Unidentified Flying Oddball
Encyclopedia
Unidentified Flying Oddball, also known as The Spaceman and King Arthur, (1979) is Disney’s film adaptation of Mark Twain
’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
. It was directed by Russ Mayberry
. Subsequently re-released in the United States
under the titles The Spaceman and King Arthur and A Spaceman in King Arthur’s Court, and directed by Russ Mayberry, the film starred Dennis Dugan
as astronaut
Tom Trimble who unintentionally travels back in time with his look-alike android Hermes. Trimble’s NASA
spacecraft
travels faster than the speed of light
, landing him and the android near King Arthur
’s Camelot
, where – with the aid of their 20th century technology – they must defeat a plot by the evil Sir Mordred and Merlin to oust King Arthur from the throne.
Like Twain's original novel (as well as the 1949 movie adaptation starring Bing Crosby
) Merlin is presented as an evil character intent on dethroning Arthur.
* Credited on-screen only as Tom Trimble.
(1995), likewise based on the aforementioned novel, follows the same premise: a male (in this case, an adoloscent) from the 20th century travels back in time to King Arthur’s Camelot and impresses the inhabitants with technology
from the distant future. Moody again plays Merlin in the film, on this occasion as a more sympathetic character.
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled A Yankee in King Arthur's Court...
. It was directed by Russ Mayberry
Russ Mayberry
Russell B. Mayberry is a Scottish-born American television director.Throughout his career, he has amassed a number of credits in television...
. Subsequently re-released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
under the titles The Spaceman and King Arthur and A Spaceman in King Arthur’s Court, and directed by Russ Mayberry, the film starred Dennis Dugan
Dennis Dugan
Dennis Dugan is an American director, comedian, and actor. He is most famous for his partnership with comedic actor Adam Sandler, with whom he directed the films Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups, Just Go With It, and Jack and...
as astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
Tom Trimble who unintentionally travels back in time with his look-alike android Hermes. Trimble’s NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
travels faster than the speed of light
Speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
, landing him and the android near King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
’s Camelot
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
, where – with the aid of their 20th century technology – they must defeat a plot by the evil Sir Mordred and Merlin to oust King Arthur from the throne.
Like Twain's original novel (as well as the 1949 movie adaptation starring Bing Crosby
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949 film)
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a 1949 musical comedy film adaptation of the Mark Twain novel of the same name that was distributed by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:...
) Merlin is presented as an evil character intent on dethroning Arthur.
Cast
- Dennis DuganDennis DuganDennis Dugan is an American director, comedian, and actor. He is most famous for his partnership with comedic actor Adam Sandler, with whom he directed the films Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups, Just Go With It, and Jack and...
*...Tom Trimble/Hermes - Jim DaleJim DaleJim Dale, MBE is an English actor, voice artist, singer and songwriter. He is best known in the United Kingdom for his many appearances in the Carry On series of films and in the US for narrating the Harry Potter audiobook series, for which he received two Grammy Awards, and the ABC series Pushing...
...Sir Mordred - Ron MoodyRon MoodyRon Moody is an English actor.- Personal life :Moody was born in Tottenham, North London, England, the son of Kate and Bernard Moodnick, a studio executive. His father was of Russian Jewish descent and his mother was a Lithuanian Jew. He is a cousin of director Laurence Moody and actress Clare...
...Merlin - Kenneth MoreKenneth MoreKenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
...King Arthur - John Le MesurierJohn Le MesurierJohn Le Mesurier was a BAFTA Award-winning English actor. He is most famous for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the popular 1970s BBC comedy Dad's Army.-Career:...
...Sir Gawain - Rodney BewesRodney BewesRodney Bewes is an English television actor and writer who is best known for playing Bob Ferris in the BBC television sitcom The Likely Lads and its colour sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? , and in the various radio series based on them , and in the big screen film The Likely Lads...
...Clarence - Sheila WhiteSheila White (actress)Sheila White is an English actress and West End musical star. She is married to the former theatre producer Richard M. Mills and lives in Kingston, Surrey.- Early life and career :White was born in London...
...Alisande - Robert BeattyRobert BeattyRobert Beatty was a Canadian actor who worked in film, television and radio for most of his career and was especially known in the UK.-Career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Beatty began his acting career in Britain in 1939....
...Senator Milburn - Cyril ShapsCyril Shaps-Biography:Shaps was born in Highbury, London; he was of Polish ancestry and his father was a tailor.He was a child broadcaster, providing voices for radio commercials at the age of 12. After grammar school and Army service he trained at RADA and then worked for two years as an announcer, producer...
...Dr. Zimmerman - Kevin BrennanKevin Brennan (actor)Kevin Martin Brennan was a British film and television actor.-Selected filmography:* On the Beach * The Punch and Judy Man * The Small World of Sammy Lee...
...Winston - Ewen SolonEwen SolonEwen Solon was a New Zealand-born actor, who worked extensively in both the United Kingdom and Australia....
...Watkins - Pat RoachPat RoachFrancis Patrick "Pat" Roach was an English actor, wrestler and author, from Birmingham. His most famous role is that of West Country bricklayer Brian "Bomber" Busbridge in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He also played a memorable role as General Kael in Willow...
...Oaf - Reg Lye...Prisoner
* Credited on-screen only as Tom Trimble.
1995 adaptation
Disney’s A Kid in King Arthur’s CourtA Kid in King Arthur's Court
A Kid in King Arthur's Court is a 1995 film directed by Michael Gottlieb. It is based on the famous Mark Twain novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, transplanted into the twentieth century....
(1995), likewise based on the aforementioned novel, follows the same premise: a male (in this case, an adoloscent) from the 20th century travels back in time to King Arthur’s Camelot and impresses the inhabitants with technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
from the distant future. Moody again plays Merlin in the film, on this occasion as a more sympathetic character.