Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon, a charismatic football quarterback, must unite warring alien tribes on Mongo and defeat the tyrannical Ming before he annihilates Earth.
“Pathetic earthlings...who can save you now?”
Synopsis
A football player and his friends journey to the planet Mongo, where they become embroiled in a struggle against the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to rescue Earth.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 273+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Malcolm CookeShot by Gilbert TaylorScored by Howard BlakeDesigned by Danilo DonatiSound by Ivan SharrockCostumes by David Perry
Box Office
1980 · Box office
📉 Underperformed — grossed 0.8× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$27.1M
Opening weekend: $3.9M — 15% of its US run. It had legs — it kept earning long after opening weekend.
Opening week (7-day): $4.9M — 18% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 823 theaters
Also known as
- (English)Flash Gordon
- (Bulgarian)Флаш Гордън
Release dates around the world5 countries · showhide
- ItalyDec 1, 1980
- United StatesDec 5, 1980
- SpainDec 6, 1980
- United KingdomDec 10, 1980
- ArgentinaDec 11, 1980
Companies
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Cast & Crew
273 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Sam J Jones
as Flash Gordon
Melody Anderson
as Dale Arden
Max Von Sydow
as The Emperor Ming
Topol
as Dr. Hans Zarkov
Ornella Muti
as Princess Aura
Timothy Dalton
as Prince Barin
Brian Blessed
as Prince Vultan
Peter Wyngarde
as Klytus
Mariangela Melato
as Kala
John Osborne
as Arborian Priest
John Osborne Nm0651570
as Arborian Priest
Richard O Brien
as Fico
Supporting cast
127John Hallam
as Luro
Philip Stone
as Zogi, the High Priest
Suzanne Danielle
as Serving Girl
William Hootkins
as Munson
Bobbie Brown
as Hedonia
Ted Carroll
as Biro
Adrienne Kronenberg
as Vultan's Daughter
Stanley Lebor
as Mongon Doctor
John Morton
as Airline Pilot
Burnell Tucker
as Airline Co-Pilot
Robbie Coltrane
as Man at Airfield
Peter Duncan
as Young Treeman
Ken Sicklen
as A Treeman
Tessa Hewitt
as Hawk Woman
Venetia Spicer
as Hawk Woman
Francis Mughan
as Wounded Hawkman
Oliver Macgreevy
as Klytus Observer No. 1
John Hollis
as Klytus Observer No. 2
Paul Bentall
as Klytus' Pilot
Leon Greene
as Colonel of Battle Control Room
Graeme Crowther
as Battle Room Controller
Tony Scannell
as Ming's Officer
David Neal
as Captain of Ming's Air Force
Bogdan Kominowski
as Lieutenant of Ming's Air Force
George Harris
as Prince of Ardentia
Colin Taylor
as King of Frigia
Doretta Dunkley
as Queen of Frigia
Sally Nicholson
as Queen of Azuria
Deep Roy
as Princess Aura's Pet
Michelle Mildwater
as Special Movement
Marie Green
as Special Movement
Imogen Claire
as Special Movement
Kay Zimmerman
as Special Movement
Frederick Warder
as Special Movement
Stephen Brigden
as Special Movement
Lionel Guyett
as Special Movement
Ken Robertson
as Special Movement
Andy Bradford
as Hawkman
Bertram Adams
as Hawkman
Terry Forrestal
as Hawkman
Mike Potter
as Hawkman
John Sullivan
as Hawkman
Eddie Stacey
as Hawkman
John Lees
as Hawkman
Roy Scammell
as Hawkman
Kathy Marquis
as Sandmoon Girl
Sophie
as Sandmoon Girl
Kathy September
as Sandmoon Girl
Glenna Forster Jones
as Sandmoon Girl
Roseanne Romine
as Cytherian Girl
Sneh
as Cytherian Girl
Magda
as Cytherian Girl
Shaka
as Cytherian Girl
Lindy
as Cytherian Girl
Viva
as Cytherian Girl
Beverly Andrews
as Cytherian Girl
Fran Ward
as Cytherian Girl
Kerry Lou Baylis
as Cytherian Girl
Camella
as Cytherian Girl
Miranda Riley
as Frigian Girl
Lorraine Paul
as Aquarian Girl
Carolyn Evans
as Aquarian Girl
Celeste
as Aquarian Girl
Tina Thomas
as Aquarian Girl
Ruthie Barnett
as Aquarian Girl
Joe Iles
as Ardentian Man
Trevor Ward
as Ardentian Man
Alva Shelley
as Ardentian Man
Nik Abraham
as Ardentian Man
Leonard Hay
as Ardentian Man
Glen Whitter
as Ardentian Man
Jamalia
as Serving Girl in Ming's Chamber
Jill Lamb
as Serving Girl in Ming's Chamber
Sunanka
as Serving Girl in Ming's Chamber
Karen Johnson
as Serving Girl in Ming's Chamber
Gina
as Exotic Girl in Ming's Bedchamber
Raquel
as Exotic Girl in Ming's Bedchamber
Fai
as Exotic Girl in Ming's Bedchamber
Malcolm Dixon
as Dwarf
Tiny Ross
as Dwarf
Mike Edmonds
as Dwarf
John Ghavan
as Dwarf
Rusty Goffe
as Dwarf
Richard Jones
as Dwarf
Mike Cottrell
as Dwarf
Peter Burroughs
as Dwarf
John Lummiss
as Dwarf
Kenny Baker
as Dwarf
Bob Goody
as Azurian Man
Daniel Venn
as Azurian Man
Peter St James
as Azurian Man
Steve Payne
as Azurian Man
Max Alford
as Azurian Man
Stephen Calcutt
as Azurian Man
Anthony Olivier
as Azurian Man
Jim Carter
as Azurian Man
Stuart Blake
as Azurian Man
Nigel Jeffcoat
as Azurian Man
Chris Webb
as Ming's Brute
Leslie Crawford
as Ming's Brute
Peter Brace
as Ming's Brute
Terry Richards
as Ming's Brute
John Gallant
as Ming's Brute
Eddie Powell
as Ming's Brute
Alan Austen
as Mongo Man
Frances Baker
as Jewish Woman at Funeral in Flashback
Paul Bannon
as Alien
Sean Barry Weske
as Rabbi in Montage
Paul Barton
as Aquarian Fishman
Richard Bonehill
as Extra
Trevor Butterfield
as Hawkman
Derek Chafer
as Palace Guard
Maurice Connor
as Treeman
David De Keyser
as Colonel of Battle Control Room
Peter Dukes
as Self - Imperial Guard
Jill Goldston
as Flashback Friend of Professor Zarkov
Alan Harris
as General
Barrie Holland
as Air Force Officer
Lew Hooper
as Flashback Friend of Professor Zarkov
Kevin Hudson
as Hawk Man
Roy Lansford
as Doctor in Flashback
Derek Lyons
as Arborian Priest Assistant
Peter Marinker
as Flash Gordon
Ralph G Morse
as Arborian
Peter Ross Murray
as Krytox Police
Richard Sidoli
as Hawk Man, Ming's Guard
John Simpkin
as Hawkman
Directors
1Writers
3Producers
3Other crew
134Michael Allin
adaptation by
Bob Wilkins
additional first assistant director (uncredited)
Harry Waxman
additional photography
Diana Bull
administrative assistant
Jerry Cormier
administrative assistant
Norman Dorme
art director-models
Count Ul De Rico
artist: skies & clouds
Tom Adams
artist: skies & clouds
Mary Breen Farrelly
assistant accountant
John Fenner
assistant art director
Ken Court
assistant art director
Ted Clements
assistant art director
Parents Guide
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