The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Michael Crichton (novel)
Nelson Gidding (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 March 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The picture runs 130 minutes!... The story covers 96 of the most critical hours in man's history!... The suspense will last through your lifetime!

Plot:

A group of scientists investigate a deadly new alien virus before it can spread.

Plot Keywords:

Dead Children | Electronic Music Score | Decontamination | Massacre | Scientist

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Arthur Hill	...	Dr. Jeremy Stone
David Wayne	...	Dr. Charles Dutton
James Olson	...	Dr. Mark Hall
Kate Reid	...	Dr. Ruth Leavitt
Paula Kelly	...	Karen Anson
George Mitchell	...	Jackson
Ramon Bieri	...	Major Manchek
Peter Hobbs	...	General Sparks
Kermit Murdock	...	Dr. Robertson
Richard O'Brien	...	Grimes
Eric Christmas	...	Senator from Vermont
Mark Jenkins	...	Lt. Shawn (Piedmont team)
Peter Helm	...	Sgt. Crane (Piedmont team)
Joe Di Reda	...	Wildfire Computer Sgt. Burk (as Joe DiReda)
Carl Reindel	...	Lt. Comroe
Ken Swofford	...	Toby (technician)
Frances Reid	...	Clara Dutton
Richard Bull	...	Air Force major
John Carter	...	MP Capt. Morton
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Ballantyne	...	Hospital director (uncredited)
Ivor Barry	...	Murray (uncredited)
Joe Billings	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Michael Bow	...	MP at Stone's (uncredited)
Walter Brooke	...	Assistant to Cabinet Secretary (uncredited)
Susan Brown	...	Allison Stone (uncredited)
Jan Burrell	...	Mother (Piedmont) (uncredited)
Dee Carroll	...	Technician (uncredited)
Duke Cigrang	...	Father (Piedmont) (uncredited)
Michael Crichton	...	Bearded surgeon (uncredited)
Lisa Daniels	...	Woman (uncredited)
Sandra de Bruin	...	Technician (uncredited)
Bill Dunbar	...	Vandenberg AFB sergeant (uncredited)
Harold Dyrenforth	...	(uncredited)
Walker Edmiston	...	Voice (uncredited)
Judy Farrell	...	Pam (uncredited)
Lance Fuller	...	Man (uncredited)
James W. Gavin	...	Dempsey (helicopter pilot) (uncredited)
Ray Harris	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Rob Hughes	...	Air Force technician (uncredited)
Jason Johnson	...	Dr. Benedict (uncredited)
Glenn Langan	...	Cabinet Secretary (uncredited)
Bart La Rue	...	Medic captain (uncredited)
Johnny Lee	...	Boy (uncredited)
Theodore Lehmann	...	Scientist (uncredited)
Tom McDonough	...	Stetson (uncredited)
David McLean	...	Sen. McKenzie (New Mexico) (uncredited)
Cliff Medaugh	...	Civilian (uncredited)
Victoria Paige Meyerink	...	(uncredited)
Midori	...	Bess (lab technician) (uncredited)
Robert 'Bob' Olen	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Francisco Ortega	...	Gateman at Agricultural Center (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Pete 'Old Doughboy' Arnold (uncredited)
Michael Pataki	...	Operator of 'The Hands' (uncredited)
Alma Platt	...	Woman (uncredited)
Ford Rainey	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Quinn K. Redeker	...	Capt. Morris (uncredited)
Georgia Schmidt	...	Old lady (Piedmont) (uncredited)
Reuben Singer	...	Dr. Rudolph Karp (uncredited)
Robert Soto	...	Manuel Rios (the baby) (uncredited)
Gilchrist Stuart	...	Man (uncredited)
Joan Swift	...	Decontamination receptionist (uncredited)
Lorna Thayer	...	Woman (uncredited)
Garry Walberg	...	Technician (uncredited)
Len Wayland	...	Utah crash site officer (uncredited)
Gary Waynesmith	...	Air Force technician (uncredited)
Russ Whiteman	...	Civilian (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Michael Crichton		(novel)
Nelson Gidding		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Wise	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Gil Melle		(as Gil Mellé)

Cinematography by
Richard H. Kline		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stuart Gilmore
John W. Holmes

Production Design by
Boris Leven

Art Direction by
William H. Tuntke		(as William Tuntke)

Set Decoration by
Ruby R. Levitt		(as Ruby Levitt)

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ernest B. Wehmeyer	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ridgeway Callow	....	assistant director

Art Department
Thomas Wright	....	production illustrator

Sound Department
James R. Alexander	....	sound (as James Alexander)
Ronald Pierce	....	sound
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound

Special Effects by
James Shourt	....	special photographic effects
Douglas Trumbull	....	special photographic effects

Visual Effects by
Albert Whitlock	....	matte supervisor
John Whitney Sr.	....	early video effects for film (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Helen Colvig	....	costumes

Music Department
Gordon Clark	....	music engineering
Allan Sohl	....	music engineering

Other crew
W.M. Blackmore	....	animal sequences filmed under supervision of
Attila De Lado	....	titles (as Attila de Lado)
Dr. Richard Green	....	technical advisor
George Hobby	....	technical advisor
Marie Kenney	....	script supervisor
William Koselka	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents) (as Universal)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Universal Picture)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1973) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Cinema Classics (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1972) (France) (theatrical)
• DiscoVision (USA) (laserdisc)
• Esselte CIC Video (1983) (Belgium) (video)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Special Effects

• SWL James Shourt (special visual effects) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• American Humane Association, The  animal sequences filmed under supervision of (as The American Humane Assn.)
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)  scientific background support by (as Cal Tech)
• Central Research Labs  scientific equipment from
• Concord Electronics  scientific equipment from (as Concord Electronics Corp.)
• Du Pont Instrument Products Division  scientific equipment from
• Hollywood Video  TV by
• Honeywell  scientific equipment from (as Honeywell Corp.)
• Image Transform  video effects for film (uncredited)
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory  scientific background support by (as The Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
• Korad Lasers  scientific equipment from
• Perkin-Elmer  scientific equipment from (as Perkin-Elmer Corp.)
• Project Scoop at Vandenberg Air Force Base  we received the generous help of many people attached to
• R.C.A.  scientific equipment from
• Technicon  scientific equipment from (as Technicon Corp.)
• Universal Title  titles & optical effects
• Van Waters & Rogers  scientific equipment from
• Wildfire Laboratory  we received the generous help of many people attached to (as Wildfire Laboratory in Flatrock, Nevada)

Runtime:

131 min | Belgium:115 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (2003) | Canada:G (Manitoba) | Australia:M | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:G | West Germany:12 | UK:AA (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Red Rock Canyon State Park - Highway 14, Cantil, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Leavitt in a protest against inserting something to clean out the GI tract makes the statement about "risked drowning in that foul bath". The book, but not the movie, had the Wildfire Team submerge completely in an antibiotic solution. The scene may have been cut, but Leavitt still makes reference to it in the movie.

Goofs:

When Hall first uses the Medcom program on the computer in Level 5, the word "analysis" is misspelled as "ANALYS".

Quotes:

Dr. Jeremy Stone: [handing out suppositories] Umm... stop by your rooms and insert these before taking the elevator.
Dr. Ruth Leavitt: I have risked drowning in that foul bath! I have been par-boiled, irradiated and xenon-flashed! and now you suggest I...
Dr. Jeremy Stone: I HAVE to! We haven't done a thing about the G.I. tract yet. On level five we must be as nearly germ-free as possible.
Dr. Ruth Leavitt: [eyeing suppository sheepishly] Anyone care to join me for a "smoke"?

Movie Connections:

Edited into "The Six Million Dollar Man: Population Zero (#1.1)" (1974)

You alread know how it ends

And yet, you just can't help yourself. Under Robert Wise's direction, this tale of microbiological Armageddon unfolds with such perfectly metered suspense that by the 100th viewing, you STILL find yourself glued to your couch. You HAVE to see how it turns out, even though you already know.

Although the film is well over 20 years old, and the computer equipment at the Wildfire laboratory shows its age, this is a perfect change-of-pace film for any movie monster fan. Heck, you've probably already let your kids see the bloody carnage in "Jurassic Park" anyway.

Instead of the usual radioactive mutated towering apparition that flattens cities and topples skyscrapers, the monster in "The Andromeda Strain" is so tiny, it takes powerful electron microscopes to see it. The average movie monster can only cause damage wherever he can stomp, smash or exhale a blast of fiery breath. Andromeda has the potential to be carried to every corner of the world by the winds, where it could conceivably wipe out all life. Try to top THAT, Godzilla!

The real star of the film is Wildfire itself. A government facility located (we thought) safely away from populated areas, it bristles with everything a microbiologist needs to avert a biological disaster. . .or does it?

Seeking an unprecedented realism, director Robert Wise insisted that everything on the set be real, from the computer terminals (with their quaint light pens) all the way to the electron microscopes. The Wildfire set is every microbiologist's dream come true and it's populated by a quartet of actors!

Since the presence of a big-name star might blunt the impact of this high-tech visual feast, Wise carefully assembled a cast of fine actors who just don't happen to be household names. Without rehashing the characterizations, we'll just say that Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James Olson and Kate Reid couldn't possibly have been more perfect for their roles. With a less competent cast, "The Andromeda Strain" could have degenerated into a parody of itself. This is gritty work, saving the world from biological annihilation. It takes real ACTORS, not just pretty-boy movie stars!

Go ahead. Be scared out of your wits by something so tiny, you can't even see it. I dare you to try and get up before it's over.