Title: Project U.F.O. Films
Inclusive Dates: 1978-1979

Call Number: DF 311-DF 320; FG 516-FG 525

Quantity: 20 film reels

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society Archives / Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research
Contact Information

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

An NBC television series featuring two U.S. Air Force investigators charged with investigating UFO sightings. The series starred William Jordan as Mayor Jake Gatlin, later replaced by Edward Winter as Captain Ben Ryan, and Caskey Swaim as Staff Sergeant Harry Fitz.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-df311

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This collection consists of 15 episodes of the hour-long science fiction television program Project U.F.O., which ran on NBC (1978-1979) for two seasons. The series, which was loosely based on a U.S. government program called Project Blue Book conducted from 1952 to 1970, originally starred William Jordan as Major Jake Gatlin and Caskey Swaim as Staff Seargent Harry Fitz, a team of U.S. Air Force investigators charged with tracking down reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and contact with extraterrestrials. In the fall of 1978 Edward Winter joined the cast as Captain Ben Ryan, replacing William Jordan. Jack Webb, of Dragnet fame, and both the executive producer and narrator of the series, obtained information from the United States government on nearly 13,000 sightings of unidentified flying objects, from which some of the episode plots were based on.

While a total of 26 episodes of Project U.F.O. aired over its two year run, this collection contains only 15 of the original episodes from both seasons. Each episode has a running time of approximately 50 minutes to one hour each. The series pilot, "Sighting 4001: Thw Washington D.C. Incident," and series finale "Sighting 4014: The Wild Blue Yonder Incident" are included in the collection. All the reels in this collection are color 16mm prints with sound, with several of the episodes containing original commercials including promotions for Trident gum, Downy, and Cascade dishwashing detergent. Ten episodes consists of one film reel per episode, while five other episodes consist of two film reels per episode. The visual quality of these prints is very good overall, with minor image and physical deterioration.

The episodes in this collection are arranged chronologically by season and the date each episode originally aired on television.

Use Restrictions

No duplication or public screening without consent of copyright holder.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Accession Number: M93-195/WCFTR

FG 516	Sighting 4001: The Washington D.C. Incident, 1978 February 19 Note: Director: Richard Quine Writer: Harold Jack Bloom Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: Anne Schedeen, Len Wayland, Frances Reid, Linwood McCarthy, John Frindlater, Hoke Howell, Tim Donnelly Scope and Content Note: In the series' pilot, a woman on a Virginia farm reports a strange object in her yard and a robot-like creature that communicates with her. Also, a U.S. Air Force pilot chases a UFO and dies.
DF 311-DF 312	Sighting 4002: The Joshua Flats Incident, 1978 February 26 Note: Director: Robert Leeds Writer: Harold Jack Bloom Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: William Jordan, Jim Davis, Barbara Luna, Mills Watson, David Yanez Scope and Content Note: Prominent citizens of a town report seeing a UFO. Investigators, however, cannot get information from them and turn to an 11 year old boy.
DF 313-DF 314	Sighting 4003: The Fremont Incident, 1978 March 12 Note: Director: Sigmund Neufeld Writer: Donald L. Gold and Lester William Berke Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: William Jordan, Rod Perry, Kim Hamilton, Gary Crosby, Frank Aletter Scope and Content Note: A police officer is ridiculed after claiming to see a strange alien craft and two astronaut-type figures. Gatlin and Fitz investigate sightings by Robert Lee Armstrong and Henry Marsden. Marsden reports that the air force tried to shoot down a UFO and he has evidence that fell through the roof of his barn.
DF 315-DF 316	Sighting 4005: The Medicine Bow Incident, 1978 March 26 Note: Director: Dennis Donnelly Writer: Sean Baine Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: William Jordan, Edward Winter, Paul Picerni, Darrell Larson, Kenneth Mars, Anthony Eisley Scope and Content Note: A boomerang-shaped craft chases Mid-American Flight 54 piloted by Captain Ed Mason and co-pilot Brad Everett. Meanwhile, in Medicine Bow, Wyoming, Gus Shaftner lets it be known that he thinks the U.S. Air Force is covering up his story about being attacked by aliens after being taken aboard a UFO. Edward Winder, who later goes on to replace William Jordan, appears in this episode.
FG 517	Sighting 4008: The Desert Springs Incident, 1978 April 23 Note: Director: Robert Leeds Writer: Donald L. Gold Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: William Jordan, Jack Sheldon, Peggy Webber, Joseph Ruskin, Richard O'Brien Scope and Content Note: An enormous UFO pursues an agent and a writer as they ride to a California resort in Desert Springs. Also, an old woman claims she was visited by aliens who offered to take her to the planet Venus. Reel also contains original commercials for products such as Nestle Sunrise Coffee, Pepsi, Special K Cereal, and the Peace Corp.
DF 317-318	Sighting 4010: The Waterford Incident, 1978 May 7 Note: Director: Dennis Donnelly Writer: Michael Donovan Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: Craig Stevens, Anthony Geary, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Shane Sinutoko, Aldine King Scope and Content Note: Boys at a military school become involved with a strange substance from a UFO and a hunter is attacked by a robot. Craig Stevens of Peter Gunn fame appears in this episode.
DF 319-320	Sighting 4011: The Doll House Incident, 1978 May 20 Note: Director: Robert Leeds Writer: Robert Blees (teleplay), Mann Rubin (story) Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: William Jordan, David Hedison, Alf Kjellin, Linda Foster, Aldine King Scope and Content Note: Strange alien beings offer a strange loaf of bread to Carl Youngstrom in exchange for a jug of water. The aliens want him to eat the lotus shaped bread but he manages to save some as evidence.
FG 518	Sighting 4017 The Devilish Davidson Lights Incident, 1978 September 28, 17 Note: Director: John T. Patterson Writer: T.S. Cook (teleplay); Robert Blees (story) Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: Jared Martin, Jenny Sullivan, Allan Miller, Bob Delegall, Kim Hunter Scope and Content Note: After three college professors report a pair of V-shaped UFO's, the crafts are witnessed again.
FG 519	Sighting 4016 The Pipeline Incident, 1978 October 5, 16 Note: Director: Robert Leeds Writer: Andrew Burke Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: Edward Winter, Randolph Mantooth, Donald May, Cameron Mitchell, James Coleman, Brad Dexter, Melodie Johnson Scope and Content Note: A cargo plane navigator mysteriously changes his reported UFO story about an encounter in the Yukon.
FG 520	Sighting 4018 The Incident on the Cliffs, 1978 October 12, 18 Note: Director: Robert Leeds Writer: Greg Heffernan Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: Edward Winter, Trish Stewart, Kim Richards, William Reynolds Scope and Content Note: A young mentally ill woman films blue and white UFOs as evidence for Project UFO.
FG 521	Sighting 4022: The Camouflage Incident, 1978 November 2 Note: Director: Robert Leeds Writer: Robert C. Dennis Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: Edward Winter, Michael Strong, Elaine Devry, Norman Burton, Gary Crosby, Henry Jones, Bradley Greene, Don Red Barry, Barry Cahill, Bill Deiz Scope and Content Note: A businessman films a UFO after it attacks him and two other men but he does not want to part with the evidence. Also, a man claims to have UFO debris in his garage.
FG 522	Sighting 4020 The Island Incident, 1978 November 30, 20 Note: Director: Robert Leeds Writer: Donald L. Gold and Andrew Burke Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: Edward Winter, James Olson, Maryln Mason, Ken Renard, Cal Bellini, Buck Young Scope and Content Note: A doctor and three natives of a South Pacific island claim to see a small UFO fly out of a mother ship. The natives later change their story denying that they saw anything.
FG 523	Sighting 4021: The Superstition Mountain Incident, 1978 December 7 Note: Director: Lawrence Dobkin Writer: Larry Alexander and George F. Slavin (teleplay), Larry Alexander (story) Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: Edward Winter, Josh Albee, Leslie Ackerman, Anna Karen, Dr. Joyce Brothers Scope and Content Note: A young student finds two small artifacts of pure magnesium left in a mine by a UFO. A gypsy warns the boy not to tell anyone. Episode also contains original commercials for Avon, Olympus OM-1 Camera, Wrangler Jeans, JCPenney Batteries, and Dole Pineapple
FG 524	Sighting 4026: The Atlantic Queen Incident, 1979 July 5 Note: Director: Robert Leeds Writer: Donald L. Gold Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: Peter Brown, John Anderson, Jayne Meadows, Morey Amsterdam Scope and Content Note: An officer onboard the luxury liner Atlantic Queen sees a UFO while crossing the Atlantic. The captain of the ship accuses him of making it all up to further his career. There is, however, another witness.
FG 525	Sighting 4014: The Wild Blue Yonder Incident, 1979 July 19 Note: Director: Richard Greer Writer: Robert Blees Producer: Colonel William T. Coleman, USAF Cast: Edward Winter, Rebecca York, W. K. Stratton, Aldine King, Fred Holliday Scope and Content Note: A student pilot is threatened with expulsion after seeing a UFO and recklessly diving to earth trying to chase it.