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1951 American science fiction film directed by Edgar George Ulmer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Man from Planet X is a 1951 independently made American black-and-white science fiction horror film, produced by Jack Pollexfen and Aubrey Wisberg, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, that stars Robert Clarke, Margaret Field, and William Schallert.[3][4][5][6] The film was distributed by United Artists.
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| The Man from Planet X | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Edgar G. Ulmer |
| Written by | Aubrey Wisberg Jack Pollexfen |
| Produced by | Jack Pollexfen Aubrey Wisberg |
| Starring | Robert Clarke Margaret Field William Schallert |
| Cinematography | John L. Russell |
| Edited by | Fred R. Feitshans Jr. |
| Music by | Charles Koff |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $51,000 (est.)[1][2] |
| Box office | $1.2 million[1] |
The story concerns a humanoid who lands on Earth in a spaceship from a mysterious planet and makes contact with a small group of humans on an isolated, fog-shrouded Scottish moor.
A spaceship from a previously unknown planet lands in the Scottish moors, bringing a humanoid alien to Earth near the observatory of Professor Elliot (Raymond Bond). When the professor and his friend, American reporter John Lawrence (Robert Clarke), discover the spaceman, they help and try to communicate with it, failing in their attempt. They leave, and the alien follows them. A colleague of the professor, the unscrupulous and ambitious scientist Dr. Mears (William Schallert), discovers that the humanoid speaks in musical tones and tries to force from it the metal formula for its spaceship. He shuts off its breathing apparatus and leaves the spaceman for dead, telling the professor that communication was hopeless.
Soon, Lawrence discovers that the alien is gone, as is the professor's daughter, Enid (Margaret Field). Tommy, the seaside village constable (Roy Engle), reports that others are now missing as well. Lawrence takes the constable to the site where the spaceship had landed, but it is no longer there. With more villagers now missing, including Mears, and the phone lines suddenly dead the village is in panic. They are finally able to get word to Scotland Yard by using a heliograph to contact a passing freighter just off the coast.
When an Inspector (David Ormont) and a sergeant fly in and are briefed on the situation, it is decided that the military must destroy the spaceship. Lawrence objects that doing so will also kill the people who are now under the alien's control. With the planet due to reach its closest approach to Earth at midnight, Lawrence is given until 11:00 p.m. to rescue them. He sneaks up to the alien ship and learns from Mears that the spaceman intends to use its ship as a wireless relay station in advance of an invasion coming from the approaching planet, which is a dying world. Lawrence orders the villagers to leave and attacks the alien, shutting off its breathing apparatus, then escapes with Enid and the professor. Mears, however, returns to the spaceship and is killed when the military opens fire and destroys it. No invasion happens and the mysterious Planet X slowly exits the solar system for deep space.
Cast notes
The film went into production on December 13, 1950, at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, California, and wrapped principal photography six days later.[13] In order to save money, the film was shot on sets for the 1948 Ingrid Bergman film Joan of Arc, using artificial fog to change moods, plot locations, and to hide the lack of backdrops and staged landscapes for the outdoor scenes.[8][12]
Invaders from Mars, The War of the Worlds, both released in 1953, and The Thing from Another World (1951), all began production around the same time this film was made. The Day the Earth Stood Still finished production six months prior, in the summer of 1951.
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