Houston, We've Got a Problem
Houston, We've Got a Problem is a 1974 American made-for-television drama film about the Apollo 13 spaceflight, directed by Lawrence Doheny and starring Ed Nelson in the role of NASA Flight Director Gene Kranz.
| Houston, We've Got a Problem | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama / Sci-Fi |
| Written by | Jeremy Helson |
| Directed by | Lawrence Doheny |
| Starring | Robert Culp Clu Gulager Gary Collins Sandra Dee Ed Nelson |
| Music by | Richard Clements |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Harve Bennett |
| Producer(s) | Herman S. Saunders |
| Production location(s) | Johnson Space Center - 2101 NASA Rd., Houston, Texas |
| Cinematography | J.J. Jones |
| Editor(s) | Robert F. Shugrue |
| Running time | 74 min. |
| Production company(s) | Silverton Productions Universal Television |
| Distributor | ABC NBCUniversal Television Distribution (syndication) |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | March 2, 1974 |
Technical and historical accuracy
The title of the film is a misquotation of the ominous announcement made by Commander Jim Lovell following the explosion of an oxygen tank which tore off the side of the spacecraft's service module. Lovell actually said, "Houston, we've had a problem".[1]
The film does not focus on the spaceflight itself, but rather on the crises in Mission Control. Jim Lovell wrote a letter to TV Guide about the film, saying that the crises in Mission Control were dramatized. Lovell called the film "fictitious and in poor taste."[2]
Executive producer Herman Saunders said he could have never sold the television station on a documentary and that warnings were added to the film to indicate it was fictitious.[2]
References
- "Detailed Chronology of Events Surrounding the Apollo 13 Accident". NASA. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
- "Apollo 13 Movie Irks Lovell". The South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. Associated Press. February 28, 1974. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.