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Star Pilot (Italian: 2+5: Missione Hydra) is a 1966 Italian science-fiction film directed by Pietro Francisci. It stars Leonora Ruffo as Chaena, the commander of a spaceship from the constellation Hydra which has crashed on the island of Sardinia. An Earth scientist and his companions are abducted by the aliens and forced to repair the ship, and are then taken to Hydra for the purpose of genetic research.
Once in space, the film uses stock special-effects footage from Toho Studio's films Invasion of Astro-Monster and Gorath to depict a pursuit of Chaena's ship and an ecological catastrophe on Earth.
References to "Star Fleet", "Star Fleet Command", "Warp Speed", and "Impulse Drive", were all incorporated into the "Star Trek" television series that followed immediately thereafter. The wardrobe worn by actresses Leonora Ruffo (1935-2007) and Leontine May was a less direct influence.‹See TfD›
In the fall of 1977, to quickly capitalize on the public's fervor for sci-fi movies following the unexpected success of Star Wars, the film was dubbed in English and released in the United States under a new title.
Original Release
10/02/1966
US Release
10/01/1977
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Leonora Ruffo | Kaena |
Mario Novelli | Ingegner Paolo Bardi (as Anthony Freeman) / Ingegner Paolo Bardi |
Roland LeSaffre | Prof. Solmi |
Kirk Morris | Belsy |
Alfio Caltabiano | Artie |
Leontine Snell | Luisa Solmi |
Nando Angelini | Ingegner Morelli |
Giovanni De Angelis | Giulio |
Mirella Pamphili | (as Mirella Panfili) (credit only) |
Gianni Solaro | The Director of the Research Institute |
Directors
Writers
Ian Danby, Pietro Francisci, Fernando Paolo Girolami
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Leonora Ruffo | Kaena |
Mario Novelli | Ingegner Paolo Bardi (as Anthony Freeman) / Ingegner Paolo Bardi |
Roland LeSaffre | Prof. Solmi |
Kirk Morris | Belsy |
Alfio Caltabiano | Artie |
Leontine Snell | Luisa Solmi |
Nando Angelini | Ingegner Morelli |
Giovanni De Angelis | Giulio |
Mirella Pamphili | (as Mirella Panfili) (credit only) |
Gianni Solaro | The Director of the Research Institute |
Antonio Ho | Chinese Secret Agent |
John Chen | Chinese Secret Agent |
Gordon Mitchell | Murdu |
Renato Montalbano | The Doctor at the Casualty Department |
Pietro Francisci | Self |
Chris Neil | Dr. Chang |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Aldo Calamara | Producer |
Ermanno Curti | Producer |