Marooned (1969)

Gregory Peck: Charles Keith

Photos 

Quotes 

• Charles Keith : Jim... how do you uh... how do you evaluate... the oxygen situation?

  Jim Pruett : Um... Well, we have whatever oxygen's left in the spacecraft system. And, there are only, uh... two bottles of emergency oxygen on board, five minutes each, that's uh... ten man-minutes. Um... my backpack, and uh... Lloyd's and Stone's, but um... there's not much oxygen left in them.

  Charles Keith : Well, you'll have to save your backpacks for the EVA transfer

  Jim Pruett : Yeah I know that.

  [pause] 

  Jim Pruett : 55 minutes,

  [longer pause] 

  Jim Pruett : we'll be dead by then.

  Charles Keith : Well, only if you... continue to use oxygen at the present rate...

  Jim Pruett : Well, uh, we can't cut down.

  Charles Keith : Let's... think about that...

  Jim Pruett : Do, uh... do you want us to lower the partial pressure again?

  Charles Keith : No, we've examined that, it won't work...

  Jim Pruett : Well we're lyin' here like corpses now... uh... what else can we do?

  Charles Keith : You must... think...

  [astronauts exchange glances, realizing the unspoken implication of Keith's statement] 

  Jim Pruett : Yeah, we're... thinkin'...

  Charles Keith : Are we talking about the same thing?

  Jim Pruett : Yeah.

  Charles Keith : Why don't you... talk it over. If you could... work out something... it would be of great help...

  Jim Pruett : Yeah we'll talk it over.

  Charles Keith : I must point out Jim, that any *effective* action must be taken immediately...

  Jim Pruett : Look, don't tell me what to do! We've been takin' your god damned orders and where the hell are we? From now on WE'RE gonna make all the decisions! Whatever we do, you're OUT OF IT!

  Charles Keith : Oh I uh... appreciate what you're saying Jim... and I agree with you... You're exactly right...

• Flight Surgeon : [regarding the earliest possible time for rescue]  You know of course that by 22:31:06, the crew will be dead. There's not enough oxygen left for three men to live that long.

  Charles Keith : Well what about... two men?

  Flight Surgeon : We don't figure that way, we plot total pressure against total use.

  Charles Keith : Is there sufficient oxygen for two men? For one?

  Flight Surgeon : [long pause]  Two might just make it.

• [Keith is pulled over by the Highway Patrol for speeding] 

  Charles Keith : Look, I've got to get to a telephone!

  Texas DPS officer : Will you shut off your engine please?

  Charles Keith : Officer, I'm Charles Keith, head of Manned Space!

  Texas DPS officer : I know who you are. You have no brake lights. Your license is expired. You may be able to get to the moon, but mister you're a menace on the highway!

• Charles Keith : [attempting to contact the Apollo capsule, which has the call-sign "Ironman One"]  Ironman, this is Keith. Ironman, this is Keith! Do you read me?

  Clayton Stone : [He's disconnected his oxygen hose and transferred it to Buzz. Now breathing only cabin air, which is very thin, he's becoming delirious due to lack of oxygen, and starts to ramble]  Purpose... and objective...

  Charles Keith : [with more insistence]  Ironman One, this is Keith. Do you read!

  Clayton Stone : Purpose and objective.

  Charles Keith : Ironman, this is Keith. Do you read me?

  Clayton Stone : [starts to giggle]  Purpose... the acquisition of... of... data!

  Charles Keith : [sounding more impatient]  Ironman, do you read me?

  Clayton Stone : [starts looking out the cabin window, sees the silhouette of the Russian Voskhod capsule approaching]  No! Oh, God. Oh, God. How... beautiful.

  Clayton Stone : I'm beginning to see... visions...

  Charles Keith : Stoney, come in!

  Clayton Stone : ...of death. There you are...

• Charles Keith : Do you think we haven't considered rescue? Here it is, rescue and every other contingency, reduced to digital and computerized. You helped to write it. A rational approach.

  Ted Dougherty : Well, screw your rational approach. Three of your pilots are in trouble and if you don't try to get them down, well, god damn you!

  Charles Keith : Well, you have feelings. Good. I have feelings. That's why we live by the rules!

• President of the United States : Charles, just put away your slide rule for a minute and listen. There's more going on here than logic. A large part of the world is watching us and what we do about rescuing these men. Just to say that we've looked at the book and there's nothing we can do is going to be disaster, for me, for you and for your program. So, we're going to have to take a crack at it with the very best we got. Now, what do you say, Charles?

  Charles Keith : Mr. President, it will be a dangerous gamble; but, we'll go if you say so.

• Ted Dougherty : You know, boss, you're right. This whole damn thing is impossible.

  Charles Keith : No, you were right. We're gonna do it anyway.

• Aerospace Journalist : Are the results you gained worth the lives you lost?

  Charles Keith : You're damn right they are! You want to know what they accomplished living up there in a tin can for five months? Because of men like these, we've taken the first step off of this little planet. A trip to the Moon is just a walk around the block. We're going to the stars. To other worlds! To other civilizations... Men will be killed in this effort, just as they're killed in cars, in airplanes, in bars and in bed.

• [Rescue 1 launch is aborted due to high winds] 

  Ted Dougherty : Now get me Keith! I wanna speak to Keith!

  Charles Keith : Keith here. We've done everything we possibly could! We CANNOT launch!

  [removes headset and walks out of room] 

  Ted Dougherty : Well I'M tellin' ya to launch! You get this haywagon off the ground! Now launch! Damn it Keith, launch this thing! Keith! KEITH!