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The Man from Planet X

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The Man from Planet X
Theatrical release poster
Directed byEdgar G. Ulmer
Written byAubrey Wisberg
Jack Pollexfen
Produced byJack Pollexfen
Aubrey Wisberg
StarringRobert Clarke
Margaret Field
William Schallert
CinematographyJohn L. Russell
Edited byFred R. Feitshans Jr.
Music byCharles Koff
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release dates
  • March 9, 1951 (1951-03-09) (San Francisco)
  • April 7, 1951 (1951-04-07) (New York City)
  • April 27, 1951 (1951-04-27) (U.S.)
Running time
70 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$51,000 (est.)[1][2]
Box office$1.2 million[1]

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.

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.

Plot

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A spaceship from a previously unknown planet lands in the Scottish moorlands, 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

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Cast notes

  • Actor Pat Goldin and dwarf actor Billy Curtis were both rumoured to be the unknown actor who played the role of the alien space visitor.[7][8] However, Robert Clarke, who is frequently named as the source of the Pat Goldin rumour, never actually knew the name of the actor who played the alien, nor did the other cast members, including Margaret Field and William Schallert.[9][10] Furthermore, the unknown actor was noticeably taller than Billy Curtis. Cast member Robert Clarke recalls only that he was of Jewish origin, stood about five feet tall, and was once part of an acrobatic vaudeville act.[9] Margaret Field and producer Jack Pollexfen later recalled only that he had complained about his uncomfortable costume and his low pay,[7][8][11] while William Schallert remembered him only as a very small, interesting-looking middle-aged man who wasn't much of an actor.[10] Robert Clarke was paid $350/week for his work on this film.[12]

Production

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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]

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1952 comic book adaptation.

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.

References

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Notes

  1. ^ a b Schallert, Edwin (October 22, 1956). "Monroe Specifications Named for 'Karamazov; Lean Offers Ford Film". Los Angeles Times. p. A11.
  2. ^ Butler, Craig Review (AllMovie)
  3. ^ Variety March 14, 1951, page 7.
  4. ^ Film Daily April 10, 1951
  5. ^ Monthly Film Bulletin 1951, page 343
  6. ^ Harrison's Reports April 7, 1951, page 55
  7. ^ a b The Man from Planet X at IMDb
  8. ^ a b c TCM Notes
  9. ^ a b Johnston, John, Cheap tricks and Class Acts: Special Effects, Makeup, and Stunts from the Films of the Fantastic Fifties, Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co. Inc. Publishers, ISBN 0-7864-0093-5 (1996) pp. 224-225
  10. ^ a b The Man From Planet X: Articles, TCM.com, retrieved January 30, 2024
  11. ^ Parla, Paul, and Mitchell, Charles P., Screen Sirens Scream!: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Science Fiction, Horror, Film Noir and Mystery Movies, 1930s to 1960s: Margaret Field, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. Inc. Publishers, ISBN 0-7864-4587-4, ISBN 978-0-7864-4587-5 (2009), p. 97
  12. ^ a b McGee, Scott and Stafford, Jeff "The Man from Planet X" (TCM article)
  13. ^ TCM Overview

Bibliography

  • Warren, Bill. Keep Watching the Skies, American Science Fiction Movies of the 50s, Vol I: 1950–1957. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 1982. ISBN 0-89950-032-3.
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