Marching out of Time is a Film Feature directed by Anton Vassil

Anton Vassil

Anton Vassil is a screenwriter/film director who worked on various feature films, music videos, commercials and documentaries. With a Master's degree from Loyola Marymount University film school, Vassil directed his first feature Marching out of Time and went on to direct a series of films and...

. PG, 90 Min, 35mm, 1994
Marching out of Time is a family comedy.

Plot

When a wacky squadron of WWII soldiers are mistakenly teleported to present day California, Fred must convince the police and his family that he is not losing his mind and that the future of the world is in danger.

Summary

Fred Johnson is an average American with a simple life, until he hears peculiar noises next door. His neighbor, Professor Memo, has conducted experiments which have crossed paths with a German time machine from 1942.

Fred and the professor must find a way to stop the Germans from taking vital information back through time, and change the course of history. Fred calls on police officer Butch, a by-the-book cop, who finds this story absurd... until he too finds himself face to face with the outlandish soldiers.

On a roller coaster rescue mission, Butch and Johnson overtake the squadron but it's too late. The records have already been taken back in time, leaving our heroes only one choice.... they must ride the vortex back to World War II.

Directed by Anton Vassil

Anton Vassil

Anton Vassil is a screenwriter/film director who worked on various feature films, music videos, commercials and documentaries. With a Master's degree from Loyola Marymount University film school, Vassil directed his first feature Marching out of Time and went on to direct a series of films and...

, this outrageous comical adventure takes us from Venice Beach to the bunker of 1942, and with history at stake, our modern day heroes are not just travelling through time, they're also saving the world.

Facts

• The film was shot in February-March 1992 on location in Palmdale, California, with three days in Long Beach for the bunker scenes as well as Venice beach.
• Prior to the production, director Anton Vassil
  Anton Vassil
  Anton Vassil is a screenwriter/film director who worked on various feature films, music videos, commercials and documentaries. With a Master's degree from Loyola Marymount University film school, Vassil directed his first feature Marching out of Time and went on to direct a series of films and...
  
   and first assistant director Francis Lawrence
  Francis Lawrence
  Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
  
   drove around Northridge to do location scouting and get establishment shots (with an Arri II) which were later used in the film.
• To avoid having to rent an expensive "Hollywood" union dog and its trainer, the producers actually bought a dog for the production. The dog was aggressive and bit many cast members. Finally the dog was returned to the owner and a new dog was brought in. The new dog, named "Danzig", was scared throughout the production (and would urinate on the carpet every time he heard the Germans saying "Achtung!"). At the end of the production many crew members would have liked to keep "Danzig" but this one wasn't for sale.
• First assistant director Francis Lawrence
  Francis Lawrence
  Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
  
   brought in director of photography Gred Daniels with whom he had worked on his LMU
  Loyola Marymount University
  Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
  
   student film. Most crew members were either LMU alumni or people with whom Greg Daniels had worked with before.
• The Venice Beach scene were shot without permit (with a blanket on the 35mm Panavision camera) and features Harry Perry playing himself. Beyond the $20 paid on the spot to Perry for his appearance, the producers also had to sign a contract with Perry's agent should the film make millions of dollars.
• The end titles show the "FILMED IN PANAVISION" logo, but that is actually a mistake as the film was shot with a 1:85 aspect ratio. The correct title should have said "Camera and lenses by Panavision".
• The original working title of the film was "LUGER 92" but this title was changed to the more catchy "Back to the Fuehrer" during the production (an idea by actor Kevin Eads, who played one of the German soldiers). During the release of the film, UNIVERSAL objected to the title and saw it as a copyright infringement on its trademark "Back to the Future". The definitive title became "Marching out of Time" (suggested by Scott Jones, president of ARTIST VIEW ENTERTAINMENT).
• Sold in all territories except France, this off-beat film soon started to have a cult following in Germany where it keeps being shown on a regular basis on television under the German title "Dr. Memo's Zeitmaschine" (Dr. Memo's time machine).

Main cast

• Frederick Andersen - Fred Johnson
• Heinrich James
  Heinrich James
  Heinrich James, born in England, has been a TV and film dramatic actor in the United States since 1990. His first major break occurred when he was cast as a Nazi agent in the Disney feature The Rocketeer. This subsequently earned him a major role in the Anton Vassil directed film Marching out of...
  
   - Von Konst
• Matthew Henerson - Dr. Memo
• Jeff Rector
  Jeff Rector
  Jeff Rector is an American actor, born in St. Louis, and grew up in both Michigan and California. He decided to pursue an acting career after working at Universal Studio as tour guide. His first roles were in New York Soap Operas. Jeff went on to play over 60 feature films, TV shows, and various...
  
   - Butch
• Robert Z'Dar
  Robert Z'Dar
  Robert J. Zdarsky , better known as Robert Z’Dar, is an American actor and film producer, perhaps best known for his role as Matt Cordell in the cult horror film Maniac Cop and its two sequels. Due to his unusual facial structure, he is often referred to as "The Chin".-Early life:Born in Chicago,...
  
   - Muck
• Jim Boeven
  Jim Boeven
  Jim Boeven is a German actor.He has worked in television and film, primarily in Germany, but has also worked in the United States and Canada. Jim Boeven first American feature Marching out of Time, directed by Anton Vassil started his international career. Since then, Boeven has starred and...
  
   - Fürst

Main Credits

• Music composed and conducted by David Rubinstein
  David Rubinstein
  David Rubinstein is a pianist. He has given concerts featuring the works of American composers such as Charles Griffes and Aaron Copland at the American Landmark Festivals, as well as performing his own works...
  
  
• Director of Photography: Greg Daniels
• 1st Assistant Director: Francis Lawrence
  Francis Lawrence
  Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
  
  
• Additional Music by Marc Crandall
• Casting by Eric de Santo
• Stunt Supervisors: Pete Porteous and Kent Ducanon
• Miniature Effects by Ted Crittenden