Ice Station Zebra (1968)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Alistair MacLean (novel)
Douglas Heyes (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

It's a race for the secret ... or TOTAL DESTRUCTION

Plot:

Commander James Ferraday, USN, has new orders: get David Jones, a British civilian, Captain Anders, a tough Marine with a platoon of troops...

Plot Keywords:

North Pole | Nuclear | Ice | Marine | Cinerama

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Rock Hudson	...	Cdr. James Ferraday
Ernest Borgnine	...	Boris Vaslov
Patrick McGoohan	...	David Jones
Jim Brown	...	Capt. Leslie Anders
Tony Bill	...	Lt. Russell Walker
Lloyd Nolan	...	Admiral Garvey
Alf Kjellin	...	Col. Ostrovsky
Gerald S. O'Loughlin	...	Lt. Cdr. Bob Raeburn
Ted Hartley	...	Lt. Jonathan Hansen
Murray Rose	...	Lt. George Mills
Ron Masak	...	Paul Zabrinczski
Sherwood Price	...	Lt. Edgar Hackett
Lee Stanley	...	Lt. Mitgang
Joseph Bernard	...	Dr. Jack Benning
John Orchard	...	Survivor

Runtime:

148 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba) (original rating) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) (video rating) (1991) | Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-12 | Norway:11 | Norway:12 (1970) | Sweden:11 | USA:G | Singapore:PG | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Filmways Pictures

Trivia:

Patrick McGoohan was filming his famous TV series "The Prisoner" (1967) at the time he appeared in this movie. In order to allow him to take time off from his TV series, the episode "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" was written in which McGoohan's character, Number Six, has his mind transferred into the body of another man.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the torpedo room floods they pump air into the room to push out the water. After the water is mostly out they open the bulkhead to get the men out. The air pressure in the torpedo room would have made it impossible to open the bulkhead door.

Quotes:

1st Lt. Russell Walker: It's just... none of us have ever been aboard a submarine before.
Cmdr. Ferraday: Rest easy. I have.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Venture Bros.: Ice Station Impossible (#1.7)" (2004)

A Cold War yarn that still holds up

During the height of the Cold War, in the 1960's, Hollywood produced movies that not only portrayed the USSR as the bad guys but also gave hope for a thaw in the war. Ice Station Zebra was such a movie.

The combination rescue mission and spy story makes for a good mix and Rock Hudson looks dashing as the commander of the sub sent to get to Zebra. Jim Brown is seen as a military figure like we saw in the Dirty Dozen, this time he is a Captain.

Although the plot is a bit predictable, and the Station a bit fake, the story still holds up to the end and makes the 2 1/2 hour plus movie into a "page turner".