Airwolf (1984) (TV)

Director:

Donald P. Bellisario

Writer:

Donald P. Bellisario (written by)

Release Date:

22 January 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

A scientist who has created a super helicopter has defected to Libya and taken the machine with him. A secretive government agency hires an ex-Vietnam War pilot to go to Libya, steal the chopper and bring it back.

Plot Keywords:

Helicopter | Aviation | TV Series Pilot

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Jan-Michael Vincent	...	Stringfellow Hawke
Ernest Borgnine	...	Dominic
Alex Cord	...	Michael Coldsmith Briggs III
David Hemmings	...	Dr. Charles Henry Moffet
Belinda Bauer	...	Gabrielle Ademaur
Deborah Pratt	...	Marella
Eugene Roche	...	Senator William Dietz
W.K. Stratton	...	Chuck Gordon
Dean Wein	...	Mark, Co-Pilot
Frank Annese	...	Major Mufta Ben-Kamal
John Calvin	...	Blaze
Philip Bruns	...	Mitch, the Director
Tina Chen	...	Faye
Herbert Jefferson Jr.	...	Carrier Commander
Gary Epper	...	Red Star Controller
Nick Faltas	...	Libyan Officer
Steve Greenstein	...	Libyan Controller (as Steven Greenstein)
Paul La Greca	...	Arab Boy
Toby Norton	...	USS Enterprise Radar Operator
Helene Phillips	...	Angela
Dee Dee Rescher	...	Mona Kahn, Reporter
Joe Verroca	...	Helicopter Pilot
Victor Warren	...	Museum official
Dan Woren	...	Red Star Army Lieutenant
Monty Jordan	...	Army Officer
Robert McRay	...	Parking attendent
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alan D. Purwin	...	Helicopter pilot
Rodger LaRue	...	Initial Scene Walk-up Co-Pilot (uncredited)
Michael Santiago	...	Pilot (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Donald P. Bellisario

Writing credits
Donald P. Bellisario		(written by)

Produced by
Donald P. Bellisario	....	executive producer
Alan J. Levi	....	producer

Original Music by
Sylvester Levay

Cinematography by
Howard Schwartz

Film Editing by
Carl Kress
Bill Luciano
Leon Ortiz-Gil

Production Design by
Charles R. Davis

Set Decoration by
Richard C. Goddard

Costume Design by
Jean-Pierre Dorléac

Art Department
Allan Gordon	....	property master
Hugo Santiago	....	assistant art director
Ron Yates	....	set designer
Jim Zemansky	....	property master
Andrew Probert	....	conceptual design and storyboards (uncredited)
Andrew Probert	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Barney Cabral	....	sound effects editor
Michael H. Ford	....	sound editor
Donlee Jorgensen	....	sound editor
Nicholas Vincent Korda	....	adr editor
Bob Newlan	....	sound editor
Mark Roberts	....	sound editor
Sam F. Shaw	....	supervising sound editor
Breck Warwick	....	sound editor
Bob Weatherford	....	sound editor
Michael D. Wilhoit	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Fay Konkel	....	special effects technician
Whitey Krumm	....	special effects
Jack Sessums	....	miniatures builder

Visual Effects by
Albert Whitlock	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Gary Epper	....	stunts
Monty Jordan	....	aerial stunts
Monty Jordan	....	stunt double
Steve Kelso	....	stunts
Steve Morey	....	utility stunts
Frank James Sparks	....	stunt double
Ron Stein	....	stunt coordinator
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Debbi A. Davison	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Freddie Hice	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter McKernan	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Chad Randall	....	stunt double: Jan-Michael Vincent (uncredited)
Chad Randall	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ron Stein	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Stan McClain	....	aerial camera operator
John C. Moulds	....	camera operator: helicopter unit
Bill Sheehan	....	assistant camera

Music Department
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor: uncredited
Gene L. Gillette	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Alan Kaminsky	....	transportation

Other crew
Carol Gillson	....	assistant: executive producer
Linda Hegland	....	script supervisor
J. David Jones	....	aerial unit coordinator (as David Jones)
Harriet Margulies	....	production assistant
Jim Michaels	....	24 frame computer playback operator
Jill Salomon	....	location manager
Joyce Heftel	....	script supervisor: second unit (uncredited)
Greg Knapp	....	medic (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Belisarius Productions
• Universal TV

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1984) (USA) (TV)
• Fabulous Films (2011) (UK) (DVD)
• Fabulous Films (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Fabulous Films (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1987) (Greece) (VHS)
• Shout! Factory (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Video City (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:16 | Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:12 (video rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | UK:18 (DVD rating)

Company:

Belisarius Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: While Moffet tortures Gabrielle next to the jeep, she has her shoes on. When Hawke finds her, she appears to be barefoot.

Quotes:

Michael 'Archangel' Coldsmith Briggs III:Straight at the Libyan coast! You trying to egg them out?
Carrier Commander:There's no need for that, sir. If your boys don't get that chopper in 4 hours, our boys go in and blow it away!
Faye:Our 'boys,' Captain, include women! One of whom has already given her life on this mission!
Carrier Commander:I'm sorry, ma'am, it's just a figure of speech!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Moonshadow

Pilot lacks the action and fun of the series

What will probably surprise viewers who find the video of this pilot in video stores is the amount of foul language in something that was made for TV. Well, that's explained by the fact that what's on video is the edit that was released to theaters overseas, with the language a silly way to try and hide the made-for-TV origins.

I can see why this was released to theaters overseas; some of the production values are pretty high, and would fit pretty comfortably on a movie screen at the time. Still, I am sure that the people who did see this in a theater were pretty disappointed. Now, the opening sequence is great, flashy and action-filled. However, after that point there is hardly any action until the very end, and filled with talk talk talk. Strange thing is that despite all that talk, a number of plot points remain unclear, like why the two pilots decided to defect to Libya with Airwolf's designer. And while some production values are high, there are also some surprisingly shoddy moments. The island assault sequence, for example, is incompetently directed and edited. And some cost-saving measures like stock footage or reused footage come across like contempt for the viewer. Still, I must admit these cost-saving measures are nowhere as blatant and lazy as what was done for the ill-advised fourth season of the show!