The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writers:

George Roy Hill (story)
William Goldman (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 March 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

Robert Redford Takes to the Skies in This Rousing Adventure

Plot:

A biplane pilot who had missed flying in WWI takes up barnstorming and later a movie career in his quest for the glory he had missed...

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Barnstorming | Biplane | WWI | Circus

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Waldo Pepper
Bo Svenson	...	Axel Olsson
Bo Brundin	...	Ernst Kessler
Susan Sarandon	...	Mary Beth
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Newt
Edward Herrmann	...	Ezra Stiles
Philip Bruns	...	Dillhoefer
Roderick Cook	...	Werfel
Kelly Jean Peters	...	Patsy
Margot Kidder	...	Maude
Scott Newman	...	Duke
James S. Appleby	...	Ace
Patrick W. Henderson Jr.	...	Scooter
James N. Harrell	...	Farmer (as James Harrell)
Elma Aicklen	...	Farmer's Wife
Deborah Knapp	...	Farmer's Daughter
John A. Zee	...	Director, Western Set
John Reilly	...	Western Star
Jack Manning	...	Director, Spanish Set
Joe Billings	...	Policeman
Lawrence P. Casey	...	German Star (as Lawrence Casey)
Greg Martin	...	Assistant Director
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Patrick Lockett	...	Boy from Poth (uncredited)
Art Scholl	...	Red Baron (uncredited)

Directed by
George Roy Hill

Writing credits
George Roy Hill		(story)
William Goldman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Crawford Jr.	....	associate producer (as Robert L. Crawford)
George Roy Hill	....	producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Art Direction by
Henry Bumstead

Set Decoration by
James W. Payne		(as James Payne)

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lloyd Anderson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerry Ballew	....	second assistant director
Ray Gosnell Jr.	....	first assistant director (as Ray Gosnell)

Sound Department
Peter Berkos	....	supervising sound editor
Robert J. Miller	....	sound (as Bob Miller)
Ronald Pierce	....	sound
Roger Sword	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Ben McMahan	....	effects supervisor

Stunts
James S. Appleby	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buff Brady	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Howard Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Harris	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Kazian	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank L. Pine	....	stunts (uncredited)
Audrey Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
Art Scholl	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles W. Short	....	camera operator (as Chuck Short)
Oscar Barber	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)
Richard Barth	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Lou Noto	....	additional assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bernard Pollack	....	costume supervisor
Bernie Pollack	....	costume supervisor

Other crew
James S. Appleby	....	air work
Wayne Berg	....	air work
Charlsie Bryant	....	script supervisor
Howard Curtis	....	air work
Mike Dewey	....	air work
John Kazian	....	air work
Thomas H. Mooney	....	air work
Frank L. Pine	....	air work (as Frank Pine)
Frank Price	....	air work
Audrey Saunders	....	air work
Art Scholl	....	air work
Frank Tallman	....	air sequences supervisor
Frank Tallman	....	air work
Ralph Wiggins	....	air work
Dominic Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Ruth Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Jennings Lang
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cinematique  cosmetics
• Hatfield History of Aeronautics  still photographs courtesy of
• Marion Dougherty Associates  casting
• Tallmantz Aviation  air work
• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Elgin, Texas, USA

Company:

Jennings Lang

Trivia:

When Waldo is recounting his fight with Kessler at the start of the movie, he mentions that his guns jammed and Kessler, seeing that he was helpless, saluted then flew away. This actually happened to Ernst Udet (on whom Kessler is based) when flying against the French ace Georges Guynemer in 1917, only it was Udet (at that time inexperienced) who had the jam and Guynemer (a high scoring ace) who let him go.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Waldo is refueling his plane from the can delivered to him by the little boy, his hand is seen resting for some time on what would presumably be a very hot exhaust pipe.

Quotes:

Ezra Stiles: It's gonna be a monoplane.
Waldo Pepper: A monoplane. Are you telling me you're building me an airplane with only one wing?
Ezra Stiles: Just thought you'd like to know: the biplane's gone the way of the Dodo.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Operation Double 007 (#6.8)" (1993)

Waldo Pepper

Being a Big Robert Redford fan for years, I have seen this movie numerous times and just got the DVD of it. It makes you stop and think of the chances these young took back in the dirty 1930's to fly these machines. My dad use to tell us about how these small towns (he was from Nebraska too, just like the movie)had these air shows. One time he saw a dare devil, like the one in the movie, crash and burn to death in from of hundreds of people. They just don't make movies like the one Redford did, any more! I have a fear of heights and every time I saw that girl on the wings standing there, my heart will drop and my palms get sweaty!