The movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”, directed by Stanley Kubrick, was released in 1968. It tells an intriguing story of a spacecraft journey to Jupiter. The film starred actors like Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester and others. This article explores the diverse filming locations of the movie and some interesting backstage facts.
Where it Filmed?
“2001: A Space Odyssey” was filmed at various picturesque locations around the world and in studios. Some of the key locations included the Isle of Harris in Scotland, Spitzkoppe in Namibia, Monument Valley in Arizona, USA, and Broadway and W 72nd Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. Major studio scenes were shot at Stage 6, MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK. Filming took place between Dec 29, 1965 – Jul 7, 1966, and later between Aug 2, 1967 – Oct 9, 1967.
Cast Details
| Cast Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Keir Dullea | Dr. Dave Bowman |
| Gary Lockwood | Dr. Frank Poole |
| William Sylvester | Dr. Heywood R. Floyd |
| Daniel Richter | Moon-Watcher |
| Leonard Rossiter | Dr. Andrei Smyslov |
| Margaret Tyzack | Elena |
| Robert Beatty | Dr. Ralph Halvorsen |
| Sean Sullivan | Dr. Bill Michaels |
| Douglas Rain | HAL 9000 (voice) |
| Frank W. Miller | Mission Controller (voice) |
| Bill Weston | Astronaut |
| Glenn Beck | Astronaut |
| Alan Gifford | Poole’s Father |
| Ann Gillis | Poole’s Mother |
| Edwina Carroll | Aries-1B Stewardess |
| Penny Brahms | Stewardess |
| Heather Downham | Stewardess |
| Mike Lovell | Astronaut |
| John Ashley | Ape |
| Jimmy Bell | Ape |
| David Charkham | Ape |
| Keith Denny | Ape |
| Jonathan Daw | Ape |
| Terry Duggan | Ape Attacked by Leopard |
| David Fleetwood | Ape |
| Danny Grover | Ape |
| Brian Hawley | Ape |
| David Hines | Ape |
| John Jordan | Ape |
| Scott MacKee | Ape |
| Laurence Marchant | Ape |
| Darryl Paes | Ape |
| Joe Refalo | Ape |
| Andy Wallace | Ape |
| Bob Wilyman | Ape |
| Martin Amor | Interviewer (uncredited) |
| S. Newton Anderson | Young Man (uncredited) |
| Ann Barrass | Stewardess on Space Station (uncredited) |
| Jim Beasley | Aeroflot Co-Pilot (uncredited) |
| Sheraton Blount | (uncredited) |
| Ann Bormann | (uncredited) |
| John Clifford | TMA-1 Site Technician #2 (uncredited) |
| Harold Coyne | Military Officer at Clavius Meeting (uncredited) |
| Julie Croft | (uncredited) |
| Harry Fielder | Moonwalker (uncredited) |
| Penny Francis | (uncredited) |
| Jane Hayward | (uncredited) |
| Lew Hooper | Military Officer at Clavius Meeting (uncredited) |
| Judy Keirn | Voice Print Identification Girl (uncredited) |
| Kenneth Kendall | BBC-12 Announcer (uncredited) |
| Maya Koumani | Dr. Stretyeneva (uncredited) |
| Vivian Kubrick | Squirt – Floyd’s Daughter (uncredited) |
| Roy Lansford | Scientist at TMA-1 Briefing (uncredited) |
| Maggie London | Hostess in Elevator (uncredited) |
| Marcella Markham | (uncredited) |
| Irena Marr | Russian Scientist (uncredited) |
| Krystyna Marr | Russian Scientist (uncredited) |
| Chela Matthison | Receptionist (uncredited) |
| Colin McKenzie | Scientist (uncredited) |
| Kim Neil | (uncredited) |
| Jane Pearl | (uncredited) |
| Penny Pearl | (uncredited) |
| Ivor Powell | V. F. Kaminsky (uncredited) |
| Doug Robinson | Judo Opponent on Aries-Ib TV (uncredited) |
| Jennifer Sanders | Judo Opponent on Aries-Ib TV (uncredited) |
| Kevin Scott | Miller (uncredited) |
| John Swindells | TMA-1 Site Technician #1 (uncredited) |
| Burnell Tucker | TMA-1 Site Photographer (uncredited) |
Trivia and Facts
- The extraordinary space sequences were majorly filmed at MGM-British Studios, which no longer exists today.
- Some early scenes were shot at Shepperton Studios in London, due to the availability of a large soundstage.
- For the ‘Dawn Of Man’ sequence, backgrounds were captured in Africa. Director Stanley Kubrick devised a new method to avoid back-projection, using a giant front projection screen.
- Landscape shots were filmed in Namibia, southwest Africa, known for its isolated beauty. Specific areas include the Spitzkoppe Mountains, noted for their bald granite peaks and the famous Grosse Spitzkoppe Bridge.
- The alien planet scenes, where Keir Dullea’s character Dave Bowman journeys, were filmed at Monument Valley and the rocky coastline of South Harris in Scotland.
Geo Location Details
- Location Name: Isle of Harris, Western Isles, Scotland, UK
- Latitude: 57.9932604
- Longitude: -6.8736215
- Place ID: ChIJgfJfGEqZjUgRqZ2RjmIQXpU
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Harris, United Kingdom
- Timezone: Europe/London
- Location Name: Spitzkoppe, Erongo, Namibia
- Latitude: -21.824722
- Longitude: 15.194167
- Place ID: ChIJx6Pdbm0GihsR26CnRTmUvNk
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Spitzkoppe, Namibia
- Timezone: Africa/Windhoek
- Location Name: Monument Valley, Arizona, USA
- Latitude: 36.9913715
- Longitude: -110.1938672
- Place ID: ChIJpYbdG4QuN4cRkNg705qpqj4
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Oljato-Monument Valley, AZ 84536, USA
- Timezone: America/Denver
- Location Name: Stage 6, MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK
- Latitude: 51.657728
- Longitude: -0.272308
- Place ID: ChIJC16pFisUdkgRHJkvSvMccAE
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Borehamwood, UK
- Timezone: Europe/London
- Location Name: Broadway and W 72nd Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
- Latitude: 40.7788007
- Longitude: -73.9820668
- Place ID: Ei1Ccm9hZHdheSAmIFcgNzJuZCBTdCwgTmV3IFlvcmssIE5ZIDEwMDIzLCBVU0EiZiJkChQKEgnJB3QRiljCiRG674LFVL1z9xIUChIJyQd0EYpYwokRuu-CxVS9c_caFAoSCTkjI41ZVsKJEZ6Wkz8mhYvaGhQKEgnT5vDbY1jCiRHykn2alX3P3CIKDedZThgVhDvn0w
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Broadway & W 72nd St, New York, NY 10023, USA
- Timezone: America/New_York
