The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)

Director:

Stewart Raffill

Writers:

Wallace C. Bennett (story)
Charles Berlitz (book)

Release Date:

3 August 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Will You Survive?

Plot:

Based on an "actual event" that took place in 1943, about a US Navy Destroyer Escort that disappeared from Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and sent two men 40 years into the future in 1984.

Plot Keywords:

Redhead | Long Distance Call | Radio News | Burning Building | Fingernail

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Michael Paré	...	David Herdeg
Nancy Allen	...	Allison Hayes
Eric Christmas	...	Dr. James Longstreet
Bobby Di Cicco	...	Jim Parker
Louise Latham	...	Pamela
Kene Holliday	...	Major Clark
Joe Dorsey	...	Sheriff Bates
Michael Currie	...	Magnussen
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Barney
Gary Brockette	...	Adjutant / Andrews
Debra Troyer	...	Young Pamela
Miles McNamara	...	Young Longstreet
Ralph Manza	...	Older Jim
James Edgcomb	...	Officer Boyer
Glenn Morshower	...	Mechanic

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Cinema Group Ventures

Trivia:

According to "The Making of The Philadelphia Experiment", the Wendover, Utah air base used in the film's climactic fire sequence was where the Enola Gay was outfitted for its historic flight in 1945.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When David and Allison are being chased from the Parker ranch, a vehicle flips, exposing the flipping device in two different shots.

Quotes:

[Trying to steal Allison's car]
David Herdeg: Where the hell's the clutch?
Allison Hayes: It's automatic!
David Herdeg: Get in, you're driving.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Triangle" (2005) (mini)

Soundtrack:

I'll Never Smile Again

Underrated, Excellent

This film is brilliant - I don't care what others think - It is your basic adventure time travel film. I think the plot is genius - When something disappears nobody thinks what's going on while it's invisible - This is what happens in the film as a ship is cloaked during world war 2 to prevent radar detection but the ship completely vanishes - while invisible 2 crew members jump overboard into one of the best time warps i've ever seen, into 1984 - I think the acting, effects and overall tension of the movie was way ahead of it's time and will remain my personal favourite film.