Capricorn One (1977)

Director:

Peter Hyams

Writer:

Peter Hyams (written by)

Release Date:

2 June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The mission was a sham. The murders were real.

Plot:

A NASA Mars mission won't work, and its funding is endangered, so they decide to fake it just this once. But then they have to keep the secret...

Plot Keywords:

Mission | Astronaut | Mars | NASA | Journalist

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Elliott Gould	...	Robert Caulfield
James Brolin	...	Charles Brubaker
Brenda Vaccaro	...	Kay Brubaker
Sam Waterston	...	Peter Willis
O.J. Simpson	...	John Walker
Hal Holbrook	...	Dr. James Kelloway
Karen Black	...	Judy Drinkwater
Telly Savalas	...	Albain
David Huddleston	...	Hollis Peaker
David Doyle	...	Walter Loughlin
Lee Bryant	...	Sharon Willis
Denise Nicholas	...	Betty Walker
Robert Walden	...	Elliot Whitter
James Sikking	...	Control Room Man (as Jim Sikking)
Alan Fudge	...	Capsule Communicator
James Karen	...	Vice President Price
Virginia Kaiser	...	Mrs. Price
Nancy Malone	...	Mrs. Peaker
Hank Stohl	...	General Enders
Norman Bartold	...	President
Darrell Zwerling	...	Dr. Bergen
Milton Selzer	...	Dr. Burroughs
Lou Frizzell	...	Horace Gruning
Chris Hyams	...	Charles Brubaker, Jr.
Seanna Marre	...	Sandy Brubaker
Paul Picerni	...	Jerry
Barbara Bosson	...	Alva Leacock
Paul Haney	...	Paul Cunningham
Jon Cedar	...	F.B.I. Man Number 1
Steve Tannen	...	Man at Hangar Number 1
Trent Dolan	...	Man at Hangar Number 2
Todd Hoffman	...	N.A.S.A. Usher
Marty Anka	...	Bartender
Ken White	...	Tracking Technician
John Hiscock	...	Reporter Number 1
Bridget Byrne	...	Reporter Number 2
Colin Dangaard	...	Reporter Number 3
James Bacon	...	Reporter Number 4
Sandy Davidson	...	N.A.S.A. Reporter
Ron Cummins	...	F.B.I. Man Number 2
Dennis O'Flaherty	...	F.B.I. Man Number 3
Zack Taylor	...	F.B.I. Man Number 4
Frank Farmer	...	Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Monty Jordan	...	Army helicopter pilot (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Hyams

Writing credits
Peter Hyams		(written by)

Produced by
Paul Lazarus III	....	producer (as Paul N. Lazarus III)
Michael I. Rachmil	....	associate producer (as Michael Rachmil)

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Bill Butler		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
James Mitchell

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Albert Brenner

Art Direction by
David M. Haber

Set Decoration by
Rick Simpson

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris

Makeup Department
Emma M. diVittorio	....	hair stylist (as Emma Di Vittorio)
Michael Westmore	....	makeup artist (as Mike Westmore)

Production Management
Michael I. Rachmil	....	unit production manager (as Michael Rachmil)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter L. Bergquist	....	dga trainee (as Peter Bergquist)
Jack Frost Sanders	....	second assistant director (as Jack Sanders)
Irby Smith	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Vern Hendrickson	....	swing gang
Nikita Knatz	....	production illustrator
Joe Longo	....	lead man
Ken Orme	....	second prop man (as Kenny Orme)
Julian Sacks	....	assistant art director
George Stokes	....	construction coordinator
Marty Wunderlich	....	property master

Sound Department
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Lester Fresholtz)
Robert G. Henderson	....	sound effects editor (as Robert Henderson)
Jerry Jost	....	sound mixer
Joseph Kite	....	boom operator (as Joe Kite)
William Manooch	....	sound recordist (as Bill Manooch)
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Arthur Piantadosi	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Bruce Mattox	....	special effects
Henry Millar	....	special effects (as Henry Millar Sr.)
Henry Millar Jr.	....	key special effects
Robert Spurlock	....	special effects (as Bob Spurlock)

Visual Effects by
Ernie Huber	....	miniature coordinator

Stunts
Bill Hickman	....	stunt coordinator
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
J. David Jones	....	aerial stunts (uncredited)
Monty Jordan	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Walter Robles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Tallman	....	stunts: aerial (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David L. Butler	....	aerial camera operator (as David Butler)
Colin J. Campbell	....	gaffer (as Colin Campbell)
Earl L. Clark	....	first assistant camera (as Earl Clark)
James R. Connell	....	camera operator
George Hill	....	key grip
J. David Jones	....	pilot: camera helicopter (as David Jones)
Bruce McBroom	....	still photographer
Rene Menoni	....	second assistant camera
David B. Nowell	....	assistant aerial camera operator (as David Nowell)
A.D. Presley	....	best boy electric
George Staubs	....	best boy grip
John Burton Jr.	....	animation camera operator (uncredited)

Animation Department
Bob Richardson	....	animator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jered Green	....	costumer (as Jered Edd Green)

Editorial Department
Nancy Sales	....	assistant editor
Charles Tetoni	....	associate editor

Music Department
Leonard A. Engel	....	music editor (as Leonard Engel)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Aaron Rochin	....	music recordist (as Aron Rochin)

Transportation Department
Ed Arter	....	transportation co-captain
James D. Brubaker	....	transportation coordinator
Russell McEntyre	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Tracy Berns	....	secretary to director
Tracy Berns	....	secretary to producer
Dixie J. Capp	....	production secretary (as Dixie Capp)
Charles Conley	....	craft service
Lew Grade	....	presenter (as Sir Lew Grade)
Carol Shapiro Janson	....	unit publicist
J. David Jones	....	aerial coordinator (as David Jones)
Karen Jones	....	bookkeeper
Clay Lacy	....	pilot: Lear Jet
George Nolan	....	helicopter pilot
Dan Perri	....	title designer
David Schmoeller	....	intern: American Film Institute
Brent Sellstrom	....	video coordinator
Al Shenfeld	....	production auditor
Frank Tallman	....	aerial coordinator
Frank Tallman	....	pilot: Stearman
Ron Underwood	....	location manager (as Ronald B. Underwood)
Karl A. Wickman	....	helicopter pilot (as Karl Wickman)
Marshall J. Wolins	....	script supervisor (as Marshall Wolins)
Art Scholl	....	pilot (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Associated General Films (for)
• Incorporated Television Company (ITC) (as ITC Entertainment)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmways Australasian Distributors (19??) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Artisan Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Artisan Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (198?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Elephant Films (2009) (France) (all media)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Live Home Video (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Live Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1980) (USA) (TV)
• Top Tape (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• United American Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Van der Veer Photo Effects (special visual effects)
• DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (DFE) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• Bureau of Land Management  grateful acknowledgement (as Ridgecrest Resource Area of the Bureau of Land Management of the United States Department of the Interior)
• Nissan Cars Corporation  Datsun cars supplied by (as Nissan Motor Corporation)
• General Electric (GE)  television sets courtesy of
• Continental Camera Systems  aerial photographic equipment furnished by
• Grove Manufacturing / Santa Fe Equipment  grateful acknowledgement
• Raytheon Data Systems  grateful acknowledgement
• Tallmantz Aviation  grateful acknowledgement
• Worldstage Division of Intercontinental Satellite Network  grateful acknowledgement
• Western Helicopter  grateful acknowledgement
• Pacific Telephone  grateful acknowledgement
• Birtcher  grateful acknowledgement
• Clay Lacy Aviation / Gates Aviation  Lear jet furnished by
• Cadillac Motor Division  cars supplied by

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate no. 25000) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:6 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Associated General Films

Trivia:

NASA was approached for technical assistance, but refused to take part.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Several times during the Mission Control scenes, references are made to "the LM crew," although we know the LM as the "Lunar" Module. But just as the real-life NASA renamed the Vertical Assembly Building in the space shuttle era to the Vehicle Assembly Building, keeping the initials, so on a Mars flight they might reuse the initials LM with a meaning such as "Landing Module."

Quotes:

Robert Caulfield: Somebody took a shot at me.
Walter Loughlin: When?
Robert Caulfield: Yesterday.
Walter Loughlin: Thank God I've got an alibi.

Movie Connections:

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

A guilty pleasure

One of those movies I'm ashamed to admit that I love. The logic comes and goes in this roller-coaster ride of a film, but the emotional highs are most memorable. One of Elliot Gould's last starring roles. I particularly enjoyed Telly Savalas, who chews the scenery unmercifully but is fun to watch as he saves the day. Also James Brolin, who goes the extra mile and does things that some actors would balk at, such as eating a rattlesnake. When I saw this in the theatre, there were a couple of scenes that had the audience cheering, which is not something one sees very often. And how they ever got NASA to allow them to film has got to be a story in itself, one which I am eager to hear.