March 16 - Capricorn One

Today’s movie is a political thriller with a scene on March 16. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

CAPRICORN ONE                  

Capricorn One, the first American manned mission to Mars is on the launch pad. Three minutes before liftoff the three astronauts on board, Colonel Charles Brubaker, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Willis and Commander John Walker are taken off the spacecraft by a mysterious civilian and flown to an air fore base, where they meet Dr. James Kelloway, the head of NASA. He tells them that the life support system, which was supplied by a corrupt contractor, would have killed them during the mission and the only choice is to fake the mission, since the agency could not stand the embarrassment of a cancellation. The three astronauts very reluctantly agree to participate in the deception after Kelloway threatens their families. The empty spaceccraft is launched towards Mars. On March 16, 19__ [27:26 to 29:21] Elliott Whitter, a NASA technician notices something odd. His instruments tell him that the TV signal from Capricorn One is reaching Houston before the telemetry signal, but he is told to ignore this. The crew fakes the Mars landing foe television. On the return voyage the crew talks to their families. This transmission is cut off for fear Brubaker will reveal the lie, but not before he mentions a past vacation to his wife. Elliott Whitter tells Robert Caulfield, a reporter he knows about the signal anomaly, then disappears. Caulfield survives an attempt to sabotage his car. During the re-entry the three astronauts are supposedly killed when their heat shield fails. However. the three astronauts escape from the base, steal a jet, but then have to make a crash landing in the desert. Caulfield investigates Whitter’s disappearance. Government helicopters that are tracking the three men kill Walker. Caulfield meets with Mrs. Brubaker and realizes Brubaker’s vacation reference was about a movie he had watched being filmed while on that trip. Caulfield realizes the mission was faked, that is what Whitter uncovered and what led to Whitter’s disappearance. Willis is also found and killed. The FBI arrests Caulfield on trumped up drug charges, but while out on bail he finds the base where the Mars landing was filmed and finds a necklace that belonged to Brubaker, confirming his hypothesis. Caulfield hires Albain, a crop-duster and they locate and rescue Brubaker in the desert, causing the government helicopters to crash. Brubaker surprises everyone by showing up at his memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery.

A passable mystery suspense film. I think it shows conspiracy theorists how difficult it would actually be to really try and fake a space mission. If you don’t expect an Oscar winner, it s an interesting film.

The date is given in the film at 27:26

Producer - Paul N. Lazarus III

Director - Peter Hyams

Screenplay - Peter Hyams

Runtime – 2 hours 4 minutes

Released – June 2, 1978

Cast –

Elliott Gould as Robert Caulfield

James Brolin as Colonel Charles Brubaker

Sam Waterston as Lieutenant Colonel Peter Willis

O.J. Simpson as Commander John Walker

Hal Holbrook as Dr. James Kelloway

Brenda Vaccaro as Kay Brubaker

Karen Black as Judy Drinkwater

David Doyle as Walter Loughlin

Robert Walden as Elliot Whitter

Telly Savalas as Albain

David Huddleston as Congressman Hollis Peaker

Lee Bryant as Sharon Willis

Denise Nicholas as Betty Walker

James Sikking as Control Room Man

Alan Fudge as Capsule Communicator

James Karen as Vice President Price

Nancy Malone as Emily Peaker

Darrell Zwerling as Dr. Bergen

Milton Selzer as Dr. Burroughs

Paul Picerni as Jerry

Barbara Bosson as Alva Leacock

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014