The Astronaut (1972 film)
| The Astronaut | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Teleplay by | Gerald Di Pego Charles Kuenstle Robert Biheller |
| Story by | Charles Kuenstle Robert Biheller |
| Directed by | Robert Michael Lewis |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Gil Melle |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Harve Bennett |
| Production locations | Universal Studios – 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California |
| Cinematography | Alric Edens |
| Editors | Les Green John Kaufman |
| Running time | 73 minutes |
| Production companies | Silverton Productions Universal Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | January 8, 1972 |
The Astronaut is a 1972 American made-for-television science fiction film directed by Robert Michael Lewis and starring Susan Clark,[1][2] Jackie Cooper,[1][3][2] and Monte Markham.[1][2] It follows a man who has been hired to impersonate an astronaut who died during the first crewed mission to Mars. The movie was made for ABC for its movie of the week franchise. Real-life astronaut Wally Schirra appears in a cameo role as himself.
Plot
Television coverage of Brice Randolph, the first astronaut on the surface of Mars, is interrupted, indicating that the signal has been lost. Shortly afterward, Eddie Reese is recruited and shown what happened after the TV signal was interrupted: Brice reported something penetrating his EVA suit and soon expired. The other astronaut lifted off alone.
NASA, fearing their project will be canceled, needs to keep it a secret until they have answers about what exactly happened. Reese undergoes surgical alterations and begins learning his role as Brice. Upon the arrival of the spacecraft back on Earth, the splashdown site is altered so that the press is unaware of Reese being brought to join the returning space crew. Reese, maintaining the cover, is now tasked with playing his role with the dead man's wife, Gail. Uneasy about being intimate with another man's wife, Reese unwittingly betrays himself to her, raising her suspicions.
Eventually, NASA determines what happened on Mars and is ready to let Reese out of the masquerade. However, Reese and Gail are willing to carry on as if he is Brice Randolph. Reese then hears from a boy, who asked for an autograph, that the Soviets have just launched their own mission to land on Mars. NASA does not warn the Soviets of the dangers that await them; however, Reese and Gail decide to reveal the truth.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Jackie Cooper | Kurt Anderson |
| Monte Markham | Eddie Reese |
| Col. Brice Randolph | |
| Richard Anderson | Dr. Wylie |
| Robert Lansing | John Phillips |
| Susan Clark | Gail Randolph |
| John Lupton | Don Masters |
| Walter Brooke | Tom Everett |
| James Sikking | Astronaut Higgins |
| Paul Kent | Carl Samuels |
Production
Robert Michael Lewis was hired to direct The Astronaut.[4] Harve Bennett was hired to produce the film. The Astronaut was written by Gerald Di Pego, Charles Kuenstle, and Robert Biheller.[5]
Reception
When The Astronaut aired, the Apollo missions to the moon were still under way. The ensuing TV shows and films like Capricorn One would trod the same ground.[6] Author Murray Pomerance wrote in his book Johnny Depp Starts Here that the film was modeled after Gene Fowler Jr.'s I Married a Monster from Outer Space. Pomerance thought the character Gail Randolph was a woman capable of knowing, and therefore recognizing the gentiles of her husband..[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Hamilton, Lee (January 7, 1972). "A Review: The Andromeda Strain Foresees Microscopic Invasion of Earth". The Robesonian. Champion Media. p. 5. ISSN 2474-2236. OCLC 10467669. Retrieved August 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c McKenna (2013), p. 67.
- ^ Monush 2003, pp. 148–149.
- ^ Weinstock 2016, p. 206.
- ^ Weldon 1996, p. 29.
- ^ McKenna 2013, p. 68.
- ^ Pomerance 2005, pp. 140–141.
Sources
- Wingrove, David (1985). Science Fiction Film Source Book. Harlow: Longman Group Limited. ISBN 0582892392.
- Pomerance, Murray (2005). Johnny Depp Starts Here. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-0813537795. Archived from the original (eBook) on May 31, 2018.
The Astronaut Monte Markham
- McKenna, Michael (2013). The ABC Movie of the Week: Big Movies for the Small Screen (eBook). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0810891579.
- Weinstock, Jeffrey Andrew (2016). Critical Approaches to the Films of M. Night Shyamalan: Spoiler Warnings (eBook). London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0230112094.
- Weldon, Michael (1996). The Psychotronic Video Guide (Trade paperback). New York City: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0312131494.
- Monush, Barry (2003). The Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the Silent Era to 1965 (Hardcover). Vol. 1. London: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-1557835512.