Unidentified Flying Oddball
| Unidentified Flying Oddball | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Russ Mayberry |
| Produced by | Ron Miller |
| Written by | Don Tait |
| Based on | A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court novel by Mark Twain |
| Starring |
Dennis Dugan Jim Dale Ron Moody Kenneth More John Le Mesurier |
| Music by | Ron Goodwin |
| Cinematography | Paul Beeson |
| Edited by | Peter Boita |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
Release dates | July 26, 1979 |
| Country |
United Kingdom United States[1] |
| Language | English |
Unidentified Flying Oddball (also known as The Spaceman and King Arthur and A Spaceman in King Arthur's Court) is a 1979 film adaptation of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, directed by Russ Mayberry and produced by Walt Disney Productions. Subsequently re-released in the United States under the titles The Spaceman and King Arthur and A Spaceman in King Arthur’s Court, the film starred Dennis Dugan as astronaut Tom Trimble who unintentionally travels back in time with his look-alike android Hermes. Trimble’s NASA spacecraft travels faster than the speed of light, landing him and the android near King Arthur’s Camelot, where – with the aid of their 20th-century technology – they must defeat a plot by the evil Sir Mordred and Merlin to oust King Arthur from the throne.[2][3]
As in Twain's original novel (as well as the 1949 movie adaptation) Merlin is presented as an evil character intent on dethroning Arthur.
Cast
- Dennis Dugan as Tom Trimble/Hermes
- Jim Dale as Sir Mordred
- Ron Moody as Merlin
- Kenneth More as King Arthur
- John Le Mesurier as Sir Gawain
- Rodney Bewes as Clarence
- Sheila White as Alisande
- Robert Beatty as Senator Milburn
- Cyril Shaps as Dr. Zimmerman
- Kevin Brennan as Winston
- Ewen Solon as Watkins
- Pat Roach as Oaf
- Reg Lye as Prisoner
- Harry Maddison as Character Parts including "chicken seller"
Props
The spacecraft that was featured in this movie is on display at the Blackgang Chine theme park in the Isle of Wight.
1995 adaptation
Disney’s A Kid in King Arthur’s Court (1995), likewise based on the aforementioned novel, follows the same premise: a contemporary American male (in this case, an adolescent) travels back in time to the 6th century and King Arthur’s Camelot, impressing the inhabitants with technology from the distant future. Moody again plays Merlin in the film, on this occasion as a more sympathetic character.
References
- ↑ "Unidentified Flying Oddball". American Film Institute. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ↑ http://www.amazon.com/Unidentified-Flying-Oddball-Dennis-Dugan/dp/B0001I55UG
- ↑ "The Spaceman and King Arthur (Unidentified Flying Oddball)". 26 July 1979. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
External links
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