The Final Countdown (1980)

Director:

Don Taylor

Writers:

Thomas Hunter (story) &
Peter Powell (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 August 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Trapped outside the boundaries of time and space... 102 aircraft... 6,000 men... all missing.

Plot:

A modern aircraft carrier is thrown back in time to 1941 near Hawaii, just hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Plot Keywords:

Japanese | Uss Nimitz | Aircraft Carrier | Harbor | Pearl Harbor

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Capt. Matthew Yelland
Martin Sheen	...	Warren Lasky
Katharine Ross	...	Laurel Scott
James Farentino	...	Cdr. Richard Owens / Mr.Tideman
Ron O'Neal	...	Cdr. Dan Thurman
Charles Durning	...	Senator Samuel Chapman
Victor Mohica	...	Black Cloud
James Coleman	...	Lt. Perry (as James C. Lawrence)
Soon-Tek Oh	...	Simura (as Soon-Teck Oh)
Joe Lowry	...	Cdr. Damon
Alvin Ing	...	Lt. Kajima
Mark Thomas	...	Marine Cpl. Kullman
Harold Bergman	...	Bellman
Dan Fitzgerald	...	Navy Doctor
Lloyd Kaufman	...	LCdr. Kaufman
Peter Douglas	...	Quartermaster
Ted Richert	...	Tideman's Assistant
George Warren	...	Tideman's Bodyguard
Gary Morgan	...	Helicopter Crewman
Phil Philbin	...	Admiral
Robert Goodman	...	Enlisted Man
Richard Liberty	...	LCdr. Moss
Neil Ronco	...	Harvey
Bill Couch	...	Durrell (as William Couch)
Jack McDermott	...	Wynn
Masayuki Yamazuki	...	Togawa
George H. Strohsahl Jr.	...	Air Boss
Ronald R. Stoops	...	Navigator
Kenneth J. Jaskolski	...	Assistant Air Boss
Sergei M. Kowalchik	...	Crewman
Jake Dennis	...	Helicopter Pilot
Jim Toone	...	Helicopter Co-Pilot
Edward J. Deats	...	Chief
Robert L. Huffman	...	Radio Officer
James R. Augustus	...	Jr. Officer Of The Deck
Sam P. Baldwin	...	Lee Helmsman
Ronnie J. Ellis	...	Captain's Aide
Timothy W. Gersbacher	...	Enlisted Man
Wayne L. Flesher	...	Enlisted Man
William S. Frost	...	Enlisted Man
David H. Signor	...	Enlisted Man
Tommy Abel	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Andrew Akerson	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Edward Andrews	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Nick L. Anelli	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Frank R. Arko	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Emory W. Brown	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Michael K. Balint	...	USS Nimitz Crew
James Bulick	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Andris Dambekaln	...	USS Nimitz Crew
John T. Davis	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Michael A. Davis	...	USS Nimitz Crew
James A. Dennis Jr.	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Frank D. Ramio	...	USS Nimitz Crew (as Frank DiRamio)
Jerry D. Elliott	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Richard Farrell	...	USS Nimitz Crew
James W. Huston	...	USS Nimitz Crew (as James W. Houston)
Richard M. Johnson	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Ronald Kissel	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Michael J. Kubat	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Raymond P. Langley	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Eric Lofquist	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Kermit L. McCorble	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Robert K. Miller	...	USS Nimitz Crew
William H. Miller	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Gerry Mountcastle	...	USS Nimitz Crew
William McCluskey	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Alan Mullen	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Charles F. Myers	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Jeffery L. Myers	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Randy M. Olin	...	USS Nimitz Crew
David F. Person	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Raymond M. Reynaud	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Daniel C. Rockwell	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Francis Ross	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Trevor R. Sandison	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Gregory T. Swarney	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Andrey Swystun	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Christopher V. Totis	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Mark Trenor	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Brian Tyndall	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Peter D. Vogt	...	USS Nimitz Crew
David Wanamaker	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Stephen G. Weaver	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Jan P. Werson	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Steven G. Williams	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Aaron B. Wilson	...	USS Nimitz Crew
Michael Wilson	...	USS Nimitz Crew
David E. Young	...	USS Nimitz Crew
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Jacobus	...	Pilot / Crew (uncredited)

Directed by
Don Taylor

Writing credits
Thomas Hunter		(story) &
Peter Powell		(story) and
David Ambrose		(story)
David Ambrose		(screenplay) &
Gerry Davis		(screenplay) and
Thomas Hunter		(screenplay) &
Peter Powell		(screenplay)

Produced by
Peter Douglas	....	producer (as Peter Vincent Douglas)
Lloyd Kaufman	....	associate producer
Richard R. St. Johns	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Scott

Cinematography by
Victor J. Kemper		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert K. Lambert

Production Design by
Fernando Carrere

Set Decoration by
Dennis Peebles

Costume Design by
Ray Summers

Makeup Department
Irving Buchman	....	makeup artist
Romaine Greene	....	hair stylist
Bob Mills	....	makeup supervisor
Bob Mills	....	special makeup designer

Production Management
John W. Hyde	....	executive in charge of production
Lloyd Kaufman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
J. David Jones	....	second unit director (as David Jones)
Pat Kehoe	....	first assistant director
Robert K. Lambert	....	second unit director
Mark McGann	....	assistant director trainee
Ed Milkovich	....	second assistant director
Douglas E. Wise	....	second assistant director (as Doug Wise)

Art Department
Robert Boettcher	....	assistant property master (as Bob Boettcher)
Kent H. Johnson	....	property master (as Kent Johnson)
Nikita Knatz	....	production illustrator
Dale Koeppe	....	assistant art director
William Maldonado	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Richard L. Anderson	....	sound effects editor
Bruce Bisenz	....	sound mixer
Robert Crosby	....	boom operator (as Robert Crosby Jr.)
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	sound effects editor (as Stephen Flick)
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	sound effects editor
Alan Howarth	....	special sound effects (as Alan S. Howarth)
David J. Kimball	....	re-recording mixer
Robert J. Litt	....	re-recording mixer
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound effects editor (as Mark Mangini)
Robert Nichols II	....	sound recordist
Norman B. Schwartz	....	dialogue supervisor
Howard S. Wollman	....	re-recording mixer
Richard L. Anderson	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)
Samuel C. Crutcher	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Joe Day	....	special effects
Garry Elmendorf	....	special effects (as Gary Elmendorf)
Pat Elmendorf	....	special effects
Doug Hubbard	....	special effects (uncredited)
Peter Jaques	....	producer: special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Jim Allsop	....	optical technician
Maurice Binder	....	special visual effects
Maurice Binder	....	storm sequence
Tom Pullinger	....	optical editor
Louis Schwartzberg	....	time lapse special effects
Marv Ystrom	....	optical effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Couch	....	stunt coordinator
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunt double (as Orwin Harvey)
Colby Smith	....	stunt double
J. David Jones	....	aerial stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David L. Butler	....	director of photography: second unit
Jim Coe	....	still photographer
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Rhio Haessig	....	best boy
Robert Horne	....	camera assistant (as Bob Horne)
Stan Lazan	....	director of photography: second unit
Robert Marta	....	camera assistant (as Bob Marta)
Gaylin P. Schultz	....	key grip (as Gaylin Schultz)
Bernie Schwartz	....	best boy
Robert C. Thomas	....	camera operator (as Bob Thomas)

Casting Department
Dee Miller	....	location casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cynthia Bales	....	costumer
James W. Tyson	....	costumer (as James Tyson)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Leslie Dennis Bracken	....	assistant editor (as Leslie Dennis)
Mike Dobie	....	assistant editor (as Michael Dobie)
Robert K. Lambert	....	post-production executive
Virgil A. Tanner	....	color timer (as Virgil Tanner)
Tim Tobin	....	assistant editor (as Timothy Tobin)

Music Department
George Craig	....	music supervisor
Milton Lustig	....	music editor
John Richards	....	music mixer
Alan Howarth	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Frank 'Cat' Ballou	....	transportation coordinator (as Frank 'Cat' Ballou)

Other crew
Lynn A. Aber	....	script supervisor (as Lynn Aber)
Fred Baillie	....	production assistant
Mike Batzler	....	production assistant
Susan Becton	....	secretary to the producer
Steven Bridges	....	production assistant
Benjamin Bruce	....	location coordinator
Judi Bunn	....	second unit coordinator
Jack Casey	....	unit publicist
Gerry Costello	....	technical unit: Grumman
Michael Durant	....	production assistant
Lyn J. Fink	....	assistant production coordinator (as Lyn Fink)
Gary Gero	....	animal trainer
Tony Gittelson	....	location coordinator
William S. Graves	....	technical advisor: U.S. Navy (as Capt. William S. Graves USN)
B.J. Johnson	....	location coordinator
Douglas J. Kenny	....	location assistant (as Doug Kenny)
Rob Mays	....	production assistant
Jim McMahon	....	location auditor
Richard C. Milligan	....	technical advisor: Grumman (as Richard Milligan)
Bruce Montgomery	....	technical unit: Grumman
Kate Morris	....	production administrator
Pat Moseman	....	production secretary
Florence Nerlinger	....	production coordinator
Richard R. St. Johns	....	presenter
Tony Tenreiro	....	technical unit: Grumman
Clair Ward	....	production assistant
Mark Winter	....	location assistant
Boots Hart	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• The Bryna Company (as The Bryna Company's Production of)

Distributors

• PSO International (1980) (Non-USA) (theatrical)
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (1980) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Jugendfilm-Verleih (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Europa Film (1981) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• United Artists Corporation (198?) (UK) (theatrical)
• AVU-Video-Vertriebs-GmbH (2000) (Germany) (VHS)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (USA) (TV)
• Aquarius TV (1998) (Greece) (TV)
• Blue Underground (2004) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Blue Underground (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Blue Underground (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• EMS (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• EMS (2009) (Germany) (DVD) (Collector's Edition)
• Image Entertainment (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Manga Films (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• New Line Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Pacific Family Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Panorama Distributions (2010) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Rough Trade Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Rough Trade Distribution (2009) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Vestron Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Allison Productions  Hawaiian production services
• Aspen Productions (I)  production services
• Commander Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet  with special thanks to
• Confederate Airforce  
• Department of Defense, The  the producers wish to express their grateful appreciation to: (as The Department of Defense)
• Department of the Navy  the producers wish to express their grateful appreciation to: (as The Department of the Navy)
• Else Blangsted Ltd.  music editor (as Else Blangsted, Ltd.)
• Goldwyn Studios  post production facilities
• Grumman Aerospace Corporation  the producers are grateful to: for their co-operation (as The Grumman Aerospace Corp.)
• Holoco  laser effects
• Jos Records  music soundtrack available on (uncredited)
• Music Centre, The  music recorded at (as The Music Centre)
• National Screen  opticals (as National Screen {U.K.})
• Officers and Crew of Carrier Air Wing 8, The  with special thanks to (as The Officers and Crew of Carrier Air Wing 8)
• Officers and Crew of the USS Nimitz, The  with special thanks to (as The Officers and Crew of the USS Nimitz)
• Optical House, The  opticals (as The Optical House {L.A.})
• Tallmantz Aviation  B25 camera plane

Also Known As:

"U.S.S. Nimitz: Lost in the Pacific" - Europe (English title) (DVD box title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 (re-rating) (1982) (cut) | Norway:15 (DVD rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (2002) (2006) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Netherlands:12 | Netherlands:6 (TV version) (cut) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:A (passed with cuts) | UK:PG (video rating: cut by 6 sec) (1986) | UK:PG (tv rating)

Filming Locations:

Naval Air Station, Key West, Florida Keys, Florida, USA

Company:

The Bryna Company

Trivia:

The picture was made with the full co-operation of the US Navy.

Goofs:

Continuity: As the second "Timestorm" approaches, the ship's meteorologist (nicknamed "Black Cloud") is called over to examine the storm on the scope. Before he looks into it, there is one seaman standing beside him. When he looks up a second later there are four of them.

Quotes:

[first lines]
F-14 Pilot:[voice over radio] Pearl Tower, Tomcat two-zero-zero. requesting clearance for departure runway zero-nine. Over.
Pearl Harbor Tower:[voice over radio] Two-zero-zero, Pearl Harbor Tower. You are cleared runway oh-niner. Winds zero-four-five at eight. SH-three approaching from the right. Have a nice day.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011)

A Guilty Pleasure

There are great films ("Citizen Kane," eg), and there are "big films", like "ET" or "Star Wars." Then there are absolute crap films (eg, WAY too-many to list!). I propose another legitimate category: "Guilty Pleasure Films." These are movies that one can see over and over, through countless repetitions on cable and broadcast channels, and enjoy the experience every time.

For example, I have probably seen "Brighton Beach Memoirs" 40 times. I loved it during its first run, and I've loved it each of the 39 times I've seen it on the small screen. No, it's not a great movie, but it's one that brings me pleasure when I watch it. Same with (blush) "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure": the movie's stupid, but it just always entertains me!

Similarly, nobody is going to compare "The Final Countdown" to "2001: A Space Odyssey" as far as absolute quality, but "The Final Countdown" is a classic example of an unabashed "guilty pleasure" movie.

The story is intriguing--what would YOU do if you were commanding a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier full of supersonic jets, etc, when you were transferred through a time-warp (ref: a CHEESY looking laser and smoke effect storm!) to December 6, 1941?? Would you alter history, just to win a battle against those attacking Pearl Harbor? Or would you hold back because you'd change history if you did anything?

Interesting point! Kirk Douglas, as the ship's captain, looks like he's having a ball acting in this, and Martin Sheen does a great job as the "civilian consultant," Mr. Laskey.

No, this movie isn't an Oscar-winner, nor did it really deserve to be. But I'll put it this way. A local independant station showed "The Final Countdown" tonight at the same time TNN was showing "The Godfather 2" uncut.

I spent maybe five minutes on the Oscar-winning Godfather 2. Yes, it is an empirically great film, but I've seen it once before. But with American fighter jets dogfighting 1941 Japanese Zeros, I was FAR more entertained watching "The Final Countdown" for the 10th time!