Movie Trivia for Andromeda Strain (1971)
Memorable Movie Quotes
Dr. Rudolph Karp: Fools! They refuse to believe life exists in meteorites. I showed them at the astrophysics conference what I just showed you. But no! Even with a microscope they are blind! But what do I have to do? Hit them over the head?
Trivia
Michael Crichton was invited to take a tour of Universal Studios during the production of this film. His guide was none other than Steven Spielberg, who went on to adapt Crichton’s most successful novel, Jurassic Park (1993).
The germ from space cost $250,000 to create in special effects.
A few additional details about the controversial death scene of the monkey in the laboratory: 1) It was approved by the ASPCA who was present during the filming of the scene. 2) While the monkey was filmed suffocating on CO2, assistant director James Fargo was standing just off camera wearing scuba gear and holding a second oxygen source. 3) The monkey was revived just seconds after going unconscious – a little too fast as it turns out. Watching the scene closely, the viewer can clearly see a shadow moving towards the monkey just as it goes limp. And since there was only one take it couldn’t be edited out.
The Wildfire scientific lab sets cost more than $300,000 to build and were described at the time as “one of the most elaborately detailed interiors ever built.”
Patient Jackson states that he drinks “squeeze”, otherwise known as Sterno, or “canned heat”; a gelled fuel made of ethanol and methanol that is sold in short, wide cans with resealable lids. When lit, it produces a low, even flame and is used primarily for heating food, as in chafing dishes. Although poisonous to drink, it became popular during prohibition, particularly in homeless camps. The product would be placed in cheesecloth or a sock and squeezed to produce the liquid alcohol, which would be mixed with fruit juice to make so-called “jungle juice.” The nickname, “squeeze” is taken from this squeezing process.
The Andromeda Strain was a moderate box office success. Produced on a relatively high budget of $6.5 million, the film grossed $12,376,563 in North America, earning $8.2 million in US theatrical rentals. It was the 16th highest-grossing film of 1971.
Film rights were bought by Universal for $250,000.
The helicopter that Doctors Stone and Hall travel in is a UH-1 Iroquois.
Goofs
At the jet fighter crash site, a helicopter lands and one of its passengers vigorously slams two of its doors shut. This would never happen with experienced passengers. A helicopter’s doors are light, fragile, and expensive. Thus one of the first rules of helicopter travel is to never slam the doors.
Level 3 is the blue level, as shown in the layout diagrams, but when Dr. Hall climbs back up to it to disarm the bomb, it is a light-gray/white level.
When Dr. Dutton is exposed, Dr. Stone creates an environment of pure oxygen for him to breathe. This would have killed Dutton.
Box Office Info In USA
Budget $6,500,000
Gross $12,376,563
Filming Locations
Shafter, Texas, USA
Red Rock Canyon State Park – Highway 14, Cantil, California, USA
Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA
Stage 12, Universal Studios – 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA