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The Micronauts was an ill-fated 1970s attempt by James Bond film producer Harry Saltzman to make a science-fiction film involving miniaturised people, what film historian John Brosnan calls part of the "shrunken man" cycle of films best exemplified by the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage.

Saltzman initially attempted to produce an adaptation of Lindsay Gutteridge's novel Cold War in a Country Garden. When Saltzman no longer had the rights to the material, he attempted to produce a similar film titled The Micronauts.

Both projects saw numerous personnel come and go including directors, screenwriters, producers, special effects technicians and other crew. Sets were built, numerous expensive visual effects tests were done and some background footage may have been shot though principal photography did not begin and no footage featuring actors was shot.

Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Stacy Keach, James Mason and Honor Blackman were initially cast in The Micronauts. However due to delays in filming, Peck and Remick subsequently were no longer available. Saltzman attempted to secure Charlton Heston who declined, unimpressed with the script.

Producers whom Saltzman involved in either project include Tony Tenser, David L. Wolper, Dino De Laurentiis, Lawrence Turman, Milton Forman and Milton Subotsky. At various points, Tigon British Film Productions, American International Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Sword & Sorcery studios were involved.

Special effects technicians whom Saltzman approached include Gerry Anderson, Albert J. Luxford, Frank George, Jim Danforth, Bill Taylor, John Stears and Oxford Scientific Films.

Directors who worked on either project include Don Sharp, Richard Loncraine, Ronald Neame, Michael Anderson, and special effects expert John Stears who would have made his directorial debut. Screenwriters include David Seltzer, Lewis W. Davidson, Johnny Byrne, John Gay, and Gordon Williams.

Unable to get principal photography started, Saltzman had screenwriter Williams write a novelization. Williams subsequently wrote two sequels.

The novel
Saltzman's first attempt to make a "shrunken man" film began with the 1971 novel Cold War in a Country Garden by writer Lindsay Gutteridge. Jonathan Cape published the book in Britain in 1971. Cape had also published Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, and Len Deighton's "unnamed hero" books (named "Harry Palmer" in the films), both of which Saltzman had produced.

A shrink ray is used to miniaturize a British spy - Matthew Dilke - who must survive in his own garden before being sent on a mission behind the Iron Curtain. Dilke is shrunk to "one-quarter of an inch (6mm)" "in an experiment to counteract overpopulation."

Dilke must learn to survive in a country garden backyard in the book's first half. In the second half Dilke and a team of shrunken spies are sent on a spy mission behind the Iron Curtain to Romania where they must implant transmitters in the hair of a Russian and rescue Hyachinthe, a miniaturized negress. Along the way Dilke and his team must survive a box of centipedes, fight ants and eat grilled leg of an earwig.

Gutteridge wrote two sequels, which Jonathan Cape also published: Killer Pine (1973); and Fratricide is a Gas (1975).

The planned film
Sources dispute which particular producers were involved in the project and when. Numerous American publications identify David Wolper as a partner in the production, but a biography of British producer Tony Tenser claims Wolper had no interest in the project.

Furthermore, according to Publishers Weekly, Dino De Laurentiis was so enthusiastic about the novel that he had purchased film rights to the book plus four sequels "still in outline." A February 1973 Pocket Books edition again mentions DeLaurentiis's forthcoming production. Neither publication mentions Saltzman or the other producers.

Other sources indicate Harry Saltzman became interested in filming Gutteridge's novel in 1971. Intended as a co-production with Tony Tenser's British Tigon Productions, the project failed to go into production. However a trade ad in the 1973 Publishers Weekly indicates that Saltzman was still planning to film the novel for release in the fall of either 1973 or 1974.

By 1971 or early 1972, Tigon British Film Productions were involved. Tigon expected to spend one million pounds on this "special effects spectacular.

Screenwriter David Seltzer adapted the novel. Seltzer - who had previously written Wolper's faux-documentary The Hellstrom Chronicle - would go on to write the script for the 1976 film The Omen, which co-starred Gregory Peck and Lee Remick who had been signed to star in Saltzman's subsequent "shrunken man" epic The Micronauts. Novelist and television scriptwriter Lewis W. Davidson's obituary claims he also wrote a draft script.

To assist in the pre-production stage, Peter J. Thompson - who was responsible for "day-to-day production chores" at Tigon - would be line producer. In 1972 Saltzman hired Thompson to become "head of worldwide productions" for "Arts & Science Films Ltd."

According to The New York Times, the film was scheduled to begin shooting in England the summer of 1973 with David L. Wolper co-producing. The New York Times also claimed that Lawrence Turman, who had recently been appointed head of Wolper Pictures, would "add a number of his own projects to the company's slate. And the first one will bear at least a slight resemblance to one of Wolper's The Hellstrom Chronicle." Turman: was Cold War specifically his project? If so clarify point in article.

Needing special effects experts, Saltzman approached Bert Luxford and Frank George with whom he'd worked on several James Bond films, Funeral in Berlin and Battle of Britain. Saltzman gave both men copies of Gutteridge's novel to read. Both men were "immediately captivated with the story and set about thinking how they'd approach the effects." Luxford believes that this was "the first time a project of that sort and scope had been muted." check spelling, mooted? Luxford and George "were bursting with ideas" but never got the chance to "realize any of them" which Luxford really regretted. Luxford suspects that "reasons of finance" prevented the project going before the cameras.

Gerry Anderson says Harry Saltzman had approached him to do special effects work for the project. Anderson thought the story and project interesting but believed it was "technically almost impossible to film in those days." Anderson also said that Saltzman invited him to write and produce the Bond film Moonraker though despite a treatment co-authored with Anthony Barwick - which Saltzman called outstanding - this resulted in litigation with the other Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli, but otherwise came to naught.

Stop-motion animator Jim Danforth did pre-production special effects tests for Peter J. Thompson "which involved compositing live action elements with glass painting during a camera tilt down." Danforth had done some uncredited animation work on Saltzman's 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. Danforth did tests for Cold War in a Country Garden on the same stage space he'd been using to do some mattes for Flesh Gordon. Danforth arranged with the producers to "rent back the space" for several weeks while doing tests for Cold War. Danforth worked with Bill Taylor in a "self-financed attempt to get work on the film." David Stipes claims that the footage Luxford and Taylor shot was "an amazing demonstration of shot design along with flawless rear screen projection compositing - just amazing design and execution.'" Though Danforth appreciates Stipes' enthusiasm, he believes that "there were some flaws in the rear-screen work, caused primarily by the blotches inherent in sprayed-vinyl rear projection screens." Danforth had to "do the shot in three passes, repeating the tilt moves each time, with the screen repositioned between each pass, to even out the blotches." This made the blotches "less noticeable, but they still showed." Bill Taylor "made the initial contact" with the producers, and was also "involved in live-action plate photography and in combining several images onto single plates," so that Danforth "could get the effect of three projectors when only two were used."

According to author John Hamilton, Tony Tenser's Tigon British Film Productions struggled to remain afloat when Peter Thompson flew to Los Angeles on 24 June 1973check year to meet David L. Wolper: "The future of Tigon as a film production company was in the balance when Peter Thompson flew to Hollywood on the 24th of June to meet with American producer David L. Wolper. The subject of their conversation was the completed script for 'Cold War in a Country Garden', which Tigon "finish quoting text

"As a production company, Tigon/LMG ("Laurie Marsh Group") had effectively ceased to exist with the abandonment of 'Cold War in a Country Garden' the previous summer" (1973?) check year

Jerome M. Zeitman
By late 1975 or early 1976 producer Jerome M. Zeitman had obtained sole film rights to Cold War in a Country Garden. Maury Cohen was to co-produce the film; Dennis Lynton Clark would or did write the script. Trade ads in 1977 show Zeitman was still preparing the film. During this time Zeitman made Survival Run for 20th Century-Fox which he considered a trial run for Cold War in a Country Garden. Zeitman eagerly looked forward to making the "fascinating story." "Flowers, insects, a drop of water - these elements pose no threat to us. But you take someone down to [[[[[[check]]]]]] 1/2-inch, which, I guess, is the average size in the insect world, and suddenly an ant or a spider or a drop of water threatens." Zeitman felt that previous attempts to film these specific visual effects - and to create a miniaturised world - lacked reality. Zeitman believed his team had conquered the technical limitations so that they could photograph "that world in such a believable way that the reality is going to be startling. There will be a lot of wonderment in it; the whole sight and sound of that world can really be dazzling." By late 1977 Zeitman was to executive produce, with Saul David and Cohen producing the film; the film was expected to begin shooting in early 1978. David had previously produced the 1966 "shrunken man" film Fantastic Voyage. One final trade industry announcement had the film scheduled to go into production in early 1979; the screenplay was now by Stanley R. Greenberg. However, this too failed to go into production.

timeline

 * 1973 OSF begins doing work for Saltzman, not clear if for Cold War or Micronauts


 * by at least April 1975 Micronauts announced production, to begin shooting in June 1975, Don Sharp directing, for AIP, in Italy


 * 1975: Johnny Byrne works on script


 * August 19, 1975: to begin production February 1976, to be released Christmas 1976 and to be shot at Shepperton; JG writing or has written script


 * by at least September 8, 1975, PM art director, AIP still involved


 * October 1975, The Omen begins production


 * by at least 30 November 1975, Columbia involved, Saltzman intends to utilize all of Shepperton's seven sound stages


 * late 1975: Don Sharp leaves, Richard Loncraine signed to direct. Still using JG's script.


 * late 1975 or very early 1976: Stacy Keach joins cast; Peter Murton leaves to do "Eagle" which begins shooting in March 1976.


 * December 1975: sells 50% Danjaq to pay off debts


 * 1976 (or perhaps very late 1975): Columbia exits


 * by at least 1 May 1976: Milton Forman on board, RL still involved.


 * (before July, possibly after March, when did Star Wars finish shooting?) 1976: Film Bulletin (Philadelphia) announced in 1976 that a July or August start were strong possibilities, "for which a number of complicated special effects are now being worked on." Mentions Loncrane and JG, but also mentions Gordon Williams writing or has written script. DOES THIS STILL MENTION PECK, et al? CHECK WRITER INCONSISTENCY! Probably two different cites as its two volumes mixed into one.


 * 1976: Saltzman sends Charlton Heston copy of script. Loncrane leaves due to delays. Ronald Neame now set to direct. Williams' script. Still no U.S. distributor. Already blown $1.8M on tests.


 * 19 May 1976: $8M budget


 * June 1976 Saltzman offers to buy Shepperton


 * 29 September 1976: Variety reports production stalled.


 * by November 1976, budget risen to $8.5M


 * March 1977: Saltzman sells British mansion, moves full-time to Florida


 * Summer 1977: Saltzman puts art works up for auction


 * August 1977: Bantam publishes Williams' novelization


 * early 1978: Milton Subotsky on board. Michael Anderson set to direct.


 * by at least September 1977, production stalled allegedly due to script problems


 * by at least 5 July 1978: John Stears set to direct.

Saltzman's planned film
After plans to film Cold War in a Country Garden fell through, Saltzman clung onto the "shrunken man" idea.

No longer having the rights to Cold War in a Country Garden, Saltzman attempted to produce a film with the same premise entitled The Micronauts. This project was about "man's battle to survive after an ecological disaster that pits man against insects for the remaining world food supply." Cinefantastique noted that the two projects bore "striking similarities." One book mistakenly claims that The Micronauts would have been a sequel to the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage.

According to Film Bulletin (Philadelphia), the Anglo-Italian "ecological science-fiction suspenser" would begin shooting in June 1975. Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, James Mason and Honor Blackman would star and Don Sharp would direct. By late 1975 or very early 1976 Stacy Keach had also been reportedly cast. Film Bulletin relied on reports claiming that all actors had been "signed" for the film. Filming would occur at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, Italy. Lee Remick had co-starred in Sharp's 1975 film Hennessy.

By at least April 1975 American International Pictures ("AIP") was involved in the production.

Don Sharp's agent Dennis Selinger was "great friends" with Harry Saltzman; Selinger several times recommended that Saltzman use Sharp to direct a Bond film. Sharp doesn't know why Saltzman didn't use him for Bond, "Perhaps he thought I hadn't done enough big work." Sharp noted that Saltzman was very loyal to the people who worked for him remarking, "you've got to admire him for that; not a lot of loyalty around in the business." During the production, Sharp began to regard Saltzman as "a strange man."

Numerous reasons compelled Saltzman to move the production to England: "the exchange rates fluctuated, making the Italian lira expensive at a time when the pound sterling was" collapsing, making it "far more economical to film in Britain." find better citation

By at least August 1975 Saltzman intended to begin shooting the film at Shepperton Studios starting February 1976, intending to use the entire stage complex, [finish citation ] "utilizing all of the studio's seven sound stages for the film's vast sets in which all elements will be scaled 96 times larger than the human figure." does August 25 1975 Los Angeles Times article mention seven sound stages? Saltzman aimed for a Christmas 1976 release.

Saltzman hired Tom Carlile, who had done publicity on the earlier Bond films, to become publicist on The Micronauts.

From 1975 to 1977 Tim Hampton spent eighteen months as a London-based line producer on the project. Hampton had also worked with Don Sharp on the film Hennesey as production supervisor. Sean Rushton-O'Brien who at the time was in his early twenties was production accountant.

Oxford Scientific Films began doing "micro and macro" work on the film using a "Samcinevision system incorporated with a Mitchell S/35." [check rest of article: In addition, an increasing number of producers of TV commercials use] According to author Jonathan Burt, Oxford's work for Saltzman began in 1973 though he doesn't refer to the project by title (i.e. Cold War in a Country Garden or The Micronauts). Oxford would "provide imagery for a film about man-size insects. [...] OSF did design a large and elaborate camera for the filming of the insects." Burt further claims that the camera design can be seen in Crowson's book Animals in Focus

In a paper for The British Journal of Photography, James Clement discussed technological advances made for trick nature photography. "Dr John Cooke introduced his paper on New Developments from Oxford Scientific Films, showing some incredible visuals. [...] Dr Cooke showed slides of some of the equipment they had developed. One such piece was the aerial image relay bench by which, for example, a praying mantis on one stage could be superimposed against another on a stage about 18 inches (and normally well outside the depth of field) away and against a twig on yet another well separated plane. Such a set-up had been used on the ill-fated Micronauts series [sic] when people appeared in frame with spiders on the same scale and all running around." In order to achieve this, the manufacturers must create "a refinement to the optical bench that gives apparently impossible depth of field, allowing two or three focal planes to be incorporated in one camera shot. This means that the camera can include a full scale close-up and a person 10 metres away in the same shot with both in focus. The device is known as an Aerial Image Bench, and works by locating the smallest foreground object in the same image plane as a lens beyond. This lens is focused on another object which then appears in focus behind the first object." The OSF team "soon realised that this had a tremendous potential for miniaturisation special effects, and many sequences in The Micronauts, Harry Saltzman's unfinished film about tiny explorers, were shot using this technique. The sequence quoted earlier involving the miniaturised man and the giant spider was also done in this way." [check other link: British journal of photography - Volume 126, Issue 2 - Page 756 books.google.ca/books?id=Mm1AAQAAIAAJ ]

Johnny Byrne - who had been story editor on Space: 1999 - worked on the film's script in 1975.

John Gay came on board by at least August 1975 to write the script. Gay's story became a "futuristic script about men and insects competing for food following an ecological disaster." John Gay and Don Sharp had previously worked together on the film Hennessy.

Saltzman hired Peter Murton to become the film's production designer. Murton had worked with Saltzman on five other films: three Bond films, Goldfinger, Thunderball and what was then the most recent Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun; and the first two Harry Palmer films The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin. This would be the greatest challenge of Murton's career thus far. By September 1975, the film's large sets were "expected to take three months to build."

Another source indicates that "nearly three months will be required for building the film's sets, in which all background elements will be scaled 96 times larger than the human figure. Blades of grass, for example, will be of supple plastic and stand 30 feet high."[31] Saltzman intended on "utilizing all of the studio's seven sound stages for the film's vast sets."

Sets were built that were "96 time larger than a six-foot man. Six ????????????????????? of these six-footers could stand on the Coca Cola bottle cap in the 30-foot high blades of plastic grass." The production used live ants for the macro photography, however an unforseen problem occurred when they began eating the sets daily. check 1975 Nathan Simon article : were sets actually built?

Starlog claimed in 1994 that some sets had been "designed and built."

According to media reports, Sharp filmed "two key sequences involving stag beetles and army ants on miniaturized sets [...] slated to be reproduced in gigantic form on Shepperton's sound stage." In August 1975 an "imported flock of ants" left overnight in a set "completely devoured all the grass and other greenery." These ants began "eating the sets daily."

By September 1975, AIP was still involved in the production.

While waiting for production to begin, Peck and Remick accepted an offer to star in the film The Omen, which would begin shooting in October 1975. According to Remick, "We were told that they were not able to conquer the photographic tricks of it. That may or may not have been true. It had a lot to do with photographing insects and fauna very large and then reducing the people to an inch in height."

At some point, Saltzman shopped the project to Columbia Pictures who by at least November 1975 agreed to bankroll and distribute the film. Saltzman also interested Columbia in his share of the James Bond film franchise. During the early 1970s, Saltzman had become entangled in numerous unrelated financial difficulties. By March 1974, a Los Angeles Times article claimed that Saltzman was shopping his 50% of the Bond film franchise to Paramount Studios. Director Val Guest claims Saltzman had used his share of the Bond franchise to convince a Swiss bank to finance the film Toomorrow in breach of his contract with fellow Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli. This resulted in several lawsuits: Val Guest sued because he hadn't been paid and got an injunction preventing Saltzman from screening the film; Cinerama Releasing Corporation had put up funds - Saltzman did not have money to complete the film - in exchange for distribution rights. Saltzman had also invested heavily in Technicolor, which proved a money-losing venture, and bought out the camera company Eclair which soon went bankrupt. Tony Bramwell - who worked for Saltzman's music publishing company "Hilary SA" - claimed that Saltzman was always running out of money and not too bothered by it. Saltzman was also constantly buying scripts and plays. Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz, who worked on three Bond films that Saltzman co-produced, said Saltzman's problem was that he couldn't tell the difference between good and bad ideas. Both Mankiewicz and Bond production designer Ken Adam describe Saltzman as volatile. According to Albert R. Broccoli, Saltzman had pledged 100% of Danjaq's shares to the Union Bank of Switzerland. Saltzman had at least US$20M in debts. Eager for a buyer, Saltzman approached Columbia studios. In December 1975 (?????) Saltzman sold his 50% stake in Danjaq - the James Bond film copyright holding company - to United Artists, the studio that financed and distributed the Bond films for 36 million dollars, which worked out to $26M in money and another $10M in deferrals.

Delay caused several key production crew to quit. In either late 1975 or early 1976 Peter Murton left to design the film The Eagle Has Landed; Don Sharp left in late 1975 to do The Four Feathers.

Saltzman turned to Richard Loncraine to direct. Film Bulletin called Loncrane "a promising young director." Loncrane brought with him cinematographer Peter Hannan. Loncraine and Hannan were frequent collaborators, starting with the documentary Radio Wonderful then the feature Slade In Flame. Loncraine would spend a year working on a "unique system of first generation matting which would allow actors and insects to be combined on the same original negative." At this point John Gay's script was still being used.

Further delays caused Columbia Pictures to withdraw from the production in either very late 1975 or early 1976.

In early 1976, Saltzman announced that the Academy-Award winning Milton Forman would be the film's Executive Producer. According to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers's trade journal, the film would be an "Arts & Sciences Films Ltd." production. check date Further, the film would be shot at England's Shepperton Studios. Forman would "draw on his technical expertise to solve some of the trickiest depth-of-field problems involved involved in the filming of 'miniature-size' live actors against larger-than-life sets." Forman claimed that "The most complex and advanced cinematography as well as the newest technology available to us will be used to achieve technical breakthroughs that will produce truly real-life effects of the greatest realism avoiding the limitations generally associated with special effects photography." The trade journal described Forman as an "authority of film studio stage design, Forman has recently acted as consultant for Goldwyn Studios on the design and construction of their newest and most modern sound stages. Earlier he received a Scientific/Technical Academy Award for his contribution to the development of quartz lighting." In particular, Forman won the 1965 award for "advancements in the design and application to motion picture photography of lighting units" inventing "versatile and compact quartz iodine lamps."

Film Bulletin (Philadelphia) announced in 1976 that a July or August 1976 start were strong possibilities, "for which a number of complicated special effects are now being worked on."

Film Bulletin (Philadelphia) also reported that The Micronauts was about to start filming at Shepperton." Film trade magazine Variety called this Harry Saltzman's 8 million dollar comeback picture.

At some point during 1976 Saltzman commissioned a new screenplay by novelist and screenwriter Gordon Williams. Williams would subsequently novelise his script. Bantam Books published the U.S. paperback edition in August 1977. Williams' script pitted "mankind against the insect world for survival after an ecological disaster." Due to high development costs, Saltzman "already plans a sequel called The Colony and perhaps a sequel of films."

Variety, a film trade magazine, estimated the film's projected budget at $8M U.S. dollars. By now, Saltzman had spent an estimated $1.8 million "on the picture's preproduction work, mostly in the area of special effects equipment and techniques, including revolutionary micro-photography devices developed by pharmaceutical manufacturer Smith, Kline & French. The new equipment enables separate filming of live actors and insects to be combined on negative stock without the use of mattes or conventional composite photography techniques."

Delays and the film's increasingly uncertain status caused Loncraine to leave the production, taking with him cinematographer Peter Hannan. They instead made the supernatural horror film Full Circle (a.k.a The Haunting of Julia) with Mia Farrow from the Peter Straub novel.

Finally in 1976 Cinefantastique announced that The Micronauts would begin shooting at Shepperton studios "after numerous delays which have caused the film's U.S. distributor, Columbia, and director, Loncraine, to withdraw from the production." Saltzman signed veteran British director Ronald Neame (The Poseidon Adventure) to direct.

According to Cinefantastique, "No U. S. distributor has shown an interest in replacing Columbia on the $8 million budgeted picture. Delays also caused the withdrawal of stars Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, neither of whom had signed for the picture." The Omen's success in 1976 resulted in numerous offers for Peck and Remick who withdrew from The Micronauts.

Saltzman approached Charlton Heston who had done three science fiction films: Planet of the Apes, The Omega Man and Soylent Green. Heston had previously done the man vs. ant film The Naked Jungle; he'd also previously turned down Peck's role in The Omen. Heston declined, explaining that the offer "was totally premature. I was sent a script, but there was nothing to act in it. [...] They certainly didn't need an actor they'd have to pay as much as me. It would have been ridiculous." Heston went on to say that of the three science fiction films he had made, they all had a story and that "the science fiction idea was subordinate to the central story and the characters, and that's why I did each of them."

In June 1976, Saltzman made an estimated GB£8M (US$14.1M) bid for Shepperton's entire sixty-acre site. Unbeknownst to Saltzman, the studio had entered into an agreement with the local authority - Spelthorne Council - whereby the council would purchase fourteen acres of the site "for housing development and a further twenty acres for open space amenity." Saltzman wanted to increase American investment in England and believed that there had been a "healthy pick-up at the box office world-wide." Saltzman believed the studio would accept his bid over that of the Council's. According to Managing Director Charles Gregson, Saltzman's was the only other serious bid. Sir John Terry, Managing Director of the NFFC approved Saltzman's bid, believing it would be excellent for the British film industry. According to Terry, Saltzman believed that with the "rapid decline of the British pound, American film companies will seek the relatively cheap facilities for film production here." However the studio board proceeded with Spelthorne Council's bid.

Without a sufficiently large soundstage, the production remain stalled. Film Bulletin (Philadelphia) considered the film "aborted".

According to the Film Yearbook, "history has shown that the unfinished film is with few exceptions designed to remain that way."

With each delay, the film's estimated budget rose. The budget - which by May 1976 was said to have been $8 million - had risen to $8.5 million by no later than November 1976. Saltzman said the London-based production would "feature some `revolutionary' special effects."

Starlog erroneously reported that the production had already begun filming in December 1976.

In March 1977, Saltzman sold his British mansion and moved full-time to St. Petersburg Florida. During the summer of 1977, Saltzman put up for auction his expensive art collection. Christie's Review of the Season claims that the 28 June 1977 auction netted Saltzman GB£10,000 (US$17,200).

According to Starlog's September 1977 issue, production became temporarily stalled "due to some script problems." Film historian John Brosnan goes further and claims the project was canceled in 1977.

By early 1978 Milton Subotsky's fledgling "Sword & Sorcery" production company, and his new partner Andrew Donally, were in. Michael Anderson was now "set to direct." Anderson had just directed the film Dominique for Subotsky.

A July 1978 Variety article announced that The Micronauts was due to go before the cameras with Academy Award winning special effects wizard John Stears making his directorial debut. Stears had just won an Best Visual Effects Academy Award for his work on Star Wars; prior to this Stears had done special effects work on the earlier James Bond films which Saltzman had co-produced with Albert R. Broccoli. Stears had also won a "Special Visual Effects" Academy Award for his work on the 1965 Bond film Thunderball.

Here the trail runs cold. No further news reports appear to exist. In either late 1978 or early 1979 Michael Anderson and John Stears made the miniseries The Martian Chronicles for producers Subotsky and Donally. In 1978 Saltzman turned his attention to another pet project, Nijinsky, securing the services of film director Herbert Ross. On 31 January 1980, Saltzman's wife Jacqueline died of cancer. In 1982 Saltzman sold his Florida estate and moved back to London.

Gordon Williams' trilogy
Fighting to keep the project afloat and see it into production, Saltzman commissioned novelist and screenwriter Gordon Williams to write a novelization published by Bantam in August 1977. Boris Vallejo did the cover and interior art for the Bantam paperback edition. New English Library appears published the British edition; sources do not agree what year it was published: anywhere from 1977 to January 1981.

Williams remarked that writing novelizations "is the newest and lowest trade in fiction.".

Horror author and scholar Michael McCarty calls Williams' novelization The Micronauts "one of the best 'shrinking' novels since Richard Matheson's The Shrinking Man."

Critic Michael J. Tolley noted similarities to Lindsay Gutteridge's novel Cold War in a Country Garden. "Gutteridge's work may well have influenced The Micronauts by Gordon Williams (1977), an exciting, more fully science fiction narrative which, however, lacks the Gutteridge charm."

Williams wrote two sequels: The Microcolony (a.k.a. Micronaut World in the U.K.) in 1979 and Revolt of the Micronauts in 1981. In 1976 Saltzman had claimed that he wanted to make a series of films and that the second one would be titled The Colony.

Drew Whyte, writing for Galileo claimed a "film of the same title is soon to appear at a theatre near you (probably just about the same time as the long delayed Cold War in a Country Garden)." Of Williams' novelization Whyte wrote, "This may just be a straw dog in the wind, but I like giant ants! Damn the square-cube law! Full speed into the microcosm!"

Misc
"Soon after completing the film, Harry Saltzman gave Bert Luxford and Frank George - two special effects technicians who had worked on several James Bond films that Harry Saltzman had produced, and Funeral in Berlin and Battle of Britain - two copies of Cold War in a Country Garden which he was planning to turn into a feature film. They were immediately captivated with the story, and set about thinking how they'd approach the effects. "I think it was absolutely fascinating. It never came off, however, probably for reasons of finance, and although the idea has been used in films of recent times, it was - to my knowledge - the first time a project of that sort and scope had been muted. It was all about the future population explosion and how there just wouldn't be enough room on the earth for everyone to live, so a group of government-funded scientists initiated a 'shrinking' research program. Basically, they wanted to shrink people to one and a half inches to make more room in the world. One particular group of volunteers were shrunk in size and put back in their own garden, to see how they would survive. Of course, little things like ants and spiders were absolute giants to them, and blades of grass would have been the equivalent to six foot high. In those days, there were no computers and they really would have had to build sets ten times bigger than normal to create the vastness of the surroundings. Frank and I were bursting with ideas, but alas didn't get the chance to realize any of them. I really regret that."

During the early 1970's Danforth did pre-production special effects tests for film producer Harry Saltzman on the unmade film Cold War in a Country Garden (a.k.a. The Micronauts). This proposed film which dealt with miniaturised spies was part of what film historian John Brosnan calls the "shrunken man" cycle of films best exemplified by the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage. Danforth's work "involved compositing live action elements with glass painting during a camera tilt down."

According to Danforth, "The test for a Cold War in a Country Garden was done on the same stage space I was using for some of the mattes for Flesh Gordon. I made an arrangement with the producers to rent back the space for a few weeks while I did the ''Cold War' shot. Bill Taylor and I were involved in that self-financed attempt to get work on the film." "According to David [Stipes], the footage you shot for Cold War in a Country Garden was, in his words, 'an amazing demonstration of shot design along with flawless rear screen projection compositing - just amazing design and execution.'" "Thanks to Dave for his compliment. Actually there were some flaws in the rear-screen work, caused primarily by the blotches inherent in sprayed-vinyl rear projection screens. I had to do the shot in three passes (repeating the tilt moves each time, with the screen repositioned between each pass, to even out the blotches. They were less noticeable, but they still showed. Incidentally... well not incidentally, Bill Taylor not only made the initial contact with the producer of the film, he also was involved in live-action plate photography and in combining several images onto single plates, so I could get the effect of three projectors when only two were used."

Meanwhile producer Jerome Zeitman, who had just finished the film Damnation Alley, obtained film rights to Cold War in a Country Garden.

COLD WAR IN A COUNTRY GARDEN is the next film project of producer Jerome Zeitman, currently wrapping up SURVIVAL RUN for 20th Century-Fox. "It's a fascinating story," says Zeitman, "and I'm really looking forward to it. We have developed some very good capabilities as a result of SURVIVAL RUN that will apply in the production. It deals with >/2-inch people in a garden. Flowers, insects, a drop of water - these elements pose no threat to us. But you take someone down to '/2-inch, which, I guess, is the average size in the insect world, and suddenly an ant or a spider or a drop of water threatens. Any time this has been attempted before, there was always a lack of reality in that world. But we think we have found the capability of photographing that world in such a believable way that the reality is going to be startling. There will be a lot of wonderment in it; the whole sight and sound of that world can really be dazzling." Property is an old Harry Saltzman project based on a story idea by Lindsay Gutteridge which failed to get before the cameras in 1971 as a co-production with Tony Tenser's British Tigon company. (Stop-motion animator) Jim Danforth did pre-production special effects tests for line producer Peter J. Thompson on that version before it fell through, which involved compositing live action elements with glass painting during a camera tilt down. Property bears striking similarities to Saltzman's forthcoming big-budget science fiction film, The Micronauts. (5:3: 33).

Cinefantastique - Volumes 6-7 - Page 33 or 47, 1977(?)

[ check] "THE MICRONAUTS is the production of Harry Saltzman for release via Columbia Pictures. Saltzman, who co- produced all the James Bond films with Albert R. Broccoli, has con-tracted to occupy the entire stage complex at England's Shepperton Studios for filming in August Involving a new special effects process to tell the story of mankind competing with insects for food and survival after a catastrophic ecological disaster. The script is by John Gay who wrote THE POWER for George Pal. Richard Loncraine will direct and Gregory Peck and Lee Remick star. The film had previously been announced for release by AIP to be directed by Don Sharp.

Murton had been production designer on the previous Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun.

[alternate citation] MOVIE CALL SHEET? Los Angeles Times - Aug 25, 1975 Producer Harry Saltzman. making his first independent film in six years. is taking over Shepperton Studios in London for an upcoming science fiction adventure film, "The Micronauts" starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick.

"making his first independent film in six years, in England. [...] maintains a home in northeast St. Petersburg. Saltzman's new film, The Micronauts, stars Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, and others, to be filmed in Shepperton Studios in London for Arts Ltd. The multi-million dollar sci-fi film, scheduled for a Christmas release, will be directed by Don Sharp (Hennessy) from a screenplay by John Gay. The Micronauts will be concerned with mankind's efforts to survive after an ecological disaster that threatens the world with mass starvation. With all nations working together, it becomes obvious that man must begin competing with the insects and other sub-human species for the remaining food supply. Filming is scheduled to begin in February. nearly three months will be required for building the film's sets, in which all background elements will be scaled 96 times larger than the human figure. Blades of grass, for example, will be of supple plastic and stand 30 feet high."


 * plot: Due to a future population explosion, there isn't enough room on the planet for everyone to live "so a group of government-funded scientists initiated a 'shrinking' research program." The scientists "shrink people to one and a half inches to make more room in the world. One particular group of volunteers were shrunk in size and put back in their own garden, to see how they would survive. Of course, little things like ants and spiders were absolute giants to them, and blades of grass would have been the equivalent to six foot high." Luxford anticipated the problems facing such a production: "In those days, there were no computers and they really would have had to build sets ten times bigger than normal to create the vastness of the surroundings."

plot
back of paperback cover: Earth's resources were exhausted. Civilization had collapsed. Food was a luxury in a world poisoned by chemical wastes and doomed by uncontrollable violence. Man's last hope was Project Arcadia, the bizarre experiment submitted to by a group of dedicated scientists. They were the new pioneers, risking their own lives to explore the strangest land that ever existed. Also cited:

plot: Micronauts screenplay has all nations working together for a solution to a grim threat of starvation following an ecological [disaster?]. It becomes obvious that man must begin competing with insects and other subhuman species for the remaining food [supply?]

The Micronauts will be concerned with mankind's efforts to survive after an ecological disaster that threatens the world with mass starvation. With all nations working together, it becomes obvious that man must begin competing with the insects and other sub-human species for the remaining food supply.

"is about man's battle [...]" One problem Harry Saltzman CHECK ARTICLE

"man's battle to survive after an ecological disaster that pits man against insects for the remaining world food supply."[20]

a "futuristic script about men and insects competing for food following an ecological disaster."[24]

script pitted "mankind against the insect world for survival after an ecological disaster."

link
User:Fantr/misc


 * http://wwwbillblog.blogspot.ca/2009/12/overshadowed-i-hope-you-slit-your.html


 * http://micronautshomeworld.blogspot.ca/2011/10/micronaut-books-mags-and-dvds.html


 * http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mEnkLdsNa1w/Tp_F-jEccII/AAAAAAAABeQ/koI5tWNYaDA/s1600/Micro+Books+and+Mags+007.jpg


 * THOMPSON. Peter J.. Head of Worldwide Prodn., Arts & Science Films Ltd. Mail: 58 The Quadrangle. Cambridge Sq ., London W.2. England (M)


 * http://bizzy.co.uk/uk/00919180/arts-and-science-films claims Arts and Science Films Limited incorp on 23 October 1967 ; Company number: 00919180 ; dissolved on unknown date


 * http://books.google.ca/books?ei=YJw2UZq6N8XyrQfg3ID4AQ&id=F5pmAAAAMAAJ&dq=%2258+The+Quadrangle.+Cambridge+Square%22&q=%22thompson%2C+peter%22 page 382 International Film and TV Yearbook, Volumes 31-33 1972: head of world wide proeuction to Harry Saltzman


 * Dissension - In Technicolor


 * http://www.google.ca/webhp?hl=en&tab=ww#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=%22patrick+frawley%22+technicolor&oq=%22patrick+frawley%22+technicolor&gs_l=serp.3...10625.12094.27.12219.12.7.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.5.psy-ab.wuP2AcWJ6zU&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.43287494,d.bmk&fp=3cec0bd29e140bbd&biw=1016&bih=564 Frawley Technicolor and Saltzman

search

 * Stars and Stripes Micronauts, Saltzman 1973-1985
 * Peter Thompson saltzman Cold War google books
 * check stars and stripes for "Ernest Steward"
 * Loncraine and JG in cinefan incomplete citation
 * Turman: was Cold War specifically his project? If so clarify point in article.
 * muted : mooted?, check Luxford book
 * DOUBLECHECK: I made an arrangement with the producers to rent back the space for a few weeks while I did the Cold War' shot.???????????
 * was 20th Century Fox involved with Zeitman on "Cold War"? Check google books for Survival Run.
 * check Cinefantastique for actual size in Zeitman interview
 * look up Loncraine, Sharp, Anderson, Neame, JG in Variety
 * when did Shepperton deal fall through, when sold to local council, check 1975-1977 books.google.com
 * check 1975 Nathan Simon article : were sets actually built?
 * don't forget to check plot, and re-read all moved quotes at end
 * Loncraine 1975-1977, when did he begin shooting Full Circle/Julia?
 * google books Micronauts 1974-1978
 * http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/14201/Films-that-never-saw-the-light-of-day?page=5
 * Cinefantastique volume 5, issue 3, page 33 has mention of Micronauts (5:3:33).
 * http://www.moviemags.com/main.php?title=CINEFANTASTIQUE
 * http://www.mycomicshop.com/search?maxyr=1980&tid=169801 Cinefantastique backissues more details


 * Tony Bramwell
 * Wolpet
 * Herschel Saltzman
 * Denham
 * license Mego Micronauts
 * Miconauts
 * Milton Forman
 * micro
 * nauts
 * The MICRONAULS
 * The Micronoufs
 * google search: "micronauts" "gordon williams" "cold war"
 * earwig & "Cold War"


 * double check all "Luna Monthly" dates as they are known to be unreliable