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  • Lukaschik Gleb

Unfolding in cinema library: past science and technology of future.


The fifties decade. Satellites appear on orbit when people still weren’t launched in space, but then was known, it is possible that human can situate there. Absence of knowledge enhances imagination for persons involved in art. Science fiction movies of fifties were about flying in space to mysterious planets, inconspicuous alien invasions and attack of titanic size monsters. I went into journey through discovery and watching these films.


Cat-Women of the Moon (1953).

I didn’t see cat-women because I watched seventeen minutes where all astronauts in civil clothes sit in resembling an office cabinet premise, which is a main sector of a rocket that does rotation in flying, but it doesn’t influence on situating people sitting on simple chairs without any imitations of belts whereas window freezes in one image of stars. Astor Pictures, which made this film, was one of many independent film studios produced such low-budget B-movies in those years. A monumental thing with this one that costumes and sets were used by also such independent company Lippert Pictures for Project Moonbase (1953), a movie which shot in ten days and it had release after one day of Cat-Women of the Moon. Acting wasn’t well in one exceptional moment whilst cast did fulfill implementation in roles. Elmer Bernstein already was writing a wonderful score (three years later he will get a first Oscar nomination.). Just only credits did misspelling as “Bernstien”. Cat-Women of the Moon was crash in genesis by watching trailer with unrealistically falling spider and, yes, I saw cat-women there.


Missile to the Moon (1958).

Sending man in space accepts as impossible for a government’s military general. It causes that a scientist into desperation makes deal with two escaped convicts for flying to the Moon. That’s all in the first minutes of Missile to the Moon produced by Astor Pictures for whose it was the last year of manufacturing of such movies usually had six days of filming. Similar office semblance inside of rocket as it in Cat-Women of the Moon. Difference in chairs, which have belts. A gravity is Earth grounded in space and same on the Moon on which personages meet rock monsters against whom use pistols. It was inquisitive to watch as it was tiring simultaneous. And it became impossible for accepting as serious after half. I couldn’t complete by that with this flick of Astor Pictures too who after it changed strategy in business survival by involving in distribution for theaters the flicks made by talented people. It ended on financial demise in 1963.


It Came from Outer Space (1953).

I already dazzled by listening characterizing science fiction of fifties a mysterious and howling sound meaning that there was alien. It Came from Outer Space excited by that and everything about this decade. An original story was written by monumental Ray Bradbury, which I didn’t read and therefore I can’t compare. I found information that a legendary writer wanted to demonstrate aliens as that they don’t want to make any bad for human race. A film does tremendous in giving suspense whilst plot does foolish. A main hero saw an alien ship, escaped a landslide and nobody believe to what he witnessed when just need to excavate a place. Probably, it’s to unfortunate, that I couldn’t complete watching.


Destination Moon (1950).

Space Race will begin five years later whereas it goes in Destination Moon. “We’re not the only ones who know that the Moon can be reached. We are not the only ones who are planning to go there. The race is on - and we'd better win it, because there is absolutely no way to stop an attack from outer space. The first country that can use the Moon for the launching of missiles will control the Earth” says General Thayer who will one of astronauts and he is a man projected a mission. A solid stuff for science fiction and by that it was of exciting in watching on then vision as it with sending person on other planet. I would wish to listen a specialist, but I know without him that such rocket landing will possible after almost seventy years or saving a crew member would be all right if wouldn’t be said on movement in thousand per mile and about reduce the weight of the rocket for launch as right with microphones that they aren’t for talks with space center. Outdated, but lovable. Everything correctly made about methods of disinformation from unmentioned enemy. A flick is dramatized, but does perfect in this. It and dynamic perceive with rapture.


Tarantula! (1955).

I was being in aghast by watching on results of experiments and by reading each plate. That was before coming of a beast whose appearance terrifies every time. It struck in committing acts as became memorable for me with a significant man in a house. Jack Arnold staged authentic horror science fiction. In this movie, Professor Deemer speaks on overcrowding of the world. He says that current whole population is 2 billion (which actually was 2,7 billion in 1955.) and it increases on 25 million per year (while real numbers were in close to double.). He gives quantities in 3 billion will in 1975 and 3,625 billion in 2000. Damn, how I like forecasting in the past! If it would be really so in his words… 3 billion people was reached in 1960, 4 billion in 1975 and 6 billion was in 1999. Certainly, he initially had a wrong statistic. The professor says precisely right on improvement of medicine, which is contributing to large population when on that factor he leads to spreading of hunger whose solution he sees in creating of cheap in price non-organic food. The last became a truth. It’s exciting to listen and alongside to watch this thrilling and gripping movie in which I shocked in seeing of a giant tarantula. Lead starring actor John Agar is incredible performer with imposing guise for whom became fated to have roles in B movies from big and small studios of which I found Tarantula! as one of attractiveness what it revealed so (I only don’t see basis in landslide.) and concluded to that John Agar must had more better films. A topping future, which is present today, will for uncredited Clint Eastwood played in the fourth flick in his debut year. And he is already a tough man.


The Thing from Another World (1951).

Novella Who Goes There? was written by science fiction author John W. Campbell in 1938 and had two movies adaptation. I’m not familiar with basic composition whereas I know that a creature wasn’t a tall alien and there weren’t women’s personages what have the first adaptation. Close to faithfulness will in the second adaptation accurate thirty years later, which gives tension, suspense and terrify when a monster hasn’t exact shape and discreetly as infection can sneak in any body. The Thing from Another World doesn’t intrigue. A group of characters mostly keep a vacation behavior. They made inadvertent a first contact, knew that it’s creature, to which tentatively put “Mars” in departure point, is dangerous and very strong physically and then alien escaped – their cheerfulness never disrupted. Love line, a pattern of that time in films of big studios, is silly. Drinking whiskey on tied chair by that you see writing useless of script’s authors in making original episode, which outside of novella. One personage shoots in metal door for supposed cut through of bullets intended to reach the alien. There I quitted with watching.


20 Million Miles to Earth (1957).

Danger! I write about plot’s details.

Then Venus was considering as habitable for people due to similarities with conditions on Earth. Launching of space probe Mariner 2 in 1962 will reveal planet’s temperature in nine hundred degrees Fahrenheit what makes unlikely on living for humans. Flying to Venus in 20 Million Miles to Earth is the first interplanet voyage carried out secretly by US military. Goal of it and future flights in unique minerals for all mankind as says Major General McIntosh. Alongside with that was delivered lizard-kind animal considering existence of life on that planet. It can oversize an elephant in days if doesn’t contain in special conditions. Assumed landing of pilots, whose suits match for riding of fighter jets, supposed to be similar to launching, which implementation in reality will still in decades until Space X will make it. Collision with meteor will led to falling in the Mediterranean Sea. Special effect prodigy Ray Harryhausen chose Italy instead Chicago and Lake Michigan at the last moment (this movie basing on his conception.), because he always wanted to have vacation there, which he never could afford. Blessed vibe of Italy conveys in watching of 20 Million Miles to Earth. Film’s screenplay is exciting in narrating. Ray Harryhausen’s work is divine as always. His involvement is already one colossal victory. I magnetized by everything by him. I would wish to watch this movie on cinema screen. Certainly, I can’t slate Italians in speaking between each other on combination of native and English. And why not that in 50s you can’t meet Sicilian fishermen who speaking good English? Explanation of English without accent of Nurse Marisa Leonardo, who will have a love line with lead personage Colonel Robert Cadler, is possible, but she has no Italian in guise. I willn’t incorrect in that Joan Taylor had it’s miscasting role due to then a main starring role in US film must have only an American actress. It’s single what I would change by give part to an Italian performer or close in resemblance. On director’s position, I would work with those actors who passive in front of Ymir’s (name of the monster.), remove using of rifles after knowing that it is useless and especially against more larger monster, change behavior soldiers whose searching looks as for something little. Flick requires technical improvements in culmination scenes, because a rocket launcher doesn’t explode walls while a machine gun cuts a big piece.


Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).

It’s movie on alien invasion in misunderstandings what pushes to check credits on Ed Wood who should consulate filmmakers. The movies of notorious director are entertaining by their flows, Invasion of the Body Snatchers wasn’t watched at full. Nobody raise in suspicion on seeing statements of many people that they don’t recognize relatives. Few persons saw body, which disappeared later what brought to verdict from others on mass hallucination on one thing. It’s ridiculous alongside with behavior of personages, which can’t accept for same as showing of smile after seeing a copy of own body. It was illogical that characters decided to wait instead report to police on body. That’s can understand in wish to hold intrigue for longer. No explanation of how these clones appear in places such basement. Future scriptwriter-director Sam Peckinpah, who will lie on significant involvement in writing of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, performed a gas meter reader. He does own job by sneaking into basement in which possible enter only through windows. Negligence everywhere. A main hero picks up and carries stay sleeping Dana Wynter’s heroine who in that condition rises a hand and the next parallel camera shows she on opposite position of protagonist’s hands.


Target Earth (1954).

“Zombies from Mars” was given a presumable describing by one personage on robot attack when acknowledged characters lean on Venus by citing on appropriate conditions for humans. A film never shows more than one intruder, because only a single cardboard suit was manufactured for movie with limited budget in 85,000 dollars, a usual allocation of finances from studio of Poverty Row to where in that time related the low-budget production companies, which were myriad and usually didn’t stay long in business. Allied Artists Pictures Corporation existed since 1931. It entered in business as Monogram Pictures and used it’s name until 1953. In 1946, studio’s boss Steve Broidy listened his assistant Walter Mirisch (future producer of The Magnificent Seven, In the Heat of the Night, The Great Escape, Scorpio, Mr. Majestyk, The Party and Pink Panther films - and that man wants to make a second reboot, which mustn’t be.) and created Allied Artists Production, a division made more budgeted films. Occurrence of Allied Artists Pictures Corporation in 1953 was unification of all studios. It still was a filmmaker of B movies as I got in Invasion of the Body Snatchers cost 416,911 dollars. Screenplay of Target Earth isn’t nonsense as aforementioned movie, it’s breaking in that is underdeveloped although it has solid characters (Vicki whom flawlessly embodied Virginia Grey is astonishing and imposing of all of them.) and development between them as memorable confession scene of Nora in performance of Kathleen Crowley. However, I can’t understand mind of militaries sent airplanes at second time. If electricity was turned off, it shouldn’t influence on radio and cars. Appearance of armed bandit is far-fetched obstacle for holding personages from escape, because a bandit has no precise motifs. His introduction for final confrontation due to invisibility of robots. Solution in defeating of attackers was in researching of one of them whose getting had laziness of scriptwriters or budget couldn’t allow – it was in founding by tank group in deactivated without reason stance. No one of main heroes expressed shock on destroying of planes in glimmers caused by robots’ laser rays what is not failure of actors, but Crowley wasn’t plausible many times while Richard Reeves usually preferred to be effortless. Target Earth becomes predictable in the end and I wouldn’t continue watching if not only few minutes were in the rest of length.


War of the Satellites (1958).

The United States could be first in launching of satellite, but they didn’t see necessity in rush by was thinking the Soviets isn’t devote in that. Americans put in agenda for scientists a development of ballistic missile. Wernher von Braun, a German aerospace engineer worked on Nazi Germany and created V-2 rocket in time of war was part of Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency’s Operation Paperclip, which was relocating of German scientists to America (I have disgust to people served to evil, but I wouldn’t want that they could be captured by Russians.), was confident that commies will launch satellite soon and he warned American government who didn’t believe to him. 4 October 1957, the whole world saw an object in a sky, which was Sputnik 1, a name of satellite made in the Soviets. Braun appeared with expression that he was right. The US government accepted a misfire and gave permission on development of satellite. Russians were in extreme euphoria exceeded victory on Nazi as described Robert Robinson. He was accepting for foreigner there due to his black skin. That brought to mocking on him from Muscovy people, as same did kids, saying “beep-beep” to him. Commie propaganda did variable reports on that US will make own satellite by putting six, eight and ten years. In 1 February 1958, Robert Robinson felt universal mourning. He didn’t hear “beep-beep” from anyone. America launched Explorer 1.

For legendary in future Roger Corman, who then made films in Allied Artists Pictures Corporation and there was his first producing credit in B-noir Highway Dragnet released in 1954, news on Sputnik 1 inspired him. He broke in office of Steve Broidy with idea for which he required 80,000 dollars and gave word that a movie will ready for release in ninety days. Broidy asked on screenplay, Corman said that he hasn’t it, but will deal in process. Studio’s boss approved production.

I wished to get entertainment. Initially, it looked that film keeps correct absurdness. Roger Corman is also directed War of the Satellites. He is masterful by staging in vigor pace. A movie had intriguing idea about aliens against of human researching of space as committing destroying satellites in ten items at overall whose cost of each is 500 million dollars, but screenplay directs to nowhere. Highly-technological aliens could destroy a rocket program instead make for own aims a doppelganger of one personage.

Steve Broidy will boss of Allied Artists Pictures Corporation until retirement in 1965. After him will happen restructuration of studio, which will be involved in production and distribution of A movies. Large spending and inflation will bankrupt Allied Artists Pictures Corporation in 1979.


The Black Scorpion (1957).

Movies of fifties about incredible large insects, prehistoric creatures and unknown monsters with relevant size usually have in common elements: a beast or a big quantity of them come out by result of nature disaster or nuclear weapon test, it/they bring/s ravaging destruction to a city, army finishes with that, love affair between lead characters and screaming women. Scorpions in their body structure and characteristics of highest in exciting in being of such monsters. A flick is wonderful in acts of scorpions, but I couldn’t get satisfaction on special effects and relax on screenplay by watching how one character shows a discovered by him a piece of lava in which can see a scorpion who trapped there few hundred million years ago. That personage uses a sharp side of a rock hammer. It instantly opens similar to Kinder Surprise’s toy where empty inside. Disclosure returned the scorpion to movement. All that puts down subsequent confusions. Characters arrive to a lair of monstrous scorpions with rifles showed uselessness against creatures (as also a machine gun didn’t stop.) instead tanks, which will in the end as I clicked before watching, as well as arrive with army. A love thing with Mara Corday’s character (an actress also had leading female parts in The Giant Claw and Tarantula!, which is pure original in screenplay and hasn’t aforementioned details.) with no proper basis. I have a piece of disappointing that idea with scorpions weren’t realized due to suitable screenplay.


X the Unknown (1956).

It was short meeting with this UK produced science fiction movie. And believe me, I finished it not because accents. I don’t think, a soldier was shy on say that ground moves and he could join to everybody in running away from a site instead stay and die there. Army didn’t perceive an incident as unusual.


Them! (1954).

Appearance of nuclear weapon and it’s annihilating power have multiple expression in flicks of fifties. Actual of that time and classic The Day the Earth Stood Still and notorious Plan 9 from Outer Space are about highly-technological alien, as always, who arrive on the Earth with message on danger of nuclear weapon. Testing of atomic weapon in Them! contributed to mutation of ants into large size. It was intriguing action movie, had amusing characters, crafty narrated script and solid Gordon Douglas who was director in variable genres. Screenplay became bland in place where heroes arrived to den. I could accept an unbelievable that helicopters don’t patrol in daylight due to heat and that’s explain why they never detect ants. Wasting rockets from launchers was hardly, but acceptable. It was over on throwing gas grenades into hole, which depth in little of meters and poison couldn’t spread into hive by that way. The characters find escaped two new-born queens. How were they fertilize? Ants can’t reproduce genderless. And they can’t swim although a weight of their body keep on surface, but it’s death for them. Why did queens move far extreme away to ocean what contradicts to their nature? The end of film for me was in seeing an unsophisticated line with disappeared kids that will conclude on they will alive and the last mutated ants will be slayed.


Forbidden Planet (1956).

The Moon will be reached in the last decade of XXI century and the next will research of space what narrates in beginning of Forbidden Planet. A film didn’t fell to hardly for perception after years as Mister Naiveté Star Trek. These watched less half an hour had charming in technologies. A crew flying on saucer and armed of blasters arrive on a planet and meet with a scientist who offers a synthetic food and by movement of his palm on one device makes metal closing of house in moment. At least in what I saw.

A screenplay was killing. A space crew flew on Altair IV for searching of scientists disappeared twenty years ago and this team was dispatched from the Earth one year ago. This one of multiple inconsistencies are basing a script. A behavior of characters can’t be applied for natural. Everything supposed to be comedy for which created atmosphere and didn’t write jokes. I read that the crew will find a civilization who highly-technologically developed and it destroyed them. A main protagonist in performance of Leslie Nielsen groundlessly and contradictory says about human race. Say something clever in the end when it was drooling in Forbidden Planet.


Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956).

Ray Harryhausen was for realism in bringing to life his monsters. However, I can’t watch film only for his work as known. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers begins with showing multiple people in different part of a planet witnessing saucers what doesn’t became known for the world. Hugh Marlowe plays a protagonist who launches artificial satellites, which call “Birds”, and probably he can allow to do it every day. He already made it eleven times and a satellite always disappeared from radar. He wants to launch at the twelfth one. That as everything will chain of ridiculous misunderstanding. Aliens peacefully land on territory of rocket base and a soldier on artillery gun attacks them and other forces join to him. Aliens totally destroy everything while Joan Taylor displays passive acting in which I see absence of fear and her saying of “I’m scared, Ross” was because it was written in screenplay. Marlowe’s hero saw aliens before who dangerously were flying at his moving car what actually was transporting of message, which was in sounds and it could understand by rollback of tape happened accidentally. Aliens kidnap general with whom they speak through voice translator. They could use a similar way with the protagonist instead pointless puzzling him, which made for audience. I didn’t want to watch it more. I found out that shot down of satellites by extraterrestrials was because they accepted these things for weapons – right, a high technological nation was confused by that. Even if it was weapons – so what? The Earth isn’t their planet.


It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955).

I couldn’t be delightful by Ray Harryhausen in a movie whose main hero a submariner and as well as a scientist what was made for involvement him in key scenes. Undoubtedly, one of three scientists is a woman whom put for love line, which for that matter in watched few minutes of this simplicity and following to prescriptions then filmmaking was sufferable for me due to it has in each flick. Unfortunately, I didn’t see properly a giant octopus who took that size due to nuclear test.


The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953).

It was beginning for Ray Harryhausen by showing to producers Jack Dietz and Hal E. Chatham a just published short story The Fog Horn by Ray Bradbury in newspaper The Saturday Evening Post and they were excited by idea of attack of prehistoric dinosaur. Ray Bradbury’s name will extremely promoted in marketing campaign of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms while a piece was taken from written. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms was a movie, which was first and that who initiated a wave of monster films. And this one was forward of all of them about nuclear involvement. It’s possible to forgive these little times of passively said tough phrases by variable characters and work with crowd extras required. Rhedosaurus horrifies by look and destroying acts. I was flabbergasted in what was with people stood behind a wall. Film’s screenplay has a line from Paul Christian who plays a main character Professor Tom Nesbitt “Two people don’t share the same hallucination”. Doctor Thurgood Elson says that research requires time. Certainly, I’m not for precise following to science as in madly lovable Creature from the Black Lagoon (had two sequels, whose scripts had deterioration process and first one is Clint Eastwood’s introduction credit by having sharing scene with John Agar.) whose facts obsoleted and that makes zero changes, but I was raptured to discussions in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms with true arguments. It has a love line, but it isn’t from nowhere and these relationship is wonderful. Budget in 200,000 dollars cancelled idea that Rhedosaurus beams a nuclear flame. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is incredible without it. This is the movie inspired Godzilla in which was realized atomic ability.

Ironically, Lee Van Cleef, who had a small part, it was ten’s acting credits since launching in 1952 and he already a tough man too.

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