305 - STRANDED IN SPACE
(public domain title; 2/26/1973; NR; 100m)

a.k.a. THE STRANGER (original TV-movie title; failed TV pilot)

Ad: "The planet he uncovered was a twin to Earth...
but so ominously different!"

Plot: An astronaut crashes on Earth-twin planet Terra, where the shadowy Perfect Order controls everything, so he tries to escape.

Exec: Andrew J. Fenady (TV's Mayday at 40,000 Feet)
Prod: Alan A. Armer (TV's The Fugitive; The Invaders)
Prod/Scr: Gerald Sanford (Aaron Loves Angela)
Dir: Lee H. Katzin (Whatever Happened To Aunt Alice)
Cin: Keith C. Smith (Walking Tall Part 2; The Animals)
Ed: Nick Archer (TV's Raid on Entebbe)
Ed: Melvin Shapiro (Taxi Driver; Ice Castles)
PDes: Stan Jolley (Oscar nom/Witness)
Score: Richard Markowitz (411-Magic Sword; Stakeout on Dope St.)

Neil Stryker / Glenn Corbett (Chisum; Shenandoah; Homicidal)
George Benedict / Cameron Mitchell*
Dr. Bettina Cooke / Sharon Acker (Lucky Jim; Point Blank)
Professor Dylan MacAuley / Lew Ayres*
Carl Webster / Dean Jagger (won Oscar/Twelve O'Clock High)
Max Greene / George Coulouris (Citizen Kane; King of Kings)
Henry Maitland / Steve Franken (Ants; TV's Dobie Gillis)
Dr. Revere / Tim O'Connor (Ssssssss; TV's Buck Rogers)
doctor / Ben Wright (Terror in the Wax Museum; Munster Go Home)
Eric Stoner / H.M. Wynant (K19-Hangar 18; Marlowe)
guard / Steven Marlo (Terror in the Wax Museum; The Buccaneer)
Mike Frome / Arch Whiting (TV's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Steve Perry / Jerry Douglas (Looker; Mommie Dearest; Black Zoo)
Tom Nelson / Buck Young (512-Mitchell; Two Minute Warning)
trucker / William Bryant (Chisum; Gable and Lombard)
secretary / Virginia Gregg (Notorious; Psycho)
with Jeanne Bates (The Strangler; Eraserhead; Mom)
Jonathan Blake (Force Ten from Navarone)
James Chandler (Don't Knock the Twist; Sweet Bird of Youth)
Margaret Field (The Man from Planet X; Samson and Delilah)
Alan Foster (Black Market Babies; Harem Girl)
Peg Stewart (The Boogens)
William Harlow (TV's Mayday at 40,000 Feet)
Joie Magidow (Nightmare on Elm Street 4)
Philip Manson
Heather McCoy
Kathleen M. Schultz
Gregg Shannon (That Funny Feeling)

Trivia: CAMERON MITCHELL (1918-1994) started on the stage prior to serving in World War II. He had dreams of signing a baseball contract with the Detroit Tigers, but opted to sign with MGM when offered in 1945. His films include: 1951-Death of a Salesman; Flight to Mars; 1952-How to Marry a Millionaire (with Marilyn Monroe); 1953-The Robe; 1954-Gorilla at Large (with Anne Bancroft); 1956-Carousel; 1957-Monkey on My Back; 1978-The Swarm; 1981-Frankenstein Island; 1982-My Favorite Year (with Peter O'Toole); and 1988's 820-SPACE MUTINY. He did many films in Europe in the 1960's, before starring in TV's The High Chapparal.

Born in Minneapolis in 1908, actor LEW AYRES had the lead in his third film, the magnificent 1930 anti-war movie All Quiet on the Western Front (which received the Best Picture Oscar), and became one of the most popular leading men of the 1930's, doing the Dr. Kildare series of nine movies. Ayres was married to actress/dancer Ginger Rogers from 1934-1936. At the outbreak of World War II, he was one of the most famous (and few) people to declare himself a conscientious objector and refused to bear weapons in military service, thus making him very unpopular among the press and movie fans. He did serve as a medic's and chaplain's aide, achieving the rank of sergeant with three battle stars. More because of his age than his war stance, Ayres discovered that leading man roles were scarce for him upon his return to Hollywood, although he was an Oscar nominee for the 1948's Johnny Belinda. In addition to the many character roles in various TV series, he did make a movie later in life...the Battle for the Planet of the Apes. World peace continued to be his consuming passion until his death in 1996. Some of his other notable films are: 1929-The Kiss (with Greta Garbo); 1938-Holiday (as Katharine Hepburn's drunk brother); and 1962-Advise and Consent. You can also see him in Episode #163 of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which he played Murray Slaughter's father who went out on a date with Mary!

Last Updated: 6/21/1999