The Andromeda Strain (1971)

A team of top scientists work feverishly in a secret, state-of-the-art laboratory to discover what has killed the citizens of a small town and learn how this deadly contagion can be stopped.

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Michael Crichton (novel), Nelson Gidding (screenplay)

Stars:

James Olson, Arthur Hill, David Wayne

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arthur Hill	...	Dr. Jeremy Stone
David Wayne	...	Dr. Charles Dutton
James Olson	...	Dr. Mark Hall
Kate Reid	...	Dr. Ruth Leavitt
Paula Kelly	...	Karen Anson
George Mitchell	...	Jackson
Ramon Bieri	...	Major Manchek
Kermit Murdock	...	Dr. Robertson
Richard O'Brien	...	Grimes
Peter Hobbs	...	General Sparks
Eric Christmas	...	Senator from Vermont
Mark Jenkins	...	Lt. Shawn (Piedmont team)
Peter Helm	...	Sgt. Crane (Piedmont team)
Joe Di Reda	...	Wildfire Computer Sgt. Burk (as Joe DiReda)
Carl Reindel	...	Lt. Comroe

Storyline

When virtually all of the residents of Piedmont, New Mexico, are found dead after the return to Earth of a space satellite, the head of the US Air Force's Project Scoop declares an emergency. Many years prior to this incident, a group of eminent scientists led by Dr. Jeremy Stone (Arthur Hill) advocated for the construction of a secure laboratory facility that would serve as a base in the event an alien biological life form was returned to Earth from a space mission. Stone and his team - Drs. Dutton, Leavitt and Hall (David Wayne, Kate Reid, and James Olson, respectively)- go to the facility, known as Wildfire, and try to first isolate the life form while determining why two people from Piedmont (an old wino and a six-month-old baby) survived. The scientists methodically study the alien life form unaware that it has already mutated and presents a far greater danger in the lab, which is equipped with a nuclear self-destruct device should it manage to escape.

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Plot Keywords:

scientist | alien | new mexico | based on novel | new mexico desert | 

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Taglines:

The picture runs 130 minutes!... The story covers 96 of the most critical hours in man's history!... The suspense will last through your lifetime!

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screen writer Nelson Gedding read numerous science fiction books while researching for his work on this film. To further his self education, he attempted to look up all of the items listed in the Bibliography section in Crichton's original book. To his surprise, he discovered they were all made up as the book is a work of fiction. In fact, as you peruse the list you will notice that several items are accredited to characters in the novel. Gedding took this lesson to heart and imaginatively created most of the techo-jargon used in the film, especially for the highly detailed printed props and the station wide announcements heard throughout the lab.

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Goofs

When the scientists get to the doctor's office in Piedmont, they leave the driver's side door of the van open, almost farther than a standard van door is allowed to open. When they return, it is open only that standard amount.

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Quotes

Jackson: Hell of a way to run a hospital.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits read: "ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This film concerns the four-day history of a major American scientific crisis. We received the generous help of many people attached to Project Scoop at Vandenberg Air Force Base and the Wildfire Laboratory in Flatrock, Nevada. They encouraged us to tell the story accurately and in detail." "The documents presented here are soon to be made public. They do not in any way jeopardize the national security."

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Alternate Versions

Earlier VHS releases showed the scene where Stone and Hall search the town as full screen shots cutting back and forth from them to the victims inside their houses, and does not show the shot of the topless victim. The DVD release shows both searchers and victims simutaniously in reduced size split-screen shots and include the topless woman both in that scene as well as in a later flashback by Stone at Project Wild Fire.

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Connections

Version of The Andromeda Strain (2008)

User Reviews

A Crichton Classic

From the mind of Michael Crichton comes a movie with a horrifying scenario. Not man-eating dinosaurs or killer robots, but a terribly deadly alien micro-organism dubbed "Andromeda."

"Andromeda Strain" is a frighteningly brilliant concept that has similarities with "War of the Worlds." The idea of an alien micro-organism that swiftly dispatches of its host is beyond scary. "Andromeda Strain" is a very detailed film on how such a problem would be dealt with by the U.S. government.

As a total production, this movie was amazing. Very little, if anything, was missed. It was so detail oriented the movie seemed to cover every step that would be taken in a biological warfare or viral outbreak scenario. It is truly impressive, especially for 1971. This movie covers the extreme measures taken by military, government, and scientists alike to identify and limit the spread and impact of a deadly micro-organism.

I say get your sci-fi fright fix and watch "Andromeda Strain."

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 March 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Andromeda Strain

Filming Locations:

Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min 115 min (video)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) Mono (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1