Carpenter is a physician, or so he says, and his mission is to reach a meteorological station in the arctic called drift ice station zebra which has had a catastrophic fire. Producer martin ransohoff bought the film rights to alistair macleans ice station zebra novel in 1964, a year after the book had been first published. The word zebra in the film and source novels title is derivative of the letter. The prisoner star patrick mcgoohan, who has died aged 80, was one of the leading british television stars of the 1950s and 1960s. Sturges, john, hudson, rock, borgnine, ernest, mcgoohan, patrick, brown, jim, bill, tony, nolan, lloyd. Burnett is loosely based upon macleans 1963 novel of the same name. Carpenter was renamed david jones, portrayed by patrick mcgoohan. Ice station zebra ultimate soundtrack suite by michel legrand duration. The movie was so long, in fact, that it used to get shown over two nights when it was broadcast on network television, which proved disastrous because the second half, set at the polar ice cap, barely allowed one to see the stars that mattered to the network audience. The screenplay is by alistair maclean, douglas heyes, harry julian fink, and w. Christopher mcquarrie set for ice station zebra remake. Both have parallels to reallife events that took place in 1959.
He began his career in the united kingdom in the 1950s, relocating to the united states in the 1970s. A straightforward book, part submarine technothriller and part murder mystery. Carpenter and a group of volunteers from the crew of dolphin will dare the weather and the ice pack to find the station and rescue its stricken crew. Patrick mcgoohan committed himself to appearing in ice station zebra whilst he was filming his famous tv series the prisoner. If this had been a routine saturdayafternoon thriller, it might have been fun. This springsummer 2017 is the 50th anniversary of the filming of the great and underestimated ice station zebra. Ice station zebra 1968 zebra kutatoallomas region 2 pal dvd audio. After completing this novel, whose plot line parallels reallife events during the cold war, maclean retired from writing for three years. John sturges ice station zebra 1968 was an extremely long movie but not the longest he ever did. His careerdefining roles were in the british television series danger man us. We saw the ads, looked at the fancy original soundtrack album in the record bins, and were primed for something big. Ice station zebra was a highlyanticipated action thriller. Patrick mcgoohan, and to a lesser extent, jim brown made this a film where.
Mcgoohan had an extraordinary presence and talent to spare. Having an all male cast led by rock hudson, ernest borgnine, patrick mcgoohan and jim brown. To do this he enlists the help of a nuclear submarine called the dolphin which can survive under the solid ice of the polar ice cap. Ice station zebra is a 1968 metrocolor cold war era suspense and espionage film. However, as is well known, the prisoner went massively overbudget and seriously behind schedule. Since its a drifting station, due to the north poles circular. Mcgoohan is very good as david jones an arrogant british spy. I rented the episodes one per tape at the local video rental hut, devouring them completely. But its been stretched out to roadshow length and loaded down with lots. Ice station zebra is a movie so flat and conventional that its three moments of. Thus mcgoohan reluctantly accepted the hollywood dollar.
Ice station zebra 1968 movie mistakes, goofs and bloopers. Website dedicated to the tv series the prisoner, starring patrick mcgoohan. Ernest borgnine steals scenes as a soviet defector who now works for the west. Navy submarine captain who is ordered to take his nuclear attack submarine from its base in scotland up to the arctic.
Zebra has an excelllent cast that includes rock hudson, patrick mcgoohan. Being a strong swimmer he insisted on doing the scene himself rather than use a stuntman. A change was made to the script so allowing olympic swimming champion murray rose, whod been cast in another role, to do the scene with him in case anything. Impressive, symphonic and spacey opening credit sequence, nasa guys monitoring the arctic landing of a russian capsule, from director john sturges ice station zebra, 1968, starring rock hudson, ernest borgnine and patrick mcgoohan, from the alistair maclean novel. Ice station zebra is a 1968 metrocolor cold war era suspense and espionage film directed by john sturges, starring rock hudson, patrick mcgoohan, ernest borgnine, and jim brown. Success came in 1961, when mcgoohan played government agent john drake in danger man, a role he continued on secret agent 196566. He also has a couple of quick exchanges with patrick mcgoohan, who plays a.
Ice station zebra 1968 patrick mcgoohan as david jones. In fact, after reporting a catastrophic fire which killed a few of its men, the remote british arctic monitoring station went off grid. See more ideas about ice station zebra, ice station and alistair maclean. The first fifty pages of ice station zebra consist of the first person. A classic thriller from the bestselling master of action and suspense. Ice station zebra by john sturges john sturges, rock. John sturges adventure of cold war supremacy pits an american nuclear submarine crew against their soviet counterparts in a race to retrieve a russian satellite lost under a polar ice cap. Making his hollywood film debut, british tv idol patrick mcgoohan, star of secret agent stays right in character as a british secret agent in filmwaysmgms ice station zebra. But, the primary objective of this mission is to get me to ice station zebra. By redirecting a significant chunk of his fee into everyman films, shooting of the second series of the prisoner would be assured.
Ice station zebra is not responding drift ice station zebra is not answering. Those orders come to you from your chief of naval operations and, direct to him, from your president. Rock hudson is convincing as the submarine captain. It was the last time rock hudson ever walked a red carpet at a film premiere. Its a well made film with a plausible to me anyway dialogue. Ice station zebra was adapted in 1968, directed by john sturges and starring rock hudson, patrick mcgoohan and ernest borgnine. Ice station zebra is a movie so flat and conventional that its three moments of interest are an embarrassment. Hes the best part of ice station zebra, playing a british spy who knows more than hes willing to let on, and his subdued, near narcoleptic work in scanners adds to that films general tenor of dread without ever being overtly evil. Its worth buying the film just to see the always excellent patrick mcgoohan and his table thumping get me there outburst. Biography of patrick mcgoohan covering his stage, screen and television work, including brand, moby dick, danger man or secret agent as john drake, the prisoner, hell drivers, ice station zebra, braveheart, written by roger langley and with information about portmeirion, six of one the prisoner appreciation society, spanning 80 years in the life of the actor as a tribute to him. Mcgoohans later work included the shortlived medical mystery series rafferty 1977. Jim brown, rock hudson, patrick mcgoohan ernest borgnine. Ice station zebra traces the dolphins exciting run under the polar ice pack to reach the last know location of ice station zebra.
At the star studded premiere at cinerama dome some punk rushed up to hudson on the red carpet and yelled fgott. The novels fire on board the submarine does not occur in the film, whereas the. Zebra has an excelllent cast that includes rock hudson, patrick mcgoohan, ernest borgnine, and jim brown. Secret agent and the surreal psychological drama the prisoner, which he cocreated. Ice station zebra had a bit of a slow start for me, but it quickly picked up steam. Hudsons character of commander ferriday has been assigned a rescue mission to head to the british polar research station zebra, unaware that of a saboteur is among the the passengers he has taken aboard his boat. Shadow2 said on 17jun15 in a 1975 columbo episode mcgoohan walks through an amusement park with then 6 1 leslie nielsen and seems just slightly taller, at least in the 6 1. Ice station zebra and millions of other books are available for instant access. Patrick mcgoohans timeless cult tv series by roger langley book the man in the iron mask. Buy ice station zebra new ed by maclean, alistair isbn. Ice station zebra is a 1968 metrocolor cold war era suspense and espionage film directed by john sturges and starring rock hudson, patrick mcgoohan, ernest borgnine, and jim brown.
Ice station zebra, lobbycard, rock hudson, patrick mcgoohan, ernest borgnine, 1968. He created, produced and often wrote episodes of the nightmarish, surrealistic cult series the prisoner 196869. With rock hudson, ernest borgnine, patrick mcgoohan, jim brown. Rock hudson, ernest borgnine, patrick mcgoohan, jim brown director. He also worked as an actor, director and writer on the hit 1970s. This was never in the book, but strikes me as a successful introduction in the screenplay. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. The atomic submarine dolphin has impossible orders. Ice station zebra, lobbycard, rock hudson, patrick. Ice station zebra is a 1968 cold war espionage thriller directed by john sturges, adapted from the 1963 novel by alistair maclean which, in turn, fictionalized a real event. Academy awardwinning cold war thriller based on alister macleans bestseller stars rock hudson as an american nuclear submarine captain in a.
As a result, mcgoohan had to leave filming of the prisoner in late 1967 for several weeks, in order to appear in ice station zebra. The submarine thriller is the better part of the book. My love for patrick mcgoohan began after watching those wonderful 17 hours. It was debated frequently in french media and in 1989 even became the object of an expensive art book le. Usn nuclear sub uss tigerfish must rush to the north pole to rescue the staff of drift ice station zebra weather station. It had a stellar cast that included topdraw names plus cool tv favorite patrick mcgoohan as a spy on a supersecret mission. Writer, director christopher mcquarrie continues developing his remake of the arctic thriller ice station zebra 1968 based on the 1963 spy novel by author alistair maclean. Mcgoohan was at least three inches shorter than rock hudson in ice station zebra. In one scene in ice station zebra 1968 he was supposed to dive into the flooded torpedo room of the nuclear sub to rescue a trapped naval officer. The screenplay by alistair maclean, douglas heyes, harry julian fink, and w. In one scene patrick mcgoohan was supposed to dive into the flooded torpedo. I loved just about anything he was in ice station zebra, braveheart, et al. Never argue with patrick mcgoohan, never piss off patrick mcgoohan, never disobey patrick mcgoohan. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Ransohoff had intended to cash in on the earlier maclean adaptation the guns of navarone 1961 and had originally cast two leads from that movie, david niven and gregory peck. He was the phantoms dad, in a performance a hell of a lot more compelling than anything else the flick had to offer. His move to california led to appearances in a number of films, including ice station zebra, and opposite clint eastwood in escape from alcatraz. See more ideas about prison, romney marsh and spy shows. Ice station zebra is a 1968 metrocolor cold war era suspense and espionage film directed by john sturges and starring rock hudson, patrick mcgoohan. Patrick joseph mcgoohan 19 march 1928 january 2009 was an irishamerican actor, screenwriter and director. Patrick mcgoohan celebrity profile check out the latest patrick mcgoohan photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. Patrick joseph mcgoohan irish actor, screenwriter, and.
Ice station zebra was macleans tenth novel and this movie was the fourth. The cast includes rock hudson, ernest borgnine, patrick mcgoohan, and jim brown hudson plays a u. Ice station zebra is a 1963 thriller novel written by scottish author alistair maclean. This book really comes up with some stuff i never heard before, it is well written in a style that you just want to hear more. Carpenter became david jones played by patrick mcgoohan. To be fair to the filmakers they got the casting of patrick mcgoohan spot on every.
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