Firefox (1982)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Alex Lasker (screenplay) &
Wendell Wellman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 June 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

...the most devastating killing machine ever built... his job... steal it!

Plot:

A pilot is sent into the Soviet Union on a mission to steal a prototype jet fighter that can be partially controlled by a neuralink

Plot Keywords:

Soviet Union | Refueling | Russia | Jet Fighter | Fighter Plane

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Mitchell Gant
Freddie Jones	...	Kenneth Aubrey
David Huffman	...	Captain Buckholz
Warren Clarke	...	Pavel Upenskoy
Ronald Lacey	...	Semelovsky
Kenneth Colley	...	Colonel Kontarsky
Klaus Löwitsch	...	General Vladimirov (as Klaus Lowitsch)
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Pyotr Baranovich
Stefan Schnabel	...	First Secretary
Thomas Hill	...	General Brown
Clive Merrison	...	Major Lanyev
Kai Wulff	...	Lt. Colonel Voskov
Dimitra Arliss	...	Natalia
Austin Willis	...	Walters
Michael Currie	...	Captain Seerbacker
James Staley	...	Lt. Commander Fleischer
Ward Costello	...	General Rogers
Alan Tilvern	...	Air Marshal Kutuzov
Oliver Cotton	...	Dmitri Priabin
Bernard Behrens	...	William Saltonstall
Richard Derr	...	Admiral Curtin
Woody Eney	...	Major Dietz
Bernard Erhard	...	KGB Guard
Hugh Fraser	...	Police Inspector Tortyev
David Gant	...	KGB Official
John Grillo	...	Customs Officer
Czeslaw Grocholski	...	Old Man
Barrie Hougton	...	Boris Glazunov
Neil Hunt	...	Richard Cunningham
Vincent J. Isaac	...	Sub Radio Operator (as Vincent J. Isaacs)
Alexei Jawdokimov	...	Code Operator
Wolf Kahler	...	KGB Chairman Andropov
Eugene Lipinski	...	KGB Agent
Phillip Littell	...	Code Operator
Curt Lowens	...	Dr. Schuller
Lev Mailer	...	Guard at Shower
Fritz Manes	...	Captain
David Meyers	...	Grosch
Alfredo Michelson	...	Interrogator
Zeno Nahayevsky	...	Officer at Plane (as Zenno Nahayevsky)
George Orrison	...	Leon Sprague
Tony Papenfuss	...	GRU Officer
Olivier Pierre	...	Borkh
Grisha Plotkin	...	GRU Officer
George Pravda	...	General Borov
John Ratzenberger	...	Chief Peck
Alex Rodine	...	Captain of the Riga
Lance Rosen	...	Agent
Eugene Scherer	...	Russian Captain
Warwick Sims	...	Shelley (as Warrick Sims)
Mike Spero	...	Russian Guard
Malcolm Storry	...	KGB Agent
Chris Winfield	...	RAF Operator
John Yates	...	Admiral Pearson
Alexander Zale	...	Riga Fire Control Chief
Igor Zatsepin	...	Flight Engineer
Konstantin Zlatev	...	Riga Technician
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rudolf Waldemar Brem	...	KGB-Agent (uncredited)
Larry Guardino	...	KGB Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits
Alex Lasker		(screenplay) &
Wendell Wellman		(screenplay)
Craig Thomas		(novel)

Produced by
Clint Eastwood	....	producer
Paul Hitchcock	....	associate producer
Fritz Manes	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Bruce Surtees		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ron Spang
Ferris Webster

Casting by
Marion Dougherty
Mary Selway

Art Direction by
Elayne Barbara Ceder		(as Elayne Ceder)
John Graysmark
Beala Neel

Set Decoration by
Ernie Bishop

Makeup Department
Christina Smith	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Fritz Manes	....	unit production manager
Dieter Meyer	....	production manager: Europe
Steve Perry	....	unit production manager
William W. Wilson III	....	unit manager: Austria (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don French	....	assistant director: Europe
Steve Perry	....	first assistant director
David Valdes	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Joe Acord	....	construction coordinator
Edward Aiona	....	property master
Martin A. Kline	....	illustrator: Apogee, Inc. (as Marty Kline)
Thomas Riccabona	....	assistant art director: Europe
John R. Shourt	....	illustrator: Apogee, Inc. (as John Shourt)
Michael Speaker	....	scenic artist: Apogee, Inc. (as Mike Speaker)
Alan Tomkins	....	draughtsman: Europe
Joe Garlington	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dick Alexander)
Bub Asman	....	sound effects editor
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert G. Henderson	....	sound effects editor (as Bob Henderson)
Donald F. Johnson	....	sound mixer (as Don Johnson)
Alan Robert Murray	....	sound effects editor
Arthur Piantadosi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jules Strasser	....	boom operator
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Karl Baumgartner	....	special effects: Europe
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects
Richard Stutsman	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Gary Zink	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Richard Alexander	....	mechanical special effects: Apogee, Inc.
Jack Anderson	....	assistant camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Percy Angress	....	special effects coordinator: Apogee, Inc.
David Bartholomew	....	special effects editorial: Apogee, Inc.
David Beasley	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Mat Beck	....	camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Cosmas Paul Bolger Jr.	....	assistant camera operator: Apogee, Inc. (as Paul Bolger)
Mark Cane	....	mechanical special effects: Apogee, Inc.
Angela Diamos	....	animation camera: Apogee, Inc.
Dennis Dorney	....	assistant camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Roger Dorney	....	supervisor: special optical effects
John Dykstra	....	producer: special visual effects
Jonathan Erland	....	special technical development: Apogee, Inc. (as Jon Erland)
Bruno George	....	camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Pete Gerard	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Rick Gilligan	....	mechanical special effects: Apogee, Inc.
Mark Gredell	....	camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Richard Haas	....	assistant camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Richard O. Helmer	....	mechanical special effects: Apogee, Inc. (as Richard Helmer)
Gregg Heschong	....	camera operator: Apogee, Inc. (as Greg Heschong)
Paul D. Johnson	....	electronics: Apogee, Inc. (as Paul Johnson)
Ann Johnston	....	unit secretary: Apogee, Inc.
Michael Joyce	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc. (as Mike Joyce)
Denny Kelly	....	special effects editorial: Apogee, Inc.
Michael Kelly	....	visual effects editor
Rick La Conte	....	craft service: Apogee, Inc. (as Rick LaConte)
Bruce Logan	....	process photography: Apogee, Inc.
Pat McClung	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Grant McCune	....	chief modelmaker: Apogee, Inc.
Dennis Michelson	....	special effects editorial: Apogee, Inc.
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	still photographer: Apogee, Inc. (as Mike Middleton)
Alvah J. Miller	....	chief of electronic special effects: Apogee, Inc. (as Al Miller)
Harry Moreau	....	animation camera: Apogee, Inc.
Debbi Nikkel	....	unit accountant: Apogee, Inc. (as Deborah Baxter Nikkel)
David B. Nowell	....	camera operator: Apogee, Inc. (as David Nowell)
Jerry Pooler	....	camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Gary Rhodaback	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Steve Sass	....	mechanical special effects: Apogee, Inc.
Gregory J. Schmidt	....	assistant camera operator: Apogee, Inc. (as Greg Schmidt)
David Scott	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Robert Shepherd	....	supervisor: special visual effects
William Shourt	....	mechanical special effects: Apogee, Inc. (as Bill Shourt)
Susan Sitnek	....	assistant camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Douglas Smith	....	first camera operator: Apogee, Inc. (as Doug Smith)
David Sosalla	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
John E. Sullivan	....	camera operator: Apogee, Inc. (as John Sullivan)
Michael Sweeney	....	assistant camera operator: Apogee, Inc. (as Mike Sweeney)
Ken Swenson	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Tama Takahashi	....	assistant camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Don Trumbull	....	mechanical special effects: Apogee, Inc.
Dewey Webber	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Jody Westheimer	....	assistant camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Gregory Jein	....	model designer (uncredited)
Robert Short	....	model construction (uncredited)
Denise Shurtleff	....	visual effects coordinator (uncredited)

Stunts
George Orrison	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Davis	....	best boy (as John Davis)
Dennis Fraser	....	key grip: Europe
Jack N. Green	....	camera operator (as Jack Green)
Ronald Hersey	....	assistant camera: Europe (as Ronald B. Hersey)
Jeff Miller	....	assistant camera
Don Nygren	....	gaffer
John Palmer	....	second camera operator: Europe
Charles Saldana	....	key grip
Jack Shannon	....	still photographer
Bruce D. Spellman	....	second grip (as Bruce Spellman)
Michael D. Weldon	....	assistant camera (as Mike Weldon)
Kirk Bales	....	dolly grip (uncredited)
Michael E. Matteson	....	grip (uncredited)
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	still photographer: special art (uncredited)
Lee Redmond	....	aerial assistant camera (uncredited)
Emmanuel Vouniozos	....	on-set technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Renate Arbes	....	casting: Austria (as Renata Arbes)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Glenn Wright	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Jack Hooper	....	negative cutter
Hubert de La Bouillerie	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer
Donald Harris	....	music editor
Maurice Jarre	....	conductor
Michel Mention	....	assistant: Maurice Jarre
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Peter Altendorfer	....	production driver
H. William Miller	....	transportation coordinator (as Bill Miller)
Gerhard Rupp	....	transportation captain
David Turner	....	transportation captain (as Dave Turner)
William W. Wilson III	....	transportation manager: Austria

Other crew
Marco Barla	....	unit publicist
Betty Endo	....	assistant to producers
James W. Gavin	....	special flight consultant (as Jim Gavin)
Linda Sony Kinney	....	production secretary (as Linda Sony)
Clay Lacy	....	special flight consultant
Michael Maurer	....	auditor
Lloyd Nelson	....	script supervisor
David Nieman	....	special flight consultant
Durk Pearson	....	scientific advisor
James M. Quinlan	....	set consultant
Ilse Schwarzwald	....	production secretary: Europe
Sandy Shaw	....	scientific advisor
Arthur Tarry	....	production accountant: Europe
Jack Wheeler	....	location advisor: Arctic (as Dr. Jack Wheeler)
Carl Lawrence Ludwig	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Howard R. Schuster	....	financing (uncredited)
William Smith	....	russian-language translator (uncredited)
C. Ransom Walrod	....	marine coordinator (uncredited)

Thanks
Thomas H. Friedkin	....	special thanks (as Tom Friedkin)

Production Companies

• Malpaso Company, The

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros A Warner Communications Company)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1982) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1982) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1985) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Fazer Musiikki Oy/Fazer Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1995) (2004) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Scanvideo (1984) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Warner Home Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Apogee Productions (special effects unit) (as Apogee, Inc.)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Department of Defense, The  special thanks
• United States Air Force, The  special thanks
• United States Marine Corps  special thanks
• United States Navy, The  special thanks
• Bendix  special thanks
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes (uncredited)
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production (uncredited)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of: affiliated with A.F.L.-C.I.O. (as I A T S E)
• Montana Film Office  special thanks (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

136 min | Finland:125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1982) | Norway:16 (1982) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) (2003) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Spain:T | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | USA:PG (certificate #26725) | West Germany:16 | New Zealand:PG | South Korea:12 | UK:15 (tv rating) | UK:AA (original rating) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1987)

Filming Locations:

Cut Bank, Montana, USA

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

Notable technical specifications of the MiG-31 Firefox plane were that it was capable of Mach 6 speed which is a velocity six times the speed of sound; was too fast to be detected by radar and as such was invisible to it; contained an ultra-sophisticated weapons attack system; had full nuclear capability and took instructions controlled by the pilot's brainwaves which had to be configured via Russian thought processes.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Aeroflot plane that Gant buzzes shortly after stealing Firefox from the Soviet airbase is clearly a Boeing 727 as opposed to the similarly configured Tupolev Tu-154 that would've been flying in the Aeroflot fleet at the time. Also, the plane's livery features a wide red stripe down the fuselage, whereas all Aeroflot liveries throughout the Cold War have been blue.

Quotes:

Maj. Gant:[after outrunning two missiles in the MiG-31] Boy, is this a machine!

Movie Connections:

Edited into Trouble with the Curve (2012)

Cold-War Clint cops Commie craft, creates clean cinematic caper...

Did that title grab your attention?

Well, this film did it for me.

"Firefox" is without a doubt one of the best non-Dirty Harry movies I have ever seen Clint Eastwood star in. And I've seen quite a few.

As Mitchell Gant, Clint helps the US smuggle a super-secret Russian fighter craft out of its hangar deep in the heart of Russia and fly it over to our side. Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds, what with Gant having recurring flashbacks to a harrowing experience in Vietnam (PLOT POINT - why did they have an obviously traumatized vet like Clint head up a sensitive assignment like this? Oh well....).

In fact, there are two stars to this one. Clint, of course, and that sleek, black dream machine of a MIG that he commandeers. The scene where the camera and Clint circle the plane is almost like a car commercial (all that's missing is Ricardo Montalban talking about its 'rich Corinthian leather' interior).

Other than the loving detail between the two leads, however, everyone else is either an empty-headed caricature or an overplayed buffoon. Either way, it's just filling time until Clint and his ride meet the next harrowing obstacle they must overcome. And there's quite a few.

Does Clint finish the job in the end? Is all made safe for the Cold War-era world as we know it? Did Clint direct and produce as well as star in this one? Yep, so I think you know the answer already. But it's not the destination as much as the trip getting there, if you know what I mean.

Nine stars and a side of borscht for "Firefox"; the best movie ever made in which Clint speaks Russian.