IMDb > Blue Thunder (1983)
Blue Thunder
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Blue Thunder (1983) More at IMDbPro »

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Blue Thunder -- The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   8,652 votes »
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MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 18% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Badham
Writers:
Dan O'Bannon (written by) &
Don Jakoby (written by)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Blue Thunder on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 May 1983 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Action | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller See more »
Tagline:
The Skies Will Never Be the Same! See more »
Plot:
The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(40 articles)
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)
 (From Planet Fury. 17 May 2013, 12:36 PM, PDT)
Mario Machado: News Anchor & ‘RoboCop’ Actor Dies At 78
 (From HollywoodLife. 7 May 2013, 12:05 PM, PDT)
Lead Actors: The Overlooked and Underrated
 (From SoundOnSight. 27 February 2013, 2:18 PM, PST)
User Reviews:
Solid Work All Around See more (57 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Roy Scheider ... Officer Frank Murphy

Warren Oates ... Capt. Jack Braddock

Candy Clark ... Kate

Daniel Stern ... Officer Richard Lymangood
Paul Roebling ... Icelan

David Sheiner ... Fletcher

Joe Santos ... Montoya

Malcolm McDowell ... Col. F.E. Cochrane
Ed Bernard ... Sgt. Short
Jason Bernard ... Mayor
Mario Machado ... Himself

James Murtaugh ... Alf Hewitt
Pat McNamara ... Matusek
Jack Murdock ... Kress
Clifford A. Pellow ... Allen (as Clifford Pellow)
Paul Lambert ... Holmes
Phil Feldman ... Col. Coe
John Garber ... Tough mechanic
Anthony James ... Grundelius
Robin Braxton ... Diane McNeely (as Robin Brantos)
Anna Forrest ... Nudy Lucy
Ricky Slyter ... Timmy
Reid Cruickshanks ... Chief of Police
Billy Ray Sharkey ... Air controller
Fred Slyter ... Air controller
John Gladstein ... Fighter pilot
Ross Reynolds ... Helicoper pilot
Karl A. Wickman ... Helicopter Pilot
James W. Gavin ... Helicopter Pilot
Thomas H. Friedkin ... Helicopter Pilot (as Tom Friedkin)

James Read ... Policeman at Bridge
Mickey Gilbert ... Policeman
William T. Lane ... Policeman (as Bill Lane)
Lolly Boroff ... TV Director
Patti Clifton ... Hooker
Ernest Harada ... John
Frances E. Nealy ... Mayor's Aide
Jose Pepe R. Gonzales ... Drive-In Custodian
Jerry Ziesmer ... Pilot
Tom Lawrence ... Observer
John Ashby ... Thief

Tony Brubaker ... Thief
Norman Alexander Gibbs ... Man in Beanie
Bill M. Ryusaki ... Vietcong Soldier (as Bill Ryusaki)

Gary Davis ... Motorcycle Cop

Thomas Rosales Jr. ... Thug (as Tom Rosales)
Larry Randles ... Thug
Peter Miller ... Detective
Mike H. McGaughy ... Observer (as Mike McGaughy)
Calvin Bronx
Lucinda Crosby ... Bel-Air Woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

John Badham ... TV director (uncredited)
Shaaron Claridge ... Police Dispatcher (voice) (uncredited)
Eurlyne Epper ... Girl with bike (uncredited)

Ted King ... Car crash rescuer (uncredited)
Terry Leonard ... Assault Man 2 (uncredited)
Frank Morriss ... F-16 Pilot (uncredited)
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Directed by
John Badham 
 
Writing credits
Dan O'Bannon (written by) &
Don Jakoby (written by)

Dean Riesner  uncredited

Produced by
Gordon Carroll .... producer
Gregg Champion .... associate producer
Phil Feldman .... executive producer
Andrew Fogelson .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
Arthur B. Rubinstein 
 
Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo 
 
Film Editing by
Edward M. Abroms 
Frank Morriss 
 
Casting by
Dianne Crittenden 
 
Production Design by
Sydney Z. Litwack 
 
Art Direction by
Bernie Cutler 
 
Costume Design by
Marianna Elliott 
 
Makeup Department
Greg LaCava .... makeup artist
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gregg Champion .... second unit director
Kevin G. Cremin .... first assistant director: second unit (as Kevin Cremin)
Tom Davies .... second assistant director
James W. Gavin .... second unit director: aerial
Terry Leonard .... second unit director: stunt
Jerry Ziesmer .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Larry Clark Bird .... property master
Carmine Goglia .... stand-by painter
Philip Harrison .... visual consultant
 
Sound Department
Roy Bean .... cable person
Don Digirolamo .... sound re-recording mixer
John Glascock .... sound mixer
Robert Glass .... sound re-recording mixer
Robert Knudson .... sound re-recording mixer
Anthony Marinelli .... special sound effects
Alma Martinez .... adr
Dennis S. Sands .... music scoring mixer
John Roesch .... foley artist (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Chuck Gaspar .... special effects coordinator
Jeff Jarvis .... special effects supervisor
Richard Ratliff .... special effects
Richard Stutsman .... special effects technician
Jeffrey A. Wischnack .... special effects technician
Gary Zink .... special effects (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Rocco Gioffre .... matte artist
Tom Pahk .... model maker
Keith Shartle .... motion control production assistant
Hoyt Yeatman .... motion control supervisor
Eric Guaglione .... tracker/matchmover: DQI (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Monty Jordan .... stunt coordinator
John Ashby .... stunts (uncredited)
Gregory J. Barnett .... stunts (uncredited)
May Boss .... stunts (uncredited)
Colvin Brock .... stunts (uncredited)
Tony Brubaker .... stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett .... stunts (uncredited)
Steve Cremin .... stunts (uncredited)
Alex Daniels .... stunts (uncredited)
Gary Davis .... stunts (uncredited)
Kevin Donnelly .... stunt double: pilot (uncredited)
Kevin Donnelly .... stunts (uncredited)
Ted Duncan .... stunt driver (uncredited)
Greg Wayne Elam .... stunts (uncredited)
Kenny Endoso .... stunts (uncredited)
Richard Epper .... stunts (uncredited)
Glory Fioramonti .... stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert .... stunts (uncredited)
Clifford Happy .... stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Hice .... stunts (uncredited)
Larry Holt .... stunts (uncredited)
Jeff Imada .... stunts (uncredited)
William T. Lane .... stunts (uncredited)
Julius LeFlore .... stunts (uncredited)
Terry Leonard .... stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Terry Leonard .... stunts (uncredited)
Mike H. McGaughy .... stunts (uncredited)
Bill McIntosh .... stunts (uncredited)
Gary McLarty .... stunts (uncredited)
John Meier .... stunts (uncredited)
Bennie Moore .... stunts (uncredited)
Jeff Ramsey .... stunts (uncredited)
Larry Randles .... stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson .... stunts (uncredited)
Thomas Rosales Jr. .... stunts (uncredited)
Kerry Rossall .... stunts (uncredited)
Bill M. Ryusaki .... stunts (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller .... stunts (uncredited)
Ben Scott .... stunts (uncredited)
John-Clay Scott .... stunts (uncredited)
Joe Stone .... stunts (uncredited)
Michael M. Vendrell .... stunts (uncredited)
Rock A. Walker .... stunts (uncredited)
George P. Wilbur .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Wayne Baker .... assistant camera: second unit
Michael Barrett .... set lighting technician
Thomas Del Ruth .... director of photography: additional photography
Paul Jacobsen .... set lighting technician
Michael Douglas Middleton .... still photographer: location
John C. Moulds .... camera operator: second unit
Michael D. O'Shea .... camera operator
Dutch Presley .... best boy electric
Stuart A. Spohn .... gaffer
Kenji Takama .... camera operator
Rod Weaver .... set lighting electrician (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Norman A. Burza .... costumer
 
Editorial Department
Clay Mitchell .... assistant to editor (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Laurie Higgins Tobias .... music editor
Anthony Marinelli .... musician: synthesizer
Anthony Marinelli .... song producer
Antonio Romano .... music contractor (uncredited)
 
Transportation Department
Robert Neilson .... transportation coordinator
 
Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald .... title designer
Norman Gan .... assistant to the producer
Ernie Gustafsson .... helicopter mechanic
Dana Satler Hankins .... assistant to director
Anthony Marinelli .... synthesizer programmer
Art Scholl .... pilot
Earl Wingard .... publicist
Laurie Arnow-Epstein .... construction accountant (uncredited)
Chip Fowler .... production coordinator (uncredited)
Robert H. Lemer .... associate to producer (uncredited)
Jane Lockwood .... production staff (uncredited)
B.J. Smith .... set medic (uncredited)
 
Thanks
Warren Oates .... in memory of
 

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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
109 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)
Certification:
Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #26781) | West Germany:12 | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)
Filming Locations:
876 South Main Street, Los Angeles, California, USASee more »
Company:
Columbia Pictures CorporationSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
The control stick in the F-16 cockpit is identical to the one from the Viper starfighter cockpit in "Battlestar Galactica" (1978).See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: In the scene where Kate is stopped by the police on the bridge, a patrol car is clearly seen pulling in front of hers, cutting off her escape, but a moment later, when the police are distracted by the appearance of the helicopter, she drives away.See more »
Quotes:
[Icelan and Braddock are discussing Murphy]
Icelan:He checks his sanity with a wrist watch!
Jack Braddock:What do you check yours with, a dipstick?
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Heroes Unmasked: The Director's Cut (#1.20)" (2007)See more »

FAQ

What are the differences between the DVD Version and the VHS/Laserdisc Versions?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
26 out of 39 people found the following review useful.
Solid Work All Around, 7 January 2005
Author: channel_3_tv from United States

John Badham is a curious director and I think he gets it right in this one. After all Roy Scheider never stunk it up in his illustrious career and he hits all the right notes in this one as Frank Murphy the Vietnam Vet trying to escape the memories of his war experience. When Malcolm McDowell shows up (and honestly, who plays an a--hole better than McDowell in his heyday?) to become Murphy's nemesis. The very underrated Warren Oates as the crotchety commanding officer and Candy Clark as Murphy's girlfriend, who is the ultimate heroine of the plot, turn in solid performances. The helicopter clearly steals the show though as anyone between the ages of 7 and 21 had to just be glued to the screen watching that bird strut its stuff. Great action sequences and rather good photography during the climactic chase scene.

I still have fond memories of this film which I saw in the drive in as a kid and I think it's what films of this genre should be...a couple of hours of wild fun!..."Follow My Leader"

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Blue Thunder (1983)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
They changed the soundtrack. pbandj4evr
We coulda used this in 'Nam. jakholman
Would a Blue Thunder remake fly? comments? theattitude
JAFO and THOR maxgold-3
The dumbest film I've see in a long while... Anscules
about a missing scene volteface01
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