy
Doug Byers	....	electrician (uncredited)
Bruce Chimerofsky	....	rigging grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Darryl M. Athons	....	costumer
Barry Kellogg	....	costumer
Bucky Rous	....	costumer
Peggy Thorin	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Dee D'Orazio	....	additional film editor (as Etter Vincent D'Orazio)
Dody Dorn	....	assistant film editor
Carrie Ellison	....	assistant film editor
Janice Hampton	....	associate film editor
Marsha Hoke	....	assistant film editor
Jibralta Merrill	....	assistant film editor
Dale Mishkin	....	assistant film editor
Toni Morgan	....	assistant film editor
Maureen O'Connell	....	assistant film editor
Bruce Pearson	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Derek Brechin	....	music editor
Allison Caine	....	vocal effects advisor
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
William Saracino	....	music editor
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator
Laurence Rosenthal	....	conductor (uncredited)
Laurence Rosenthal	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Michael McDuffee	....	transportation coordinator (as Mike McDuffee)
Tim Roslan	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Frank Bonner	....	cast coordinator
Renee F. Brown	....	production accountant (as Renée F. Brown)
Carolyn Effler	....	research assistant
Bill Ewing	....	cast coordinator
Dona Friedberg	....	production liason
Stephanie Garman	....	assistant to the producers
Penny Gillman	....	assistant to accountant
Connie Greenwood	....	post-production accountant
Ken Hardie	....	craft service
John James	....	location manager
Ginger Mason	....	director's assistant
Melinda McRae	....	assistant to accountant (as Melinda Clark-Bell)
Ray Quiroz	....	script supervisor
George Rubinstein	....	advisor: Russian language
John Small	....	technical advisor (as John Small {JPL})
Doug Ward	....	technical advisor (as Doug Ward {NASA})
Robert Werden	....	unit publicist (as Bob Werden)
Anna Zappia	....	production coordinator
David Hakim	....	publicity writer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Meteor Joint Venture
• Palladium Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Bros. (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros A Warner Communications Company)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (Canada)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1986) (Greece) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (video)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Video Releasing Organization (VRO) (198?) (Netherlands) (video) (Betamax)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• California Institute of Technology  special thanks to: for their cooperation and assistance (as the California Institute of Technology)
• Controlled Demolition  special thanks to: for their cooperation and assistance (as Controlled Demolition, Inc.)
• Griffith Observatory  special thanks to: for their cooperation and assistance (as Griffith Park Observatory)
• Kress Editorial Services  post production
• Lynn Stalmaster & Associates  casting
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)  special thanks to: for their cooperation and assistance (as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and M.I.T. Press)
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)  special thanks to: for their cooperation and assistance (as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
• Polaris Observatory Association  special thanks to: for their cooperation and assistance
• U.S. Coast Guard  special thanks to: for their cooperation and assistance (as the U.S. Coast Guard)
• Weddle Brothers Co.  special thanks to: for their cooperation and assistance
• Worldstage  projected video effects by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (as Technicolor®)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1979) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating) | West Germany:12 | Italy:T | Australia:M | Peru:14 | UK:PG (tv rating)

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Cameo: [Henry Fonda]As the President of the USA, Fonda shot his major cameo in 2 days. Fonda made a two-minute speech to the Washington Press Corp which received s standing ovation from cast and crew but was cut from the picture's theatrical release. Fonda also plays an unnamed American President in the earlier Fail-Safe (1964) which provided a number of story elements for this film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: A small piece or rock or metal drifting through space is called a meteoroid. A meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up is called a meteor; the terms "meteor" and "shooting star" are one and the same. Most meteors are tiny, not much larger than a grain of sand. A meteor that does not burn up all the way and hits the Earth is called a meteorite. An object five miles wide would never be referred to as a "meteor", especially by astrophysicists. It would still be called an asteroid.

Quotes:

Tatiana Donskaya:One day you will come to Moscow and you will see a clean subway.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Classics from the Vault: Movies that Changed the Movies (#2.7)" (2011)

The curse of 1979 strikes again.

Was there something in the water in 1979? I was reading up recently about some of the films that major movie stars made in 1979 and it is remarkable how many actors were busy wasting their talents on duds in that year. Michael Caine in Beyond the Poseidon Adventure; Laurence Olivier in Dracula; Roger Moore in Escape to Athena; Jason Robards in Hurricane; Peter Cushing in A Touch of the Sun; Donald Sutherland in Bear Island; James Mason and Anthony Quinn in The Passage; Robert Shaw and Lee Marvin in Avalanche Express; and Richard Harris in A Game For Vultures. Even some directors seemed to be affected by the curse of 1979 - Steven Spielberg, for instance, made his only fully-fledged turkey in the shape of "1941". The '79 trend for big stars in bad films also extended to Sean Connery. Poor old Sean's 1979 film, Meteor, is a disaster movie of stupefying awfulness.

It is revealed that a huge meteor is on collision course with earth, so big that unless it is diverted or destroyed its impact could cause another Ice Age. The American president (Henry Fonda) instructs professor Dr. Paul Bradley (Sean Connery) to figure out how to blast the meteor to bits by using secret nuclear weapons positioned in orbit above the earth. However, Dr. Bradley soon calculates that the American weapons alone will not halt the meteor. The Russians are brought in and informed of the potential destruction of the world as we know it and, in a race against time, the Americans try to persuade them to admit that they too have space-based nuclear missiles which could be added to the strike.

The special effects are remarkably poor for a post Star Wars sci-fi film, but the film fails on many other levels too. None of the actors look enthusiastic about being here; Ronald Neame and Stanley Mann's script is full of idiotic dialogue and plot contrivances; excitement is persistently undermined by interminable talky scenes; and the characterisation is so ludicrous that it makes you want to grind your teeth with despair. Soon after this, disaster movies came to an end, not to be seen again until their special effects-enhanced re-emergence in the mid-1990s. When you see Meteor, you'll immediately understand why the genre self-destructed.