Unidentified Flying Oddball (film) In this updated adaptation of Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, an astronaut and his robot companion accidentally fly backwards in time and end up as prisoners at the court of King Arthur. A jealous Merlin and Mordred plot to overthrow the king, but thanks to modern technology, the knights of the round table are able to defeat the evil forces in a rousing climactic battle. Released first in England as The Spaceman and King Arthur on July 10, 1979; U.S. release on July 26, 1979. Directed by Russ Mayberry. 93 min. The television title was The Spaceman in King Arthur’s Court. Stars Dennis Dugan (Tom), Jim Dale (Sir Mordred), Ron Moody (Merlin), Kenneth More (King Arthur), Rodney Bewes (Clarence), John Le Mesurier (Sir Gawain), Sheila White (Alisande). The film was shot on location at Alnwick Castle and at Pinewood Studios, London, England. Alnwick Castle, which dates back to the eleventh century doubled for Camelot. A banquet hall within the castle walls was converted into a commissary to provide meals for the more than 150 filmmakers and 1,000 extras. All of the extras were rounded up from within a 50-mile radius, including the people of the historic market town of Alnwick. A large special effects team headed by Cliff Culley and Ron Ballanger created Hermes, the robot; laser guns; a jet-pack that flies; a magnetized sword; and a 25-foot-long space shuttle aircraft with a retractable ramp and compact four-foot moon rover that expands to seven feet, with various screens, a solar disc, and a large hydraulic arm that emerges and operates on cue. When space suits designed by NASA proved impractical, a space-garb specialist, Olinkha Horne, was put to work to create new costumes. Released on video in 1986.
