A United States Navy destroyer escort participates in a Navy "invisibility" experiment that inadvertently sends two sailors forty years into the future.A United States Navy destroyer escort participates in a Navy "invisibility" experiment that inadvertently sends two sailors forty years into the future.A United States Navy destroyer escort participates in a Navy "invisibility" experiment that inadvertently sends two sailors forty years into the future.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
15K
YOUR RATING
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations
Videos1
Kene Holiday
- Major Clarkas Major Clark
- (as Kene Holliday)
Miles McNamara
- Young Longstreetas Young Longstreet
- (as Miles Mc Namara)
- Director
- Writers
- Michael Janover(screenplay)
- William Gray(screenplay)
- Wallace C. Bennett(story by)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
In 1943, the United States tests an anti-radar system to make the U.S. Navy ships invisible to the enemy. Dr. James Longstreet uses his experiment in the destroyer escort USS Eldridge that disappears from Philadelphia. The sailors David Herdeg and his best friend Jim Parker are projected to 1984, where they meet Allison Hayes. They unsuccessfully try to contact their base and out of the blue Jimmy disappears in a hospital. Allison helps David to visit Jimmy's wife Pamela, but Jimmy refuses to see him. Now David's only hope is meeting Dr. James Longstreet to learn what to do. Will he succeed? —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Taglines
- Will you survive?
- Genres
- Certificate
- PG
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThis film is widely believed to be based on a real-life and ill-fated experiment with invisibility and force fields in the 1940s. However, to the best of any factual knowledge, no such experiment ever occurred, and the story was the work of an eccentric loner, Carl Allen, who sent notes on the "experiment" to the government in the 1950s, and whose story was later leaked. Despite the lack of any factual evidence, the story has become an urban legend, and favorite of conspiracy theorists, who point to the lack of evidence as proof that it's being covered up.
- GoofsDavid and Jimmy's hairstyles are not characteristic of those found in the 1940s, particularly for Sailors. This is also true for several of the other men seen during this time period in the film.
- Quotes
Jim Parker: Isn't that - water up ahead?
David Herdeg: No. This is a desert. And that's a mirage.
Jim Parker: [later, walking through the flooded plain] How much longer you think this mirage is gonna last?
Top review
Fantastic experiment during WWII winds up throwing two sailors into future world
Based on an "actual event" that took place in 1943 and set during WW2 , a ¨Philadelphia experiment¨ about invisibility and involving an anti-radar goes wrong , causing an USS naval battleship -Navy Destroyer Escort- to disappear from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard , Virginia , by means of a warp time . A pair of sailors (stars Michael Pare and Bobby DiCicco) find themselves thrown into a temporary hole and sent 40 years into the future . Then they find in modern world of 1984 and a cataclysm that threatens to destroy it and change the course of history . Meanwhile , they meet a beautiful girl(costars Nancy Allen) who help them .
This is a far-fetching but acceptable story about two sailors traveling forward in time to just to discover weird incidents and save the world . Reportedly (?) based on a true events that are developed with intrigue , suspense , thrills and noisy action . Familiar but satisfying and agreeable Sci-Fi yarn . Just amusement enough to cover production gaps and some flaws . Fine special effects for that time and liking performances by the leads manage to keep this one afloat . Good support cast as Louise Latham and Stephen Tobolowsky , among others . Colorful cinematography by Dick Bush and atmospheric musical score by Wannberg. The motion picture was professionally directed by Stewart Raffill . He's an expert on adventure genre as ¨Across the Great Divide¨ , ¨Sea Gypsies¨ and science fiction as ¨Ice pirates¨ , ¨Mc and Me¨ and of course this one . It's followed by an inferior sequel titled ¨Philadelphia experiment II ¨ with Brad Johnson . Rating : Acceptable and passable fare although better viewed in big screen .
This is a far-fetching but acceptable story about two sailors traveling forward in time to just to discover weird incidents and save the world . Reportedly (?) based on a true events that are developed with intrigue , suspense , thrills and noisy action . Familiar but satisfying and agreeable Sci-Fi yarn . Just amusement enough to cover production gaps and some flaws . Fine special effects for that time and liking performances by the leads manage to keep this one afloat . Good support cast as Louise Latham and Stephen Tobolowsky , among others . Colorful cinematography by Dick Bush and atmospheric musical score by Wannberg. The motion picture was professionally directed by Stewart Raffill . He's an expert on adventure genre as ¨Across the Great Divide¨ , ¨Sea Gypsies¨ and science fiction as ¨Ice pirates¨ , ¨Mc and Me¨ and of course this one . It's followed by an inferior sequel titled ¨Philadelphia experiment II ¨ with Brad Johnson . Rating : Acceptable and passable fare although better viewed in big screen .
helpful•227
- ma-cortes
- Nov 30, 2009
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $21,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $8,103,330
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $1,877,000
- Aug 5, 1984
- Gross worldwide
- $8,103,330
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By what name was The Philadelphia Experiment (1984) officially released in India in English?
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