Way...Way Out
Way...Way Out | |
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Directed by | Gordon Douglas |
Written by | William Bowers Laslo Vanday |
Produced by | Malcolm Stuart |
Starring | Jerry Lewis |
Cinematography | William H. Clothier |
Edited by | Hugh S. Fowler |
Music by | Lalo Schifrin |
Production companies | Coldwater Way Out Company |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $2,955,000[1] |
Box office | $1.2 million (est. U.S./Canada rentals)[2] 361,933 admissions (France)[3] |
Way...Way Outis a 1966 Americancomedy science fictionfilm directed byGordon Douglasand starringJerry Lewis.It was distributed by20th Century Foxand produced byMalcolm Stuart.The film, released on October 26, 1966, was both a critical and commercial flop, recouping less than half of its production budget. It is also Lewis' first movie for Fox.
Plot
[edit]In 1989, the United States continues to be engaged in aSpace Racewith theSoviet Union.
The two male astronauts manning the U.S. weather station on the Moon, Hoffman and Schmidlap, are suffering the effects of their long stay in space and need to be relieved, as Schmidlap regularly ties up Hoffman and has even knocked out his two front teeth. The sex-starved Schmidlap sits around drawing lewd pictures of naked women.
Harold Quonset, the head of NAWA, is concerned that the situation with Hoffman and Schmidlap threatens to become an embarrassment to the agency. Furthermore, the Soviets have taken a step forward in the space race by placing the first (unmarried) male/female couple on the Moon. Quonset decides the United States should place the first married couple in space.
With the next NAWA space launch looming, the newlywed astronauts scheduled for the mission, Ted and Peggy, split after Ted is surprised by the expectedly normal events of a wedding night ( “you should hear what she wanted to do” ). Quonset quickly turns to Peter Mattemore and Eileen Forbes, unmarried astronauts who have been at NAWA for years without having flown a mission. Forbes agrees to the marriage on the condition that they be married in name only, and their vows are exchanged as they are rushed up thegantryfor their space launch.
When they arrive on the Moon, they receive regular visits from the Soviet cosmonauts, Anna Soblova and Igor Baklenikov, living at the nearby Soviet lunar station. Antics ensue with vodka pill parties and the men preening for their beautiful female companions. The Soviets are suspected of trying to sabotage the American space station, but they are soon vindicated.
Anna tricks Igor into marrying her by declaring she is pregnant, having gotten the idea for this from Eileen. The wedding is broadcast via satellite to the entire planet, with Peter acting as best man and Eileen as maid of honor.
The media pick up on the Soviets being in line to have the first baby born on the Moon. NAWA head Harold Quonset tells his married astronauts of his unhappiness with the Soviets having scored this crucial first in the Space Race, insinuating that this is because Peter is less virile than Igor and Eileen less sexy than Anna. Stung by this, Eileen declares she is just as pregnant as Anna, delighting Mr. Quonset. After ending the call with Quonset, Eileen tells the startled Peter she's just as pregnant as Anna because Anna isn't pregnant at all. The two have truly fallen in love, and Eileen suggests they could make her pregnancy assertion retroactively true. They are just initiating this project as the story ends.
Cast
[edit]- Jerry Lewisas Peter Mattemore
- Connie Stevensas Eileen Forbes
- Robert Morleyas Harold Quonset
- Dennis Weaveras Hoffman
- Howard Morrisas Schmidlap
- Brian Keithas Gen. 'Howling Bull' Hallenby
- Dick Shawnas Igor Valkleinokov
- Anita Ekbergas Anna Soblova
- William O'Connellas Ponsonby
- Bobo Lewisas Esther Davenport
- Sig Rumanas Russian Delegate
- Milton Fromeas American Delegate
- Alexander D'Arcyas Deuce Hawkins (as Alex D'Arcy)
- Linda Harrisonas Peggy
- James Brolinas Ted Robertson
The narrator isJohn "Shorty" Powers,who had beenNASA's mission commentator forProject Mercury.Brolin and Harrison appear briefly as newlyweds headed for space. Within a year, these two were part of amake-up testpitching the film concept forPlanet of the Apesto 20th Century Fox, with Harrison later cast as "Nova" in that film.
Production
[edit]Filming
[edit]Way...Way Outwas filmed from January 24 to March 30, 1966.
Music
[edit]The title song is performed byGary Lewis & the Playboys,led by Lewis' son, Gary.
Historical references
[edit]The film, released in 1966, includes a 1989 futuristic TV news report where Southern politicians are still struggling with the civil rights movement and politicianRichard Nixonplans to come out of retirement to reunite the Republican Party.
Box office
[edit]According to Fox records, the film did not break even as it made $3,855,000 in rentals, but needed to earn $5,100,000.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Solomon, Aubrey.Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series).Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989.ISBN978-0-8108-4244-1.p254
- ^"Big Rental Pictures of 1966",Variety,4 January 1967 p 8
- ^Jerry Lewis films French box office informationat Box Office Story
- ^Silverman, Stephen M (1988).The Fox that got away: the last days of the Zanuck dynasty at Twentieth Century-Fox.L. Stuart. p.325.ISBN9780818404856.
External links
[edit]- 1966 films
- 1960s science fiction comedy films
- CinemaScope films
- American science fiction comedy films
- Films about astronauts
- Films directed by Gordon Douglas
- Films scored by Lalo Schifrin
- Films set in 1989
- Films set in the future
- Cold War films
- Films set on the Moon
- 1966 comedy films
- 1960s English-language films
- 1960s American films
- English-language science fiction comedy films