The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1971
Running Times: 131 mins
Format: Color by Technicolor     35mm     Filmed in Panavision (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Universal presents a Robert Wise production
Copyright: © MCMLXX by Universal Pictures
Production Manager: Ernest B. Wehmeyer

SCRIPT
Screenplay by: Nelson Gidding
From the novel by Michael Crichton

DIRECTION
Directed by: Robert Wise
Assistant Director: Ridgeway Callow

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Richard H. Kline

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editors: Stuart Gilmore, John W. Holmes

MUSIC
Music: Gil Mellé
Music Enginering: Allan Sohl/Gordon Clark

SOUND
Sound: Waldon O. Watson, James Alexander, Ronald Pierce
Westrex Recording System

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Costumes: Helen Colvig
Make-Up: Bud Westmore
Hairstylist: Larry Germain

VISUAL EFFECTS
Special Photographic Effects: Douglas Trumbull, James Shourt
Matte Supervisor: Albert Whitlock
Titles & Optical Effects: Universal Title/Attila de Lado

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designed by: Boris Leven
Set Decorations: Ruby Levitt
Art Director: William Tuntke
Production Illustrator: Thomas Wright

OTHER CREW
Script Supervisor: Marie Kenney
Technical Advisors: Dr. Richard Green, George Hobby, William Koselka
Scientific Background Support by: Cal Tech and The Jet Propulsion Laboratory
T.V. by: Hollywood Video
Animal sequences filmed under supervision by The American Humane Assn., W.M. Blackmore
Scientific Equipment From: Korad Lasers; Perkin-Elmer Corp.; Central Reserach Labs, Inc.; R.C.A.; Concord Electronics Corp.; Du Pont Instrument Products Division; Van Waters & Rogers; Technicon Corp.; Honeywell Corp.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
(opening captions): This film concerns the four-day history of a major American crisis. We recieved 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.

LOCATIONS
Locations: Shafter, Texas, USA

CAST
Starring
Arthur Hill (Dr Jeremy Stone)
David Wayne (Dr Charles Dutton)
James Olson (Dr Mark Hall)
Kate Reid (Dr Ruth Leavitt)

co-starring
Paula Kelly (Nurse Karen Anson)
George Mitchell ('Gramps' Jackson)
Ramon Bieri (Major Arthur Manchek)

with
Peter Hobbs (Major General Thomas C. Sparks)
Kermit Murdock (Dr Robertson)
Richard O'Brien (Grimes)
Eric Christmas (Senator Phillips)
Mark Jenkins (Lieutenant Shawn, Piedmont Team)
Peter Helm (Sergeant Crane, Piedmont Team)
Joe Di Reda (Wildfire Computer Sergeant Burk)
Carl Reindel (Lieutenant Comroe)
Ken Swofford (Toby, a technician)
Frances Reid (Clara Dutton)
Richard Bull (Air Force Major)
John Carter (Military Police Captain Morton)

Paul Ballantyne (hospital director (uncredited))
Ivor Barry (Murray (uncredited))
Joe Billings (scientist (uncredited))
Michael Bow (military policeman at Stone's (uncredited))
Walter Brooke (assistant to cabinet secretary (uncredited))
Susan Brown (Allison Stone (uncredited))
Jan Burrell (mother at Piedmont (uncredited))
Dee Carroll, Sandy DeBruin (technicians (uncredited))
Duke Cigrang (father at Piedmont (uncredited))
Michael Crichton (uncredited)
Lisa Daniels, Alma Platt, Lorna Thayer (Ad Lib women (uncredited))
Bill Dunbar (Vandenberg AFB Sergeant (uncredited))
Dr Haraold O. Dyrenforth (uncredited)
Judy Farrell (Pam (uncredited))
Lance Fuller, Gil Stuart (Ad Lib men (uncredited))
James W. Gavin (Helicopter Pilot Dempsey (uncredited))
Ray Harris, Theodore Lehmann (scientists (uncredited))
Rob Hughes (Air Force technician (uncredited))
Jason Johnson (Dr Benedict (uncredited))
Bart La Rue (medic captain (uncredited))
Glenn Langan (cabinet secretary (uncredited))
Johnny Lee (boy (uncredited))
Tom McDonough (Stetson (uncredited))
David McLean (Senator McKenzie (New Mexico) (uncredited))
Cliff Medaugh (civilian (uncredited))
Victoria Paige Meyerink (uncredited)
Midori (Bess the lab technician (uncredited))
Francisco Ortega (gateman at Agricultural Center (uncredited))
Emory Parnell (old doughboy (uncredited))
Michael Pataki (Hands operator (uncredited))
Ford Rainey (bit part (uncredited))
Quinn K. Redeker (Captain Morris (uncredited))
Georgia Schmidt (old lady at Piedmont (uncredited))
Reuben Singer (Dr Rudolph Karp (uncredited))
Robert Soto (baby Manuel Rios (uncredited))
Jean Swift (decontamination receptionist (uncredited))
Garry Walberg (technician (uncredited))
Len Wayland (Utah crash site officer (uncredited))
Gary Waynesmith (Air Force technician (uncredited))
Russ Whiteman (civilian (uncredited))

Scoop VII, a US military satellite, returns to earth near Piedmont in New Mexico, bringing with it an alien organism that proves instantly fatal to any humans it comes into contact with. To fight the virus, a hand-picked team of top scientists assembles as the high-tech, underground Wildfire facility and race against time to find a cure for the Andromeda Strain.

A rarity - a science fiction film that actually tries to get the science right. Which isn't to say that The Andromeda Strain is dry or preachy in the least - far from it, it's a taut, gripping thriller with first rate performances, fabulous set designs and a punchy, thoughtful script. It's one of the finest science fiction movies ever made and another masterpiece from director Robert Wise.

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Universal Pictures
Video Distributor: Cinema Classics; MCA
Laserdisc Distributor: MCA/Universal Home Video (13001); DiscoVision (13-001) - never released?
DVD Distributor: Image Entertainment (ID4220USDVD)

Finland
Rating: K-12

Germany
Rating: 12

Sweden
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: G

1972
Academy Awards, USA
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Boris Leven, Ruby R. Levitt, William H. Tuntke) - nominated
Best Film Editing (Stuart Gilmore, John W. Holmes) - nominated

Hugo Awards
Best Dramatic Presentation - nominated

1971
November
12: Finland - theatrical release

1972
January
5: West Germany - theatrical release
28: Sweden - theatrical release

1990
December
13: USA - laserdisc release (MCA/Universal Home Video (13001))

1998
January
28: USA - DVD release (Image Entertainment (ID4220USDVD))

2007
January
29: UK - television broadcast (on BBC One)

Universal Pictures and Robert Wise wish to deny completely suggestions of official pressure in regard to the withdrawal of the film The Andromeda Strain and to take this opportunity to confirm in the light of certain facts it is not the right time to release a film of this nature.

Andromeda - Italian title
Andromeda - Tödlicher Staub aus dem All - German title

SEE ALSO
The Alpha Incident (1977)
Joe Dirt (2001)
Shin seiki evangelion (1995)
Twelve Monkeys (1995)

MAGAZINES

Metro 28 January 2000 p.25
illustrated review (by Richard Morrissey)

Monthly Film Bulletin 1971 p.135
credits, review

Video Index 6 (Summer 1982) pp.19-20
credits, review

BOOKS

Aurum Encyclopedia of Film: Science Fiction pp.290-291
credits, review

Danse Macabre p.187
review (by Stephen King)

Elliot's Guide to Films on Video p.27
credits, review

Ghastly Beyond Belief pp.173-174
quotes

Hoffman's Guide to Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.23
credits, review

Horror Films (1977) p.125
review (by Alan Frank)

Pictorial History of Science Fiction p.193, 210
review

A Pictorial History of Science Fiction (Shipman) p.121
review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.13
credits

KEYWORDS

babies, biological weapons, book into film, conspiracies, diseases, epidemics, government cover ups, helicopters, laboratories, lasers, medicine, plagues, satellites, science fiction, scientists, secret organizations, viruses

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008