The Rocketeer (1991)

A young pilot stumbles onto a prototype jetpack that allows him to become a high flying masked hero.

Director:

Joe Johnston

Writers:

Dave Stevens (graphic novel "The Rocketeer"), Danny Bilson (story),

Stars:

Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Billy Campbell	...	Cliff (as Bill Campbell)
Jennifer Connelly	...	Jenny
Alan Arkin	...	Peevy
Timothy Dalton	...	Neville Sinclair
Paul Sorvino	...	Eddie Valentine
Terry O'Quinn	...	Howard Hughes
Ed Lauter	...	Fitch
James Handy	...	Wooly
Robert Miranda	...	Spanish Johnny (as Robert Guy Miranda)
John Lavachielli	...	Rusty
Jon Polito	...	Bigelow
Eddie Jones	...	Malcolm
William Sanderson	...	Skeets
Don Pugsley	...	Goose
Nada Despotovich	...	Irma

Storyline

Straight from the pages of a pulp comic from a past era, the Rocketeer recreates 1930's Hollywood, complete with gangsters, Nazi spies, and the growth of the Age of Aviation. Young pilot Cliff Secord stumbles on a top secret rocket-pack and with the help of his mechanic/mentor, Peevee, he attempts to save his girl and stop the Nazis as The Rocketeer.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | gangster | 1930s | blimp | aviation | 

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Taglines:

Three years before the United States declares war, Cliff Secord leads America's first battle against the Nazis.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Family | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rocketeer

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$46,704,056 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby SR (35 mm prints) (as Dolby Stereo)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stunt man Jimmy Medearis suffered serious head injuries during a failed stunt. He and fellow stunt man Michael J. Sarna both hit a tree when a truck pulling their harness-rig drove too far.

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Goofs

After Cliff puts on the rudder helmet so he can steer/control the rocket, he is frequently seen turning his head without changing his course or direction.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Peevy: [as they bring the Gee Bee out for its maiden flight] Keep her straight, keep her level. It's your first time up, so don't do anything interesting.
Cliff Secord: Who, me?
Peevy: And remember, she stalls out at about a hundred. So keep the air speed up. Otherwise, you're gonna be drifting around all over the sky. And if the ailerons start to shimmy...
Cliff Secord: Peevy, I have flown a plane or two in my life.
Peevy: Not like this one, you haven't. This one's... This one's a handful. You sneeze in this thing and you're ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in The Golden Girls: Hey, Look Me Over (1991)

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Soundtracks

"VILLA"
Written by Franz Lehár and Paul Francis Webster
Performed by Artie Shaw and his orchestra
Courtesy of Bluebird / RCA / BMG record labels

User Reviews

Up, up and away!

I love this film. Absolutely love it. Can't help it. I'm a child of the 40s and this movie is about when I was a kid. The sets are great, the story is 40s, the cars, the cafe with the bizarre little gingerbread giving an impression of a gnome's hangout, the costumes, the hero with his wiffle hair style, the airplanes and even Howard Hughes. What more could you want? No, this isn't The Matrix with a lot of slick computer effects with mind twisting is it or isn't it real. It's clear who the bad guys are-- and they're bad, except when, of course, the mob types are swept away by patriotic feelings and fight the Nazis. It's got it all. A wonderful trip back into the 40s with near superhuman villans, beyond the pale heros and lovable sidekicks.