DramaActionThrillerScience Fiction

Capricorn One

- The mission was a sham. The murders were real.

In order to protect the reputation of the American space program, a team of NASA administrators turn the first Mars mission into a phony Mars landing. Under threat of harm to their families the astronauts play their part in the deception on a staged set in a deserted military base. But once the real ship returns to Earth and burns up on re-entry, the astronauts become liabilities. Now, with the help of a crusading reporter, they must battle a sinister conspiracy that will stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden.

Release Date : 1977-12-10

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Associated General FilmsITC Entertainment

Production Country : United KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Robert Caulfield

Original Name : Elliott Gould

Gender : Male

Character Name : Col. Charles Brubaker

Original Name : James Brolin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kay Brubaker

Original Name : Brenda Vaccaro

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lt. Col. Peter Willis

Original Name : Sam Waterston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cmdr. John Walker

Original Name : O. J. Simpson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. James Kelloway

Original Name : Hal Holbrook

Gender : Male

Character Name : Judy Drinkwater

Original Name : Karen Black

Gender : Female

Character Name : Albain

Original Name : Telly Savalas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hollis Peaker

Original Name : David Huddleston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Walter Loughlin

Original Name : David Doyle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sharon Willis

Original Name : Lee Bryant

Gender : Female

Character Name : Betty Walker

Original Name : Denise Nicholas

Gender : Female

Character Name : Elliot Whitter

Original Name : Robert Walden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Control Room Man

Original Name : James B. Sikking

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capsule Communicator

Original Name : Alan Fudge

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vice President Price

Original Name : James Karen

Gender : Male

Character Name : F.B.I. Man Number 1

Original Name : Jon Cedar

Gender : Male

Character Name : General Enders

Original Name : Hank Stohl

Gender : Male

Character Name : President

Original Name : Norman Bartold

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Bergen

Original Name : Darrell Zwerling

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Burroughs

Original Name : Milton Selzer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Horace Gruning

Original Name : Lou Frizzell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Peaker

Original Name : Nancy Malone

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jerry

Original Name : Paul Picerni

Gender : Male

Character Name : Alva Leacock

Original Name : Barbara Bosson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Bob Harks

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

It's a pleasure alright, and I don't feel guilty about it at all!. A NASA space mission up to Mars fails to get off the ground due to major technical problems. Fearing funding could be taken away and wishing to avoid embarrassment, the powers that be decide to do a fake landing in a studio. With the astronauts forced to pretend that they are actually up on Mars, and fighting with their own personal belief systems, the government executives in charge fear that the fake flight could come to light. Upon learning that the outside world actually thinks they crashed upon reentering the earths atmosphere, the astronauts run for their lives knowing that the government can't afford for the men to stay alive. Capricorn One is an excellent conspiracy picture that sadly seems to have been largely forgotten. Even today we are still hearing mooted stories of the landing on the moon actually being fake, so here director and writer Peter Hyams takes it and crafts a thrillingly taut piece of work. At the films heart is Elliot Gould's (his great 70s work under valued) intrepid journalist, Robert Caulfield, after being nudged in the ribs by one of his friends at NASA, is himself under threat of death from shadowy government types who will think of nothing to offing him along with the astronauts. The film is split into two very significant halves, the first half is the set up, the conversations before and after the fake landing are clever and crucially attention grabbing, and of course we get to know our characters with the right amount of time. The film then shifts for the second half into a quality thriller chase movie, our main protagonists pursued by the government assassins courtesy of two gun toting helicopters. Jerry Goldsmith's score brilliantly becoming part of the chase sequences, making the helicopters seem like death stalking machines operated by no man alone. We even get Telly Savalas joining us for the last quarter with a highly fun and enjoyable portrayal as a crop dusting knight in red shiny armour, and the finale positively rocks and finishes the film on the high note it promised all along. James Brolin, Brenda Vaccaro, Sam Waterston, O.J. Simpson, Hal Holbrook and Karen Black fill out the rest of the cast with much credit indeed. Capricorn One, criminally undervalued, and perhaps even more sad, forgotten. 8/10