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Orca (1977)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1977
Running Times: 92 mins
Format: Technicolor     35mm
Ratio: Panavision (anamorphic)     2.35:1
Sound:

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Paramount / Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica / Famous Films N.V.
Producer: Luciano Vincenzoni
Unit Production Managers: Pino Butti, Les Kimber, Roberto de Laurentiis
Production Managers (Canada): Stanley Neufeld, William O'Sullivan

SCRIPT
Script: Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Donati, Robert Towne (uncredited)
Story: Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Donati

DIRECTION
Director: Michael Anderson
2nd Unit Director / Underwater Director: Folco Quilici
Assistant Director: Brian W. Cook
2nd Assistant Directors: Peter Bennett, Terry Needham
2nd Unit Assistant Directors: Flondar Brunelli, Rob Lockwood

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Ted Moore
Whale Photography: J. Barry Herron
Shark Photography: Ron Taylor
Underwater Photography: Vittorio Dragonetti
Camera Operators: Jack Atcheler, John S. Harris
Underwater Camera Operator: Vittorio Dragonetti
Assistant Underwater Camera Operator: Massimiliano Sano
Assistant Camera: Roger Berner
Focus Puller: David Wynn-Jones
Key Grip: Ray Hall
Gaffer: Maurice Gillett
Underwater Gaffer: Ignazio Maccarone
Best Boy: Bob Bremner (uncredited)
Still: Alfonso Avincola
Sea Camera Stabilization: Tyler Camera Systems
Grip and Lighting Equipment: Lee Lighting Ltd

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editors: Ralph E. Winters, John Bloom, Marion Rothman
Assistant Editor: Chris Kelly
Post-Production Supervisor: Phil Tucker

MUSIC
Music / Conductor: Ennio Morricone
Lyricist: Carol Connors (We Love, We Are One)
Music Recordist: Sergio Marcotulli
Music Editor: Michael Clifford
Music Recorded At: Orthophonics Recording Studios

SOUND
Sound Mixer: John Bramall
Boom Operator: William Cook
Re-Recording Mixer: Trevor Pyke
Sound Effects: Winston Ryder, Nick Stevenson

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Neville Smallwood
Hair: Jorge Paris
Costume Designer: Jost Jakob
Wardrobe: Philippe Pickford
Wardrobe Assistant: Ian Hickinbotham

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Photographic Effects: Frank Van Der Veer
Special Effects: Alec C. Weldon
Chemical Effects: Rinaldo Campoli
Mechanical Effects: Jim Hole, Giuseppe Carozza
Miniature Coordinator: Fernando Valento
Titles: Van der Veer Photo

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Mario Garbuglia
Art Directors: Ferdinando Giovannoni, Boris Juraga
Set Decorators: John Godfrey, Armando Scarano
Property Masters: Allan Jack Gordon, Bill MacSems
Construction Coordinator: Aldo Puccini
Set Painter: Guglielmo Modestini
Production Illustrator: Sherman Labby

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity Supervisor: Angela Allen
Production Accounting: Luciano Tartaglia
Production Auditor: Gordon Kee
Location Auditor: Morris Nierenburg
Production Assistant: Giuliano Principato
Marine World Director of Training: Sonny Allen
Marine World Marine Mammal Trainer: Frank Strzalkowski
Unit Publicists: Jack Piler, Lou Dyer

LOCATIONS
Locations: Malta; Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, Canada

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Romano Puppo
Underwater Stunts: Emilio Messina

CASTING
Casting: Joyce Selznick and Associates

CAST
Richard Harris (Captain Nolan)
Charlotte Rampling (Rachel Bedford)
Will Sampson (Umilak)
Bo Derek (Annie)
Keenan Wynn (Novak)
Robert Carradine (Ken)
Scott Walker (Swain)
Peter Hooten (Paul)
Wayne Heffley (priest)
Vincent Gentile (gas station attendant)
Don 'Red' Barry (dock worker)
Percy Edwards (whale vocalisations - uncredited)

SUMMARY

After witnessing the deaths of its mate and unborn offspring at the hands of fishermen, a killer whale goes on the rampage, tracking down Nolan, the head of the fishermen and all those close to him. Nolan is eventually forced to set out to face the beast...

CAPSULE REVIEW

Entirely dreadful Jaws (1975) rip-off with only a fabulous Ennio Morricone score to commend it. Harris and Rampling are worthy of better than this but give it their best shot with a silly script hampering their efforts. The comedy highlight is Bo Derek's broken leg being bitten off by the vengeful whale - cast and all! Other than that, Orca is hard going, relentlessly grim and nowhere near as thrilling or plain terrifying as Jaws.

AVAILABILITY

UK
Video Distributor: EMI Films

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Video Distributor: Paramount Home Video
Laserdisc Distributor: Paramount Home Video

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: K-16

Norway
Rating: 15

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: A

USA
Rating: PG

TIMELINE

1977
July

22: USA - theatrical release

August
31: Sweden - theatrical release

December
15: West Germany - theatrical release

1978
June

3: Finland - theatrical release

1979
December

25: Argentina - theatrical re-release

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Orca... Killer Whale - alternative title
The Killer Whale - early title
Orca the Killer Whale

LINKS

SEE ALSO
Jaws (1975)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Halls of Horror vol.2 no.2 (November 1977) pp.14-15 (UK)
illustrated review

BOOKS

Horror and Science Fiction Films Volume II p.292
credits

Horror Film Handbook
credits, review (by Alan Frank)

KEYWORDS

whales, revenge, boats, harbours, fishermen, the ocean, whale, ice, animal attacks


Last Updated: 15 October, 2008

 


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