Main Cast: Robert Clarke, Margaret Field, Raymond Bond, William Schallert, Roy Engel
Release Year: 1951
Country: US
Run Time: 70 minutes
Plot
An inexpensive but atmospheric sci-fi film, Man from Planet X takes place on a lonely Scottish island. Science professor Raymond Bond is monitoring the orbit of the mysterious "Planet X," which has entered the solar system and is travelling close to Earth. A spaceship lands from this planet, out of which pops a strange little man who looks something like an Easter Island statue. He has come to make contact with friendly Earthlings, but evil scientist William Schallert wants to exploit the spaceman's highly developed intellect for his own selfish ends. Schallert's nastiness turns the alien against the other Earthlings; the creature enslaves their minds and transforms them into zombies. Both Schallert and the alien are eventually destroyed--as Planet X, failing to establish a bond with Earth, spirals off into deep space. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Although filmed in six days on a ridiculously low budget (reportedly about $50,000), The Man from Planet X manages to be a nifty little sc-fi picture (and arguably the first of the alien invader sub-genre). Credit director Edgar G. Ulmer, who knew how to make the most with the least, for the majority of Planet X's success. Necessity being the mother of invention, Ulmer chose to shroud his painted back drops in the thickest of fogs, creating in the process a film that screams "atmosphere" from the get-go. Ulmer is also an old hand at creating suspense and tension and resolving the same, and the first appearance of the title character packs a pretty solid wallop, even today and in spite of the phoniness of the alien. Note, too, that despite the shock that the appearance carries, Ulmer takes the unusual option of having the character appear not as omnipotent but as a creature in need of aid. Indeed, Ulmer and the screenwriters deserve credit for the ambiguity they allow to permeate the script. While the alien eventually has plans for world domination on his mind, it's not clear whether he came to Earth with that in mind or whether he might have actually been willing to consider a more collaborative arrangement. While the screenplay on the whole is fairly typical of the genre, it is well packaged and plays its hand very effectively. Throw in a good "B" cast, and the result is a worthy little flick that's great to watch on a stormy night. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Charles Davis - Geordie; Gilbert Fallman - Dr. Blane; Tom Daly
Credit
Edgar G. Ulmer - Director, Fred R. Feitshans, Jr. - Editor, Charles Koff - Composer (Music Score), John L. Russell - Cinematographer, Jack Pollexfen - Producer, Aubrey Wisberg - Producer, Jack R. Rabin - Special Effects, Howard Weeks - Special Effects, Andy Anderson - Special Effects, William Randall - Sound/Sound Designer, Joel Moss - Sound/Sound Designer, Jack Pollexfen - Screenwriter, Aubrey Wisberg - Screenwriter
An alien visitor arrives at an observatory on the moors of Scotland. Unike most aliens from the time, the alien came to Earth asking for help to save his dying planet. None of his pleas for help were listened to, and both the alien and the spaceship are destroyed by the military.
