Discover
This oddly technical drama about three test pilots for the X-15 devotes a great deal of time to scientific explanations and militarese, leaving slightly less time to examine the personal lives and motivations of the three pilots. The head honcho among the pilots is Lt. Col. Lee Brandon (Charles Bronson in a good performance), and Mary Tyler Moore makes her first feature-length film appearance as one of the Air Force wives who are in the background of their husbands' careers. Narrated by James Stewart, this drama was released just when the X-15 aircraft was breaking flight records.
Original Release
12/22/1961
US Release
12/22/1961
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| David McLean | Matt Powell |
| Charles Bronson | Lt. Col. Lee Brandon |
| Ralph Taeger | Maj. Ernest Wilde |
| Brad Dexter | Maj. Anthony Rinaldi |
| Kenneth Tobey | Col. Craig Brewster |
| James Gregory | Tom Deparma |
| Mary Tyler Moore | Pamela Stewart |
| Patricia Owens | Margaret Brandon |
| Lisabeth Hush | Diane Wilde |
| Stanley Livingston | Mike Brandon |
Directors
Writers
James Warner Bellah, Tony Lazzarino
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| David McLean | Matt Powell |
| Charles Bronson | Lt. Col. Lee Brandon |
| Ralph Taeger | Maj. Ernest Wilde |
| Brad Dexter | Maj. Anthony Rinaldi |
| Kenneth Tobey | Col. Craig Brewster |
| James Gregory | Tom Deparma |
| Mary Tyler Moore | Pamela Stewart |
| Patricia Owens | Margaret Brandon |
| Lisabeth Hush | Diane Wilde |
| Stanley Livingston | Mike Brandon |
| Lauren Gilbert | Col. Jessup |
| Phil Dean | Maj. McCully |
| Chuck Stanford | Lt. Cmdr. Joe Lacrosse |
| Patty McDonald | Susan Brandon |
| James Stewart | Narrator / Himself / Narrator (voice) |
| Ric Applewhite | Engineer |
| Robert Dornan | Test Engineer |
| Ed Fleming | Self (newscaster) |
| Lee Giroux | Self |
| Darlene Hendricks | Nurse |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Howard W. Koch | Executive Producer |
| Tony Lazzarino | Producer |
| Henry W. Sanicola | Producer |
| Frank Sinatra | Producer |
