The Great Space Adventure (1963)

USA, Philippines, 1963
35mm film, colour, 1.37:1
mono, English

An American science fiction film directed by Al Zugsmith. There's some question as to whether it was ever completed.

Credits

Crew
Directed by: Al Zugsmith
Famous Players Corp.
Produced by: Al Zugsmith, Cliff Scherer, Amado Araneto
Music by: Marlin Skiles

Cast
Fay Spain
George Nader
David Chow
Bill Kane

Production Notes

Production
The film was shot in the Philippines and was originally set to start shooting on 19 December 1962 but this was delayed for a week until 26 December. It was delayed again until 21 January 1963. Production soon ran into problems, however, Speaking to Hollywood columnist Harrison Caroll, star Fay Spain said “The first thing George Nader and I knew, our producer, Al Zugsmith, had returned to the United States. He had the film, but the last I heard, the crew was holding onto the sound track. I had intended going to Hong Kong and on around the world. Instead, I got orders from Mr. Zugsmith to come back to Hollywood and finish the film.” ¹The Sidney Telegraph 22 March 1963 p.9 Zugsmith confirmed that “it's true we had problems and decided to finish the picture here. We are making a rough cut now to see if we have to do any more principal photography. It we don't, we'll dub in the dialogue here. It's been done many before.” ²The Sidney Telegraph 22 March 1963 p.9 Zugsmith subsequently tried to sue Spain and 9 or 10 others for $12,750,000 for “allegedly libeling, slandering and harassing him during the making of one of his films. Zugsmith claimed that the defendants wrote letters claiming that Zugsmith was “ill-tempered, insulting and a ‘destructive force'” and claimed that they burned an effigy of him in front of the American embassy in Manila. They also allegedly claimed that he owed large sums of money and was trying to leave the Philippines without paying them off. ³The Los Angeles Times 12 October 1963 p.30 ⁴Los Angeles Evening Citizen News 11 October 1963 p.2 ⁵The Hanford Sentinel 12 October 1963 p.18 ⁶Evening Standard 11 October 1963 p.15

References

Periodicals

• Boxoffice vol.82 no.12 (14 January 1963) p.16 – note (Hollywood Report by Chris Dutra)
• Boxoffice vol.88 no.9 (17 December 1962) p.18 – note (Hollywood Report by Chris Dutra)
• The Hollywood Reporter vol.172 no.47 (16 November 1962) p.14 – note (Pictures in preparation)
• The Hollywood Reporter vol.173 no.1 (23 November 1962) p.10 – note (Pictures in preparation)
• The Hollywood Reporter vol.173 no.4 (28 November 1962) p.3 – note (Zugsmith delays start)
• The Hollywood Reporter vol.173 no.6 (30 November 1962) p.10 – note (Pictures in preparation)
• The Hollywood Reporter vol.173 no.11 (7 December 1962) p.14 – note (Pictures in preparation)
• The Hollywood Reporter vol.173 no.16 (14 December 1962) p.12 – note (Pictures in preparation)
• The Hollywood Reporter vol.173 no.19 (18 December 1962) p.2 – note (Zugsmith to Manila)
• The Hollywood Reporter vol.173 no.21 (21 December 1962) p.28 – note (Pictures in preparation)
• Spacemen vo.2 no.3 (no.7, September 1963) p.9 – article (Look to the future)
• Variety vol.228 no.4 (19 September 1962) p.4 – note (United talent, out of MCA, packages one for Zugsmith)
• Variety vol.229 no.13 (20 February 1963) p.22 – credits (Pictures: Hollywood Production Pulse)
• Variety vol.230 no.2 (6 March 1963) p.16 – credits (Pictures: Hollywood Production Pulse)
• Variety vol.230 no.3 (13 March 1963) p.13 – credits (Pictures: Hollywood Production Pulse)

Newspapers

• Evening Standard 11 October 1963 p.15 – note (Stars named in £4,500,000 suit)
• The Hanford Sentinel 12 October 1963 p.18 – article (Movie director sues for libel)
• Los Angeles Evening Citizen News 26 January 1963 p.4 – credits (Before the cameras)
• Los Angeles Evening Citizen News 9 February 1963 p.9 – credits (Before the cameras)
• Los Angeles Evening Citizen News 11 October 1963 p.2 – article ($12,750,000 suit filed on film actors)
• The Los Angeles Times 2 April 1963 p.57 – note (Bernhardt to direct film here for son by Philip K. Scheurer)
• The Los Angeles Times 12 October 1963 p.30 – article (Zugsmith files suit against Fay Spain)
• Republican and Herald 17 January 1963 p.4 – note (Hollywood… by Harrison Carroll)
• The Sidney Telegraph 22 March 1963 p.9 – article (Behind the scenes in Hollywood by Harrison Carroll)
• The Times Leader 17 January 1963 p.12 – article (Behind the scenes in Hollywood by Harrison Carroll)