Spaceballs (1987)

Director:

Mel Brooks

Writers:

Mel Brooks (written by) &
Thomas Meehan (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 June 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

May The Farce Be With You

Plot:

Planet Spaceball's President Skroob sends Lord Dark Helmet to steal Planet Druidia's abundant supply of air to replenish their own, and only Lone Starr can stop them.

Plot Keywords:

Planet | Princess | King | President | Space

Cast

Mel Brooks	...	President Skroob / Yogurt
John Candy	...	Barf
Rick Moranis	...	Dark Helmet
Bill Pullman	...	Lone Starr
Daphne Zuniga	...	Princess Vespa
Dick Van Patten	...	King Roland
George Wyner	...	Colonel Sandurz
Michael Winslow	...	Radar Technician
Joan Rivers	...	Dot Matrix (voice)
Lorene Yarnell	...	Dot Matrix
John Hurt	...	Himself
Sal Viscuso	...	Radio Operator
Ronny Graham	...	Minister
Jim J. Bullock	...	Prince Valium
Leslie Bevis	...	Commanderette Zircon
Jim Jackman	...	Major Asshole
Mike Pniewski	...	Laser Gunner (as Michael Pniewski)
Sandy Helberg	...	Dr. Schlotkin
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Captain of the Guard
Jeff MacGregor	...	Snotty
Henry Kaiser	...	Magnetic Beam Operator
Denise Gallup	...	Charlene
Dian Gallup	...	Marlene
Gail Barle	...	Waitress
Dey Young	...	Waitress
Rhonda Shear	...	Woman in Diner
Robert Prescott	...	Sand Cruiser Driver
Jack Riley	...	TV Newsman
Tom Dreesen	...	Megamaid Guard
Rudy De Luca	...	Vinnie (as Rudy DeLuca)
Tony Griffin	...	Prison Guard
Rick Ducommun	...	Prison Guard
Ken Olfson	...	Head Usher
Bryan O'Byrne	...	Organist
Wayne Wilson	...	Trucker in Cap
Ira Miller	...	Short Order Cook
Earl Finn	...	Guard with Captain
Mitchell Bock	...	Video Operator
Tommy Swerdlow	...	Troop Leader
Tim Russ	...	Trooper
Ed Gale	...	Dink
Antonio Hoyos	...	Dink
Felix Silla	...	Dink
Arturo Gil	...	Dink
Tony Cox	...	Dink
John Kennedy Hayden	...	Dink
Dee Booher	...	Bearded Lady
Johnny Silver	...	Caddy
Brenda Strong	...	Nurse
Dom DeLuise	...	Pizza The Hutt (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Camille Hagen	...	Woman in Diner (uncredited)
Jerry Maren	...	(uncredited)
Terence Marsh	...	Spaceball drum beater (uncredited)
Thomas Meehan	...	King Roland's aide (uncredited)
Julie Pitkanen	...	Self-Destruct Voice (voice) (uncredited)
Cary Stratton	...	(uncredited)
Dick Warlock	...	Vulcan Pinch Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Mel Brooks

Writing credits
Mel Brooks		(written by) &
Thomas Meehan		(written by) &
Ronny Graham		(written by)

Produced by
Mel Brooks	....	producer
Ezra Swerdlow	....	co-producer

Original Music by
John Morris

Cinematography by
Nick McLean		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Conrad Buff IV

Casting by
David Rubin
Bill Shepard

Production Design by
Terence Marsh

Art Direction by
Harold Michelson

Set Decoration by
John Franco Jr.

Costume Design by
Donfeld

Makeup Department
Ken Diaz	....	makeup artist
Melanie Levitt	....	makeup artist (as Melanie Elaine Levitt)
Ben Nye Jr.	....	makeup designer
Dione Taylor	....	hair stylist
Elaina P. Schulman	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Robert Latham Brown	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mitchell Bock	....	second assistant director
Carol D. Bonnefil	....	additional second assistant director
Dan Kolsrud	....	assistant director

Art Department
Camille Abbott	....	illustrator
Jerry Gadette	....	stand-by painter
Arthur Gelb	....	property illustrator
Peter J. Kelly	....	set designer (as Peter Kelly)
Bill King	....	assistant property master
Guy A. MacLaury	....	general foreman (as Guy Allan MacLaury)
William S. Maxwell III	....	leadman (as William Maxwell III)
Richard McKenzie	....	set designer
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master (as Dennis Parrish)
James J. Pickering	....	drapery man
Ken Reed	....	construction foreman
Jacques Valin	....	set designer
Dianne Wager	....	assistant art director (as Diane Wager)
Steve Willis	....	propmaker foreman
S. Bruce Wineinger	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Sandina Bailo-Lape	....	sound effects editor
Michael John Bateman	....	supervising dialogue editor
Richard Beggs	....	re-recording mixer
David Franklin Bergad	....	assistant sound editor (as David Bergad)
Bob Bowman	....	assistant sound editor (as Robert Bowman)
Sue Breitrose	....	assistant sound editor
Scott Chandler	....	assistant sound editor
Don Coufal	....	production sound mixer
Ken Fischer	....	sound effects editor
Ernie Fosselius	....	sound effects editor
Ronald Jacobs	....	sound effects editor
Tom Johnson	....	foley recordist
Glad Pickering	....	dialogue editor
Gary Rydstrom	....	sound designer
Paige Sartorius	....	assistant sound editor
George Simpson	....	dialogue editor
Ronald Sinclair	....	dialogue editor
David Slusser	....	assistant sound editor
Jim Stuebe	....	production sound mixer (as Jim Steube)
Gary Summers	....	re-recording mixer
Randy Thom	....	re-recording mixer
Randy Thom	....	sound designer
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist
Jeff Wexler	....	production sound mixer
Pamela Jule Yuen	....	assistant sound editor (as Pamela J. Yuen)
Jim Borgardt	....	adr editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Peter Albiez	....	special effects supervisor
Trevor Cripps	....	special effects technician
Rick Lazzarini	....	Barf ear animatronics
Richard Ratliff	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Richard Alexander	....	effects technician: Apogee, Inc.
Percy Angress	....	special visual effects producer: Apogee, Inc.
David Beasley	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Mat Beck	....	motion control camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Cosmas Paul Bolger Jr.	....	optical camera assistant: Apogee, Inc.
Craig Boyajian	....	visual effects coordinator
Stephen David Brooks	....	motion control camera assistant: Apogee, Inc. (as Stephen Brooks)
Rae Burkland	....	model department special design: Apogee, Inc.
Glenn Campbell	....	motion control camera assistant: Apogee, Inc.
Clint Colver	....	effects animation supervisor: Apogee, Inc.
Stephen Dane	....	visual effects art director: Apogee, Inc. (as Steven Dane)
Peter Donen	....	visual effects supervisor
Dennis Dorney	....	optical camera assistant: Apogee, Inc.
Roger Dorney	....	optical supervisor: Apogee, Inc.
Syd Dutton	....	matte painting effects (as Sid Dutton)
John Eaves	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Jonathan Erland	....	visual effects matte technician: Apogee, Inc.
Cory Faucher	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Richard Gilligan	....	optical camera assistant: Apogee, Inc.
Ron Goldstein	....	effects technician: Apogee, Inc.
Mark Gredell	....	motion control camera assistant: Apogee, Inc.
Peter Gruskoff	....	visual effects production assistant
Rhonda C. Gunner	....	video and graphic displays: Video Image
David R. Hardberger	....	motion control camera operator: Apogee, Inc. (as David Hardberger)
Richard E. Hollander	....	video and graphic displays: Video Image
Robert Jason	....	chief set lighting technician: Apogee, Inc. (as Bob Jason)
Paul D. Johnson	....	motion control programmer: Apogee, Inc. (as Paul Johnson)
Grant McCune	....	chief model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Susan McGuire	....	effects production publicist: Apogee, Inc.
Gregory L. McMurry	....	video and graphic displays: Video Image (as Gregory L. McMurray)
Alvah J. Miller	....	motion control electronics engineer: Apogee, Inc.
Debbi Nikkel	....	chief production auditor: Apogee, Inc.
Tom Pahk	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Jerry Pooler	....	optical camera operator: Apogee, Inc.
Ron Robinson	....	motion control camera assistant: Apogee, Inc.
Christopher S. Ross	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc. (as Chris Ross)
Jay Roth	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Suzie Schneider	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc. (as Suzy Schneider)
Robert Shepherd	....	executive in charge of production: Apogee, Inc.
John R. Shourt	....	animation illustrator: Apogee, Inc. (as John Shourt)
William Shourt	....	effects technician: Apogee, Inc. (as Bill Shourt)
Douglas Smith	....	motion control camera operator: Apogee, Inc. (as Doug Smith)
David Sosalla	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
Smokey Stover	....	model maker: Apogee, Inc.
John E. Sullivan	....	motion control camera operator: Apogee, Inc. (as John Sullivan)
Bill Taylor	....	matte painting effects
Ron Thornton	....	model department special design: Apogee, Inc.
Don Trumbull	....	visual effects engineer: Apogee, Inc.
Michael Van Himbergen	....	production coordinator: Apogee, Inc.
John C. Wash	....	video and graphic displays: Video Image
Harry Weinmann	....	animation illustrator: Apogee, Inc.
Albert Whitlock	....	matte painting supervisor
Joseph Yanuzzi	....	assistant editor: Apogee, Inc. (as Joe Yanuzzi)
Charles Bailey	....	creature shop manager: ILM (uncredited)
David Cornelius	....	motion control technician (uncredited)
Dave Johnson	....	dancing alien puppeteer: ILM (uncredited)
Sam Longoria	....	visual effects machinist: Apogee Inc. (uncredited)
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	visual effects still photographer (uncredited)
Mark Setrakian	....	dancing alien animatronics: ILM (uncredited)
Eben Stromquist	....	dancing alien supervisor: ILM (uncredited)
Joseph Thomas	....	animation cameraman (uncredited)
Lauren Vogt	....	dancing alien sculptor: ILM (uncredited)

Stunts
Dick Warlock	....	stunt coordinator (as Richard Warlock)
Mike Washlake	....	stunts
Jack West	....	stunts
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob K. Cummings	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dane Farwell	....	stunt double: Bill Pullman (uncredited)
Denney Pierce	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double: for Mel Brooks (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Stephen E. Bridge	....	camera operator (as Steve Bridge)
Michael A. Chavez	....	first assistant camera
Lindsay P. Hill	....	video playback operator
Gerald A. King	....	second grip (as Jerry King)
George Llerena	....	second assistant camera
Steve McLean	....	first assistant camera
Michael D. O'Shea	....	camera operator
Víctor Pérez	....	assistant lighting technician (as Victor Perez)
Peter Sorel	....	still photographer
Bruce D. Spellman	....	second grip (as Bruce Spellman)
Tom Stern	....	chief lighting technician
Bill Young	....	key grip (as William C. Young)
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	still photographer: special art (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bruce Ericksen	....	wardrobe supervisor: men
Charmaine Nash Simmons	....	wardrobe supervisor: women (as Charmaine N. Simmons)

Editorial Department
Debra Goldfield	....	assistant editor
Jay Ignaszewski	....	associate editor
Nicholas C. Smith	....	additional editor
Clarinda Wong	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Eugene Marks	....	music editor
Norman B. Schwartz	....	vocal effects supervisor
Armin Steiner	....	scoring mixer
Michael Lloyd	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Michael Lloyd	....	song producer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Chet Brooks	....	transportation captain
Jim Chesney	....	transportation coordinator
William Hogue	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
James Caverly	....	production assistant
Joanne Wetzel Caverly	....	production assistant (as JoAnne Wetzel Caverly)
Mary Courtney	....	production coordinator
Nyna Cravens	....	assistant: Mr. Candy
Karen D'Arc	....	assistant: Mr. Meehan & Mr. Graham
Ann Fisher	....	assistant: Mr. Meehan & Mr. Graham
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	title designer
Alison Harstedt	....	accountant
Daren Hicks	....	assistant: Ezra Swerdlow
Saul Kahan	....	publicist
K. Lenna Katich	....	production controller (as K. Lenna Kunkel)
Michael John Meehan	....	location manager (as Michael J. Meehan)
Ramon Pahoyo	....	craft service
Julie Pitkanen	....	script supervisor
Louis Sapin	....	french adaptation: dubbed version
Charles J.D. Schlissel	....	production assistant (as Charles Schlissel)
Laurie Stuebe	....	accountant (as Laurie Steube)
Leah Zappy	....	assistant: Mr. Brooks
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)

Thanks
Bob Greenberg	....	the producer wishes to give special thanks to
Gerald B. Greenberg	....	the producer wishes to give special thanks to (as Jerry Greenberg)

Production Companies

• Brooksfilms
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1987) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Esselte Video (198?) (Finland) (video)
• FS Film Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• TV3 (1991) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Apogee Productions (special visual effects)
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (alien creature design)
• Illusion Arts (matte painting effects)
• Video Image (video and graphic displays)
• Available Light Productions (additional animation) (as Available Light Limited)

Other Companies

• Bureau of Land Management  the producer wishes to give special thanks to (as U. S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management "Public Lands U. S. A., Use, Share and Appreciate")
• Calico Company  the producer wishes to give special thanks to (Calico M-100 rifles)
• Goody Products  the producer wishes to give special thanks to
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• La-La Land Records  score album released by (limited edition)
• Lark Luggage Company  the producer wishes to give special thanks to
• Lynn Stalmaster & Associates  casting by
• Pacific Title  opticals
• Panavision  Panaflex camera and lenses by (as Panavision®)
• Sprocket Systems  post-production sound systems
• Winnebago Industries  the producer wishes to give special thanks to

Also Known As:

Planet Moron (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:12 (2000) (re-rating) (uncut) | Portugal:M/6 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-12 | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:PG (#28661) | Brazil:Livre | Australia:PG | Canada:14A | Iceland:L | Ireland:PG | Norway:12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2000) (uncut) | UK:PG (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) (cut) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Imperial County, California, USA

Company:

Brooksfilms

Trivia:

The scene shot from behind with (L-R) Barf, Dot Matrix, the Princess, and Lonestar walking to meet Yogurt is a reference to The Wizard of Oz (1939) when the characters are walking up the corridor to meet the great and powerful Oz.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where they enter the cave, Lonestar and Vespa can be seen switching from holding hands to not holding hands in between the walk to yogurts statue.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Radio Operator: Colonel Sandurz!
Colonel Sandurz: What is it, Sergeant Ricco?
Radio Operator: You told me to let you know the moment Planet Druidia was in sight, sir.
Colonel Sandurz: So?
Radio Operator: Planet Druidia's in sight, sir.
Colonel Sandurz: You're really a Spaceball. You know that, don't you?
Radio Operator: Thanks, sir.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs One Froggy Evening (1955)

Soundtrack:

Raise Your Hands

Yuks in "Space"...

Leave it to Mel Brooks; no one else could make a space movie with references to "The Wizard of Oz", "The Godfather", Mr. Coffee and flying Winnebagos.

"Spaceballs" is just about the best post-"History of the World Part I" film Mel has made and that's saying something, considering how many great jokes Mel and Company is able to pull off while within PG territory.

Easy enough to guess that this is Mel's take on "Star Wars", complete with his own versions of C-3P0 (Dot Matrix), Princess Leia (Princess Vespa), Chewbacca (Barf the Mawg) and a combination of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker (LoneStarr).

Oh, and let's not forget Dark Helmet! The very embodiment of evil (Mel Brooks-style) who not only wears a black cloak and headpiece but also a stylishly-wide black tie. And when he strikes...it's usually not above the belt.

The gags come fast and furious and, as is usually the case, all the regular faces show up (Graham, DeLuise, Van Patten) and Mel gives it all he's got. Lots of space sagas get equal ribbing (the "Star Wars" trilogy, "Alien", "Planet of the Apes") and there isn't a cliche that Mel fails to notice.

You can't blame Mel Brooks for thinking this genre needed a good skewering. He started it in "History of the World" with his "Jews in Space" coming attraction and continues it here. My only complaint: Mel, why did you have to wait so long??

Eight stars, plus a half star more for Pizza the Hutt; I loved it, especially when the pepperoni started running. Also for President Skroob's (Brooks') comment after being mis-transported ("Why didn't somebody tell me my a** was so big??").

Okay, nine stars. Mel Brooks strikes back!