Flash Gordon (1980)

UK, 1980
111m
35mm film, colour by Technicolor, Todd-AO, 2.35:1
Dolby Stereo, English

A British science fiction film directed by Mike Hodges.

Plot Summary

American footballer Flash Gordon travels to the planet Mongo with Dale Arden and Dr Hans Zarkov to stop the evil alien warlord Emperor Ming the Merciless from destroying the Earth.

Credits

Crew
Director: Mike Hodges
© Famous Films Productions BV MCMLXXX [1980]
Dino De Laurentiis presents. Made by Starling Productions Ltd.
Executive Producer: Bernard Williams
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis
Screenplay by: Lorenzo Semple Jr
Adaptation by: Michael Allin
Based on the characters created by Alex Raymond licensed by King Features Syndicate
Director of Photography: Gil Taylor
With Additional Photography by: Harry Waxman
Film Editor: Malcolm Cooke
Music Composed, Performed and Produced by: Queen
Sound Mixer: Ivan Sharrock
Costumes Designed by: Danilo Donati
Makeup Artists: Massimo De Rossi, Richard Mills, Mario Di Salvio, Jayne Royle
Hairdressers: Betty Glasow, Giusi Bovino
Special Effects Supervisor: George Gibbs
Supervisor Special Photographic Effects: Frank Van Der Veer
Optical Effects by: Van Der Veer Photo Effects
Production and Sets Designed by: Danilo Donati
Casting: Mary Selway (U.K.), Michael McLean (U.S.A.)
Made on location in the Isle of Skye, Scotland and Shepperton Studio Centre, England, EMI Studios, England and Brooklands Industrial Park, Weybridge, England

Cast
Sam J. Jones (Flash Gordon)
Melody Anderson (Dale Arden)
Ornella Muti (Princess Aura)
Max von Sydow (The Emperor Ming)
Topol (Dr Hans Zarkov)
Timothy Dalton (Prince Barin)
Brian Blessed (Prince Vultan)
Peter Wyngarde (Klytus)
Mariangela Melato (Kala)
John Osborne (Arborian priest)
Richard O’Brien (Fico)
John Hallam (Luro)
Philip Stone (Zogi, high priest)
Suzanne Danielle (serving girl)
William Hootkins (Munson)
Bobbie Brown (Hedonia)
Ted Carroll (Biro)
Adrienne Kronenberg (Vultan’s daughter)
Stanley Lebor (Mongon doctor)
John Morton (airline pilot)

Alternative Titles

Blixt Gordon – Sweden
Fezada çarpışanlar – Turkey
Flash Gordon – iskevä salama – Finland
Flešas Gordonas – Lithuania
Furasshu Gôdon – Japan
Guy L’éclair – Canada (French)
Hvell Geiri – Iceland
Jens Lyn – Denmark
Lyn Gordon – Norway
Флаш Гордон – Serbia, Bulgaria, Russia
Флеш Ґордон – Ukraine
フラッシュ・ゴードン – Japan
फ्लैश गॉर्डन – India
飛天大戰 – Taiwan

Links

Extracts included in
Coming Soon (1982)
Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul (2001)
Flash (1980)
From Borehamwood to Hollywood: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Elstree (2014)
In Search of Tomorrow (2022)
Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013)
Killer Queen! (2002)
Life After Flash (2017)
Premio Donostia a Max Von Sydow (2006)
Queen: Greatest Video Hits 1 (2002)
Starfilm (2017)
Ted (2012)

References

Periodicals

• American Cinematographer vol.88 no.11 (November 2007) p.18, 20 – illustrated DVD review (DVD playback: Flash Gordon by Kenneth Sweeney)
• Cinefantastique vol.10 no.3 (Winter 1980) pp.24-25 – review
• Cinema Papers no.32 (May/June 1981) pp.177-178
• Ciné-Revue v60 no.26 (26 June 1980) pp.5-7
• Écran Fantastique no.15 (1980) p.4; 6-8 – interview with Mike Hodges.; 9-13 – article
• Écran Fantastique no.16 (1980) p.70
• Empire no.123 (September 1999) p.138 – DVD review (DVD to buy)
• Empire no.197 (November 2005) pp.154-155 – illustrated DVD review (At Home/Movies: Why Flash could bash Han Solo by Adam Smith)
• Empire no.230 (August 2008) p.66-67 – illustrated preview (In cinemas: BFI comic-book season by Kim Newman)
• Film Criticism vol.5 no.3 (Spring 1981) p.53-55
• Film Review no.597 (September 2000) pp.88-93 – illustrated interviews with Sam Jones, Peter Duncan, Lorenzo Semple Jr and Mike Hodges (Call sheet: Flash Gordon by Howard Maxford)
• Film Review no.663 (November 2005) p.113 – illustrated DVD review (Flash Gordon by Grant Kempster)
• Film Score Monthly vol.9 no.6 (July 2004) p.46 – illustrated DVD review (Laserphile: DVDs, International Style by Andy Dursin)
• Films Illustrated v10 no.111 (December 1980) pp.98-99
• Films Illustrated vol.10 no.113 (February 1981) p.183-185
• The Listener vol.104 no.2692 (18-25 December 1980) p.873
• Monthly Film Bulletin vol.47 no.563 (December 1980) p.235
• Motion Picture Product Digest vol.8 no.14 (17 December 1980) p.56
• Music from the Movies no.27 (July 2000) p.44 – soundtrack review (Film music review by Andrew Keech)
• Retro no.9 (May/June 1981) pp.5-9; 10-15
• Screen International no.203 (18 August 1979) p.14 – credits
• Screen International no.215 (10 November 1979) p.19
• Screen International no.222 (5-12 January 1980) p.14 – credits (In production)
• Screen International no.222 (5-12 January 1980) p.1 – note (‘Outland’ signals UK studio boom)
• Screen International no.223 (12-19 January 1980) p.10 – credits (In production)
• Screen International no.224 (19-26 January 1980) p.12 -credits (In production)
• Screen International no.225 (26 January-2 February 1980) p.9 – credits (In production)
• Screen International no.226 (2-9 February 1980) p.72 – credits (In production)
• Screen International no.227 (9-16 February 1980) p.12- credits (In production)
• Screen International no.228 (16-23 February 1980) p.26 -credits (In production)
• Screen International no.229 (23 February-1 March 1980) p.10 – credits (In production)
• Screen International no.230 (1-8 March 1980) p.14 – credits (In production)
• Screen International no.231 (8-15 March 1980) p.42 – credits (In production)
• Screen International no.249 (12-19 July 1980) pp.16 – note (July music recording); 17 – credits (Post production – July)
• Screen International no.254 (16-23 August 1980) p.1 – illustrated note (‘CE3K’ II adds to box-office boom)
• Screen International no.254 (16-23 August 1980) p.13 – credits (Post production – August)
• Screen International no.270 (6 December 1980) pp.20-21
• Sight and Sound vol.12 no.7 (July 2002) p.58 – DVD review (Home movies: reviews by Ben Walters)
• Starburst no.28 (1980) pp.23-27
• Starburst no.285 (May 2002) pp.76-82 – illustrated article (This man has just 24 hours to save the Earth by Howard Maxford)
• Starburst no.309 (April 2004) p.24-28 – illustrated article (Top 10 RetroCool)
• Time Out no.557-558 (19 December 1980) p.51
• Variety 3 December 1980 p.22, 24

Books

• The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction by Phil Hardy (ed) p.361
• Encyclopedia of Rock Music on Film by Linda J. Sandahl p.184
• Escape Velocity by Bradley Schauer pp.182, 183, 183, 184
• Film Review 1981-1982 by F. Maurice Speed p.152
• The Flash Gordon Serials, 1936-1940 by Roy Kinnard, Tony Krnkovich and R.J. Vitone pp.196-198
• Horror and Science Fiction Films II by Donald C. Willis p.135-136
• Island of Terror: A Book of 60 Great* British SF and Fantasy Movies from 1936-1984 *And not so Great by Keith Topping pp.546-557
• Looking for a New England: Action, Time, Vision: Music, Film and TV 1975-1986 by Simon Matthews pp.41, 43, 53, 65, 78, 149
• Rock on Film by David Ehrenstein and Bill Reed p.154
• Rock-Film: In 450 film, trent’anni di Cinema & Rock by Paolo Belluso and Flavio Merkel p.91 – credits, note
• Sci-fi Chronicles by Guy Haley (ed.) p.84
• Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Film Sequels, Series, and Remakes by Kim R. Holston and Tom Winchester pp.175-176
• Variety Science-Fiction Movies by Julian Brown (ed.) p.45 – credits, review