Ice Station Zebra

Ice Station Zebra
Theatrical release poster by Howard Terpning
Directed byJohn Sturges
Screenplay byDouglas Heyes
Harry Julian Fink
W. R. Burnett
Based onIce Station Zebra
(1963 novel)
by Alistair MacLean
Produced byJames C. Pratt
Martin Ransohoff
John Calley
StarringRock Hudson
Ernest Borgnine
Patrick McGoohan
Jim Brown
CinematographyDaniel L. Fapp
Edited byFerris Webster
Music byMichel Legrand
Production
company
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • October 23, 1968 (1968-10-23)
Running time
149 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8–10 million
Box office$4.6 million (U.S. & Canada)

Ice Station Zebra is a 1968 American spy thriller film directed by John Sturges and starring Rock Hudson, Patrick McGoohan, Ernest Borgnine, and Jim Brown. The screenplay is by Douglas Heyes, Harry Julian Fink, and W. R. Burnett, loosely based on Alistair MacLean's 1963 novel. Both were inspired by real-life events that took place in 1959 (the flight, loss and search for Discoverer 2). The film concerns a United States nuclear submarine that is rushed to the North Pole to rescue the personnel of Ice Station Zebra.

The film was shot in Super Panavision 70 and presented in 70 mm Cinerama in premiere engagements. The original music score is by Michel Legrand.

Ice Station Zebra was released on October 23, 1968, to mixed reviews, and it was not a box office success, earning only $4.6 million over its $8–10 million budget. At the 41st Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Special Visual Effects.