I Aim at the Stars

I Aim at the Stars
US Style B poster
Directed byJ. Lee Thompson
Written by
Produced byCharles H. Schneer
Starring
CinematographyWilkie Cooper
Edited byFrederick Wilson
Music byLaurie Johnson
Production
companies
  • Morningside Productions
  • Fama-Film
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • 19 August 1960 (1960-08-19) (München)
Running time
106 minutes
Countries
  • West Germany
  • United States
LanguagesGerman
English
Budget£500,000[1]

I Aim at the Stars is a 1960 West German-American biographical film which tells the story of the life of Wernher von Braun. The film covers his life from his early days in Germany, through Peenemünde, until his work with the U.S. Army, NASA, and the American space program.[2][3]

The film stars Curt Jürgens, Victoria Shaw, Herbert Lom, Gia Scala, and James Daly,[4] and was written by Jay Dratler based on a story by George Froeschel, H. W. John, and Udo Wolter.[5] It was directed by J. Lee Thompson.[6]

It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich, with sets designed by the art director Hans Berthel.

The film premiered in Munich on 19 August 1960; it subsequently opened in New York City and Los Angeles on 19 October and London on 24 November.[7] In Germany the film was titled Ich greife nach den Sternen ("I Reach for the Stars"). In Italy the film was released as Alla Conquista dell' Infinito.

Satirist Mort Sahl and others are often credited with suggesting the subtitle "(But Sometimes I Hit London)",[8] but in fact the line appears in the film itself, spoken by actor James Daly, who plays the cynical American press officer.

Dell published a comic book adaptation of the film with art by Jack Sparling as Four Color #1148 (October 1960).[9]

  1. ^ Barry Norman (14 September 1960). "Because You are Still Being Beastly to the Germans&;..." The Daily Mail, p. 8
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference tm601017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference nyt601020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference csm601020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference la601003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference iatcm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Kinematograph Weekly vol 521 no 2767, 13 October 1960
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference sahl was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "I Aim at the Stars". Four Color no. 1148 (October 1960)