Pretty Good

One of my all time favorites.

Better Late Then Never

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I never saw this movie before, quite outdated now, but gives a good look of a bit of the cold war and science fiction. This has mission impossible Peter Graves in it. Much better acting than todays junk.although comet shows some of these old sci fi, some are quite interesting. this one was pretty good.

Director: HARRY HORNER. Screenwriter: Anthony Veiller, John L. Balderston, based on the play Red Planet by John L. Balderston, John E. Hoare. Film editor: Francis D. Lyon. Cinematographer: Joseph Biroc. Music composed by Mahlon Merrick, David Chudnow. Production designer: Charles D. Hall. Set decorator: Murray Waite. Assistant director: Emmett Emerson. Production manager: Joseph Paul. Producer: Anthony Veiller. Executive producer: Donald Hyde.Copyright 15 May 1952 by Melaby Pictures Corp. Released through United Artists Pictures. New York opening at the Criterion: 14 June 1952. U.S. release: 15 May 1952. U.K. release on the lower half of a double bill: floating from January 1953. Australian release: 23 October 1952. 7,762 feet. 86 minutes. Cut by United Artists to 74 minutes in Australia.Alternative title: MIRACLE FROM MARS.NOTES: The stage play, "Red Planet" opened on Broadway at the Cort on 17 December 1932, running a dismal total of seven performances under the direction of Burk Symon and Chester Erskine. The leading players were Bramwell Fletcher, Valerie Taylor, Eugene Powers, Richard Whorf, Wilfrid Seagram, Louis Hector and Henry Herbert. The elaborate production was designed by Lee Simonson and produced by Rowland Stebbins.COMMENT: Despite its preposterous naivety, this morality play is still somewhat moving — a tribute to the sincerity of its makers. The film is a genuine curio, of interest only to the connoisseur. Action and science fiction fans are warned to give it a wide berth. The version at present circulating has been improved by excising the scenes of the Russian revolution, criticized by overseas critics for the poverty of their budget.The script is adapted from a stage play by John L. Balderston and John Hoare and, as might be expected, it's a rather talky affair. Director Horner keeps it moving however, and the acting is surprisingly straight-faced.OTHER VIEWS: Incredibly, fascinatingly bad in its messagey (in more ways than one) and up-lifting way. Raises hysterically irresponsible plotting to the level of art (or something). — Donald C. Willis.

After viewing photos of Mars from an observatory a scientist by the name of "Chris Cronyn" (Peter Graves) is convinced that there is intelligent life on it. To test his theory he sends radio messages using a special device called a "hydrogen valve" which was built by an evil Nazi scientist named "Dr. Franz Calder" (Herbert Berghof) who is now working for the Russians in a hidden laboratory somewhere in the Andes. However, when Chris is proved right and contact is indeed established the information he receives from the Martians ends up having a not too favorable impact upon the people of Earth. Now, as far as the overall movie is concerned I also had a not too favorable opinion of it as the attempt to combine science-fiction with religion didn't turn out too well. That's not to say that these two subjects cannot mutually coexist as some Christian movies are able to pull it off every now and then. But those types of movies are typically geared to a specific target audience which will appreciate the attempt. In this case the movie was intended for a general audience and the final product turned out to be a pretty bad movie. Definitely below average.

An American scientist is able to contact and communicate with Mars with shattering political, economic, and spiritual repercussions.I liked that they referenced Franz Calder, a Nazi scientist that apparently helped connect Mars and Earth. I do not know if Calder is real (I suspect not), but this seemed like a reference to von Braun, the Nazi scientist who invented the rocket. Indeed, we owe our space exploration to the Nazis in a round-about way.I am somewhat confused by the idea that if coal mines and oil wells are no longer useful that the next generation will not have jobs. I understand that the oil and coal companies would not want to lose their lucrative business, but I am unclear how this affects potential employees that have not even started yet. If all energy were free, there would still be other jobs -- the money not spent on energy would go to other, more leisurely pursuits.