The Wade Williams Collection yields another ’50s sci-fi notable, Monogram Pictures’ ambitious space travel movie filmed in glorious green-challenged Cinecolor. Cameron Mitchell and Arthur Franz sign up for a semi-suicidal space expedition, but instead of murderous Bat-Rat-Spider-Crabs, waiting for them on Mars is the glamorous, mini-skirted Marguerite Chapman. It’s core sci-fi fun from early in the Golden Era. The Film Detective adds a commentary, two new featurettes and an insert booklet; the film itself is lovingly restored to its original Cinecolor brilliance.
Flight to Mars
Blu-ray
The Film Detective
1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 72 min. / Street Date July 20, 2021 / Available from The Film Detective / 24.95
Starring: Marguerite Chapman, Cameron Mitchell, Arthur Franz, Virginia Huston, John Litel, Morris Ankrum, Richard Gaines, Lucille Barkley, Robert Barrat, Russ Conway, Edward Earle, Everett Glass.
Cinematography: Harry Neumann
Production Designer: Ted Haworth
Film Editor, Associate Producer: Richard Heermance
Special Effects: Jack Cosgrove, Irving Block, Jack Rabin
Original Music:...
Flight to Mars
Blu-ray
The Film Detective
1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 72 min. / Street Date July 20, 2021 / Available from The Film Detective / 24.95
Starring: Marguerite Chapman, Cameron Mitchell, Arthur Franz, Virginia Huston, John Litel, Morris Ankrum, Richard Gaines, Lucille Barkley, Robert Barrat, Russ Conway, Edward Earle, Everett Glass.
Cinematography: Harry Neumann
Production Designer: Ted Haworth
Film Editor, Associate Producer: Richard Heermance
Special Effects: Jack Cosgrove, Irving Block, Jack Rabin
Original Music:...
- 7/17/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
A Savant Article
CineSavant shows off an arcane observation: in 1957, scenes from a glossy CinemaScope Fox production directed by Raoul Walsh, were almost immediately re-purposed, with grandiose special effects added, for a landmark science fiction fantasy. It’s an opportunity to admire the resourceful artistry of Jack Rabin, Louis DeWitt and Irving Block, special effects professionals that did fine work but were seldom if ever considered for industry awards.
Back in the 1970s I picked up from Larry Edmunds’ Bookstore a copy of a one-shot special effects fan magazine that I think had been put together by the effects master/researcher Robert Skotak. The photo magazine lauded the efforts of a Hollywood effects partnership consisting of Jack Rabin, Irving Block and Louis DeWitt. Their names appeared on dozens of 1950s films, for their creative optical work — whatever enhancements might be needed, from simple title sequences to matte shots and even stop-motion animation when required.
CineSavant shows off an arcane observation: in 1957, scenes from a glossy CinemaScope Fox production directed by Raoul Walsh, were almost immediately re-purposed, with grandiose special effects added, for a landmark science fiction fantasy. It’s an opportunity to admire the resourceful artistry of Jack Rabin, Louis DeWitt and Irving Block, special effects professionals that did fine work but were seldom if ever considered for industry awards.
Back in the 1970s I picked up from Larry Edmunds’ Bookstore a copy of a one-shot special effects fan magazine that I think had been put together by the effects master/researcher Robert Skotak. The photo magazine lauded the efforts of a Hollywood effects partnership consisting of Jack Rabin, Irving Block and Louis DeWitt. Their names appeared on dozens of 1950s films, for their creative optical work — whatever enhancements might be needed, from simple title sequences to matte shots and even stop-motion animation when required.
- 7/28/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“Thru the Time Barrier, 552 years Ahead… Roaring To the Far Reaches of Titanic Terror, Crash-Landing Into the Nightmare Future!” … and as Daffy Duck says, “And it’s good, too!” Allied Artists sends CinemaScope and Technicolor on a far-out timewarp to a place where the men are silly and the women are… very female. Hugh Marlowe stars but the picture belongs to hunky Rod Taylor and leggy Nancy Gates.
World Without End
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1956 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 80 min. / Street Date March 28, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Hugh Marlowe, Nancy Gates, Nelson Leigh, Rod Taylor, Shawn Smith, Lisa Montell, Christopher Dark, Booth Colman, Everett Glass.
Cinematography: Ellsworth Fredericks
Makeup: Emile Lavigne
Art Direction: Dave Milton
Film Editor: Eda Warren
Original Music: Leith Stevens
Produced by Richard V. Heermance
Written and Directed by Edward Bernds
“CinemaScope’s first science-fiction thriller.”
First, huh? What about MGM’s CinemaScope attraction Forbidden Planet, which...
World Without End
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1956 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 80 min. / Street Date March 28, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Hugh Marlowe, Nancy Gates, Nelson Leigh, Rod Taylor, Shawn Smith, Lisa Montell, Christopher Dark, Booth Colman, Everett Glass.
Cinematography: Ellsworth Fredericks
Makeup: Emile Lavigne
Art Direction: Dave Milton
Film Editor: Eda Warren
Original Music: Leith Stevens
Produced by Richard V. Heermance
Written and Directed by Edward Bernds
“CinemaScope’s first science-fiction thriller.”
First, huh? What about MGM’s CinemaScope attraction Forbidden Planet, which...
- 3/14/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
I really enjoy watching 1950s sci-fi and horror films. When I was growing up I went through a phase where I watched every movie from that era that I could get my hands on. There are a ton of classic movies from that time such as War of the Worlds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Them!, and more. There are still so many other sci-fi movies out there that have been made that I know a lot of people haven't seen or even heard of. To remedy that I came up with a list of ten flicks that I've seen over the years that a lot of you probably haven't heard of. These are all films worth watching if you can find the time. They are best viewed with groups of fiends because even though they are good, they still have plenty of laughable moments.
- 5/20/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Looking back over the year at what films moved and impressed us, it is clear that watching old films is a crucial part of making new films meaningful. Thus, the annual tradition of our end of year poll, which calls upon our writers to pick both a new and an old film: they were challenged to choose a new film they saw in 2013—in theaters or at a festival—and creatively pair it with an old film they also saw in 2013 to create a unique double feature.
All the contributors were given the option to write some text explaining their 2013 fantasy double feature. What's more, each writer was given the option to list more pairings, with or without explanation, as further imaginative film programming we'd be lucky to catch in that perfect world we know doesn't exist but can keep dreaming of every time we go to the movies.
How...
All the contributors were given the option to write some text explaining their 2013 fantasy double feature. What's more, each writer was given the option to list more pairings, with or without explanation, as further imaginative film programming we'd be lucky to catch in that perfect world we know doesn't exist but can keep dreaming of every time we go to the movies.
How...
- 1/13/2014
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Disney has a problem – its latest epic is set on Mars, but the red planet's big-screen domination is now over. Scientific advances mean it's no place to battle aliens
For centuries, the planet Mars occupied a unique place in the human imagination. Hanging low and bloodshot in the night sky, it emanated mystery and menace. The Babylonians named it after their god of death and destruction. The ancient Chinese took its advent as a portent of grief and war. It's not surprising that it should have come to be considered the likeliest haunt of extraterrestrial creatures.
Science used to endorse this idea, with early observations suggesting that the planet had seas and vegetation. In 1877, an Italian astronomer mapped the straight lines on its surface that came to be interpreted as irrigation canals. During the years that followed, radio signals from Mars were thought to have been picked up in Colorado,...
For centuries, the planet Mars occupied a unique place in the human imagination. Hanging low and bloodshot in the night sky, it emanated mystery and menace. The Babylonians named it after their god of death and destruction. The ancient Chinese took its advent as a portent of grief and war. It's not surprising that it should have come to be considered the likeliest haunt of extraterrestrial creatures.
Science used to endorse this idea, with early observations suggesting that the planet had seas and vegetation. In 1877, an Italian astronomer mapped the straight lines on its surface that came to be interpreted as irrigation canals. During the years that followed, radio signals from Mars were thought to have been picked up in Colorado,...
- 3/12/2012
- by David Cox
- The Guardian - Film News
The shuttle Atlantis made its final flight last Friday. Ryan looks back at the movies of the space age…
On Friday, the 8th July, a little under thirty years since its maiden flight, the final Space Shuttle launch took place in Florida. That final, dramatic take-off signalled the end of the Space Shuttle's active service, and appeared to mark the end of America's space age, at least for the time being.
Introduced in the early 80s, the shuttle was supposed to usher in a new age of cheap, regular and safe trips into space, but its reputation was permanently damaged by two tragedies in 1986 and 2003, and a dwindling government appetite for what was increasingly perceived as an expensive use of public funding.
It's all a far cry from the optimism and widespread fascination that anything to do with space travel enjoyed in the 50s, when the space age began. While the first satellite,...
On Friday, the 8th July, a little under thirty years since its maiden flight, the final Space Shuttle launch took place in Florida. That final, dramatic take-off signalled the end of the Space Shuttle's active service, and appeared to mark the end of America's space age, at least for the time being.
Introduced in the early 80s, the shuttle was supposed to usher in a new age of cheap, regular and safe trips into space, but its reputation was permanently damaged by two tragedies in 1986 and 2003, and a dwindling government appetite for what was increasingly perceived as an expensive use of public funding.
It's all a far cry from the optimism and widespread fascination that anything to do with space travel enjoyed in the 50s, when the space age began. While the first satellite,...
- 7/13/2011
- Den of Geek
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