The Andromeda Strain movie storyline. When virtually all of the residents of Piedmont, New Mexico, are found dead after the return to Earth of a space satellite, the head of the US Air Force’s Project Scoop declares an emergency. Many years prior to this incident, a group of eminent scientists led by Dr. Jeremy Stone (Arthur Hill) advocated for the construction of a secure laboratory facility that would serve as a base in the event an alien biological life form was returned to Earth from a space mission.
Stone and his team – Drs. Dutton, Leavitt and Hall (David Wayne, Kate Reid, and James Olson, respectively)- go to the facility, known as Wildfire, and try to first isolate the life form while determining why two people from Piedmont (an old wino and a six-month-old baby) survived. The scientists methodically study the alien life form unaware that it has already mutated and presents a far greater danger in the lab, which is equipped with a nuclear self-destruct device should it manage to escape.
The Andromeda Strain is a 1971 American science fiction thriller film produced and directed by Robert Wise. Based on Michael Crichton’s 1969 novel of the same name and adapted by Nelson Gidding, the film stars Arthur Hill, James Olson, Kate Reid, and David Wayne as a team of scientists who investigate a deadly organism of extraterrestrial origin. With a few exceptions, the film follows the book closely. The special effects were designed by Douglas Trumbull. The film is notable for its use of split screen in certain scenes.
About the Story
The story is told in flashback by Dr. Jeremy Stone, who is testifying to a congressional committee. After a U.S. government satellite crashes near the small rural town of Piedmont, New Mexico, almost all of the town’s residents die. A military recovery team tries to recover the satellite, but is unsuccessful. Suspecting that the satellite has brought back an alien organism, the military activates an elite scientific team.
Wearing protective suits, Dr. Stone, the team leader, and Dr. Mark Hall, a surgeon, are dropped in Piedmont by helicopter. They find that the town’s doctor had opened the satellite in his office and that all of his blood has crystallized into a powder. They soon discover that almost all of the victims’ blood has crystallized, causing rapid death. Two other have townspeople committed suicide after going insane. Stone and Hall retrieve the satellite and find two survivors — a 69-year-old alcoholic man and a six-month-old infant.
In addition to Stone and Hall, the elite team also includes Dr. Charles Dutton and Dr. Ruth Leavitt, who are summoned to a top-secret underground facility with the code name Wildfire, located in Nevada. Upon arrival they undergo extreme decontamination procedures, descending through four disinfection levels to a fifth level, where laboratories are located. If the organism threatens to escape, the Wildfire facility includes an automatic nuclear self-destruct mechanism to incinerate all infectious agents. Under the “odd man hypothesis”, Dr. Hall is entrusted with the only key that can deactivate the device, the theory being that an unmarried male is the most dispassionate person within a group to make critical decisions in a crisis situation.
By examining the satellite with powerful cameras, the team discovers the microscopic alien organism responsible for the deaths in New Mexico. The greenish, throbbing life form is assigned the code name “Andromeda”. Andromeda kills animal life almost instantly and appears to be highly virulent. The team studies the organism using animal subjects, an electron microscope, and culturing in various growth media in an attempt to learn how it works. Hall tries to determine why the elderly man and the baby survived.
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Directed by: Robert Wise
Starring: Arthur Hill, James Olson, Kate Reid, David Wayne, Paula Kelly, George Mitchell, Ramon Bieri, Kermit Murdock, Peter Hobbs, Mark Jenkins, Eric Christmas, Peter Helm, Joe Di Reda
Screenplay by: Nelson Gidding
Production Design by: Boris Leven
Cinematography by: Richard H. Kline
Film Editing by: Stuart Gilmore, John W. Holmes
Costume Design by: Helen Colvig
Set Decoration by: Ruby R. Levitt
Art Direction by: William H. Tuntke
Music by: Gil Mellé
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: March 12, 1971 (United States)
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