Ice Station Zebra (1968)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Alistair MacLean (novel)
Douglas Heyes (screenplay)
(more)

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:

Marine | Ice | Nuclear | Submarine | Spy

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
William O'Connell	...	Survivor
Michael T. Mikler	...	Lt. Courtney Cartwright
Jonathan Lippe	...	Russian Aide
Ted Kristian	...	Wassmeyer
Jim Dixon	...	Earl MacAuliffe
Boyd Berlind	...	Bruce Kentner
David Wendel	...	Cedric Patterson
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	...	Lyle Nichols
Craig Shreeve	...	Gafferty
Michael Grossman	...	Kohler
Wade Graham	...	Parker
Michael Rougas	...	Fannovich
Jed Allan	...	Peter Costigan
Lloyd Haynes	...	Webson
Buddy Garion	...	Edward Rawlins
T.J. Escott	...	Lt. Carl Mingus
Buddy Hart	...	Hill
Gary Downey	...	Lorrison
Robert Carlson	...	Kelvaney
Don Newsome	...	Timothy Hirsch
Jim Goodwin	...	Survivor
William Byron Hillman	...	Philip Munsey (as Bill Hillman)
Dennis Alpert	...	Gambetta
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ty Haller	...	Pvt. Grey (uncredited)

Directed by
John Sturges

Writing credits
Alistair MacLean		(novel)
Douglas Heyes		(screenplay)
Harry Julian Fink		(story)
W.R. Burnett		uncredited

Produced by
James C. Pratt	....	associate producer
Martin Ransohoff	....	producer
John Calley	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Michel Legrand

Cinematography by
Daniel L. Fapp

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
George W. Davis
Addison Hehr

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Jack Mills

Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist
Peter R.J. Deyell	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ralph W. Nelson	....	unit production manager
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	assistant production manager: MGM (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thomas J. Schmidt	....	assistant director
Lynn Guthrie	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
Glenn E. Anderson	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Earl McCoy	....	special effects
Henry Millar	....	special effects (as H.E. Millar Sr.)
Ralph Swartz	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Robert R. Hoag	....	optical effects
J. McMillan Johnson	....	special visual effects
Carroll L. Shepphird	....	special visual effects
Clarence Slifer	....	special visual effects
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Phil Adams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roydon Clark	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Downey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lee Faulkner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary McLarty	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Wilson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Ziker	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John M. Stephens	....	additional arctic photographer
Nelson Tyler	....	additional arctic photographer
Doug Byers	....	underwater electrician (uncredited)
Owen Marsh	....	underwater camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Michel Legrand	....	conductor

Other crew
John M. Connolly	....	technical advisor (as Capt. John M. Connolly U.S.N Ret.)
Norman Stuart	....	dialogue coach

Production Companies

• Filmways Pictures

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1968) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1969) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Gibraltar Productions  Rock Hudson courtesy of

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 (Manitoba) (video rating) (1991) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG | West Germany:12 (f) | Brazil:Livre | Netherlands:6 | 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:

This film was originally shown in Cinerama venues. In order to put it into these theatres, MGM pulled 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) while it was still having a successful run.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the MiG's are seen close up, you can count 5, but seen from the ground only 4 planes are visible.

Quotes:

Cmdr. Ferraday: It wasn't sealing wax. It wasn't chewing gum. It was epoxy glue. And all of a sudden you know a whole damn lot about submarines.
David Jones: I know how to wreck them, and I know how to lie, steal, kidnap, counterfeit, suborn and kill. That's my job. I do it with great pride.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sam & Max: Season 2 (2008) (VG)

A splendid film with a splendid cast

Oh sorry - did I say "splendid" twice?? Well, that sums up what I feel about this film. Particularly "splendid" in my humble opinion was the portrayal of David Jones by the wonderful Patrick McGoohan, who is my favourite actor, so OK I'm a little biased here - but he really stood out for me. I love the way he seemed genuinely shaken after the "sabotage" act on the sub - drinking whisky-laden coffee with trembling hands. And of course Number 6's dry sense of humour, and heroic deeds.

And everyone else was pretty good too :) I know some of the scenery was obviously fake, but the sense of space across the ice flow, and the scenes of the sub trying to emerge from the ice were pretty impressive.

Anyway, I bought this yesterday on DVD and it was £16 well spent.

9/10.