Monday, April 21, 2014

Keep Watching the Skies!: PART I: 1950-1951

AND REMEMBER TO KEEP WATCHING THE SKIES!:
A Foray into 1950's Sci-Fi Pictures

 PART I: 1950-1951

At Look At The Films:

  • Destination Moon (1950)
  • Rocketship X-M (1950)
  • Day the Earth Stood Still, The (1951)
  • Flight to Mars (1951)
  • Man from Planet X, The (1951)
  • When Worlds Collide (1951)
  • Red Planet Mars (1952)
  • Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, The (1953)
  • Invaders from Mars (1953)
  • It Came from Outer Space (1953)
  • Project Moonbase (1953)
  • Robot Monster (1953)
  • War of the Worlds (1953)
  • Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
  • Godzilla (1954)
  • Gog (1954)
  • Them! (1954)
  • Creature with the Atom Brain (1955)
  • Revenge of the Creature (1955)
  • Tarantula (1955)
  • This Island Earth (1955)
  • Creature Walks Among Us, The (1956)
  • Earth Vs. the Flying Saucer (1956)
  • Forbidden Planet (1956)
  • Godzilla: King of the Monsters (1956)
  • 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)
  • Cyclops, The (1957)
  • Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1957)
  • Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
  • Blob, The (1958)
  • Fly, The (1958)
  • Incredible Shrinking Man, The (1958)
  • It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)
  • 4D Man (1959)
  • Hideous Sun Demon, The (1959)
  • AND OF COURSE, Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
The 1950s was the Golden Era of the silver screen. Both in and out of the cinema, Science-Fiction played a spectacular role. Ray Bradbury began the decade with his masterpiece book, 'The Martian Chronicles'. 'Galaxy' magazine was publishing the works of such luminaries as Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asminov. The film release of 1950's 'Destination Moon' was truly a special effects epic, capturing the minds of a nation. Splitting the atom to bear its twin products of progressive & destructive power gave the seed of fact that produced the huge outburst of radio-active cinema in the 1950s. The world had the growing sense that man was not alone in the universe, that there were likely other beings inhabiting planets in solar systems beyond ours. The A-bomb drop of 1945 garnered little notice from the cinema; but seven years later with the first H-bomb test, a shock, that's still evident today, swept the entire world. Science both excited and frightened the United States. The possibility of going to outer space left the country in awe; and the antithesis of that, the thought of nuclear war kept many scared of the new power and responsibility we had just created. Science fiction, which may become fact through our techno-progress, seemed a fitting metaphor for this age wherein what we read and saw in the movies was something possible. If you can dream it, you can make it reality. Who said that? Disney? Anyhow, at some level, perhaps unconscious, this awareness made us afraid; and fear is a stuff that drives box office adrenaline. Perhaps it is because an imaginary or created sensation will inoculate us to fear. These films drew on our fears of politics and public concern; and the scary truths of depersonalization, infiltration, invasion and nuclear weapons.

DESTINATION MOON (1950)

We begin this essay with the 1950's classic, 'Destination Moon'. This was the first major U.S. release of a Science-Fiction film to deal with the dangers of round-trip space travel. After the four-year project to send a spaceship into orbit ends with the rocket exploding immediately after take-off, its top engineer is asked to lead a project to build a new rocket -- and send it on the maiden voyage to the moon. When privatized investors meet to discuss financing the mission, this is a film's response to the threat of the atomic age space race with the Soviet Union. As per the picture's theme, industrialists, without the aid of the government, are going to have to pull together for the U.S. to remain the dominate technological nation. The film believes the government would never be able to employ the intelligence which would be required of a project of this magnitude; and that it would fall solely on American industry. After a cameo from none other than Woody Woodpecker -- yes, that Woody Woodpecker -- the group decides to mobilize and manufacture the spacecraft. This movie promises the first nation to master space travel will be the nation to control Earth. It discuses a concern of the nuclear war scare, along with the fear of turning the moon into a missile silo. Though far fetched now, this was a common worry on the 1950s. For the times, 'Destination Moon' did a fantastic job incorporating science and fact into a fictional film, as this was one of the first to rely on scientific fact; and not cheezy monsters to push the plot and discompose the movie goer. 'Destination Moon' plays on the common themes of the time -- atomic reaction, radioactivity, paranoia, a lack-of-faith in the government, the scare of nuclear war, invasion, government-pushed propaganda and fear of the red nation, The Soviet Union.

This picture won an Oscar for "Best Visual Effects". Some of those effects still look well-done; and some -- not so much. It's interesting to think a movie so often forgotten was responsible for opening the floodgates for a decade of Science Fiction. Most importantly, the themes of 'Destination Moon' hold up. Splitting the atom was just the beginning. With the modern advances in science, it sometimes feels like we are over-extending ourselves and putting people at risk just for the chance to undue a million years of Mother Nature. There are more parallels than that. Especially with our nation, propaganda and fear still dictates our subconscious. Now, more than ever, a frequent feeling on unease and fear subtly follows us. In a time when everything gets over-scrutinized and every event brings with it conspiracy theories, we are hardly out of the age of 'big brother' and the sweeping paranoia of government -- except, as opposed to 'Destination Moon', it's not another nation we fear, but our own. 

As the film's end promises us to the tone of dark, ominous music, "THIS IS THE END"; the words, "OF THE BEGINNING" fade in, making us curious of what's to come.
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 Rocketship X-M (1950)
IMDB.com: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042897/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oCMTgSbL8s
Watch Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz41mPfDQig

This was the first post-World War II film to tackle outer space travel. When the release of 'Destination Moon' was delayed, director Kurt Neumann quickly shot this in 18 days so as to capitalize on the high-profile publicity of 'Destination Moon'. I recommend watching these two back-to-back because the contrast between them is incredible. Together, they illustrate the major anxieties of the 1950s. 

I should note, the end of this picture does have some good B-movie cheeze to it; and stars a very young Lloyd Bridges, so that's a plus.


'Rocketship X-M' -- or Rocketship-Expedition: Moon -- is a movie based around urgency and nuclear war. After the RX-M takes off for the moon, they quickly encounter danger as their engines shut down; leaving them floating and helpless. Their runaway ship takes them far past the moon, leading to their eventual lapse of consciousness as the ship begins to lose oxygen. Unbeknownst to anyone how long they were out, the crew wakes to find they're on a direct course to Mars. The ship lands safely land on the martian planet and they begin to explore, leading to the eventual discovery of evidence pointing to a dead advanced society. Their journeys lead them to a few surviving martians, living like a undeveloped culture in a cave. "From the atomic age to the stone age".
Films like this and 'Destination Moon' really promote jingoism, or extreme patriotism. What this movies does differently, though, is it manipulates the audience into feeling helpless. 'Rocketship X-M' plays as a cautionary tale into the scare of nuclear war. Seeing that the martians colonies have become ravaged causing their planet to become highly radioactive as a result leads the movie goer into a level of fear. It's a fear of the unknown -- of death and destruction. The few remaining martians have been blown back to an archaic time, forced to live in caves like a primitive culture. Nuclear war and the red planet, Mars, were often symbolic for the Soviet Union. In this case, nuclear war was the culprit -- a product of the atomic scare of the Soviets. This film doesn't make you paranoid of 'big brother' or what lies beyond the Earth's reach as much as it plays into the sense of the power and devastating force that was the atomic age.

However, despite how this picture portrays it, .30 caliber rifles and revolvers don't actually work in space, so...
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The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Unlike most of the decade's Science-Fiction films, 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' was one of the most original. Fox studio's biggest fear with the picture was its pro-peace statement. During The Cold War, taking the side of peace was viewed as unpatriotic. On top of that, America had just entered the Korean War; so an anti-war message made the studio nervous. At one point, Fox asked the government to lend equipment for the production. They rejected the script and refused to supply the filmmakers with anything. Clearly, the anti-war sentiment was one the government would not support.

The movie begins when an alien spaceship lands in Washington D.C. In a panic, the military surrounds the ship. The alien emissary, Klaatu, emerges carrying a gift for the president. With the attention of the world captured, fear of the unknown takes over and one of the surrounding soldiers shoots Klaatu. As he lay there, bleeding, his robot and protector, Gort, comes to his aid. Gort shows his power by disintegrating all of the military's weapons. After being hospitalized, Klaatu informs an aid of the president he will not leave until all of the world's figure heads gather for a meeting. The biggest opposition comes, obviously, between the Soviets and the Americans. Both refuse to set foot on the other's soil. It becomes very apparent if neither backs down, the entire world will pay the price. With America's government, military and citizens afraid, their distrust turns to widespread panic and violence. But Klaatu's important message of humanity isn't lost on everyone, as a boy, named Bobby, and his mother befriend him. Little do they realize, they may be the only chance to save the world from total destruction.

One of the most clear themes of this film is the correlation between Klaatu and Jesus. When he takes up with Bobby and his family, the name he gives is "Carpenter". He's come to Earth to promote love and world peace. He's a god-like protagonist. It's clear as day what they are trying to do with his character. Everything in this movie is simply done -- the tension between America and the Soviet Union in the beginning years of the Cold War-era, the distrust of the American people, the uncertainty of the atomic-age and the fear of invasion. What this picture does so well is its blatant and ballsy pro-peace statement.


Personally, I find 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' to be overrated. It's a good movie with a positive message; but nothing about it is subtle. The meaning behind the movie isn't supposed to be located in the depth of the plot, but on its surface. It's more than a period piece as its relevance always pertains to the times. The greatest thing about this film is the lasting impression the themes have on the movie goer. Peace and tolerance, in any era, is ideal.
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Flight to Mars (1951)

After a space flight crashes on Mars, leaving their rocketship heavily damaged, the crew discovers they're not alone on the planet. An advanced civilization, living underneath the planet's surface, comes to their aid; and with open arms, the martians welcome the travelers and helps repair their rocket. Their benevolence is all an act, however, as once the ship is repaired, the martians enslave the humans and reveal their sinister plot -- to keep them as slaves and commandeer their ship to evacuate their dying planet. "First the army. Then the civilians", they promise. And their destination -- Earth.

 Movies like this one could be paced better. They're entertaining, but they take a long time until they even hit Mars, let alone the main plot device -- the possible martian invasion. Films like this one were perfect for putting suspicion in the minds of the audience -- even if the audience were mostly comprised of a younger demographic.
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By now, you're probably drawing some comparisons between each movie I've reviewed. As I mentioned before, the themes of outer space travel, the Soviet Union, radioactivity, invasion and the atomic age were very common in 1950s Sci-Fi. 

The United States was going through a period of economic growth. It was the post-World War II boom which produced increases in manufacturing and home construction. The nation had military and political conflict with the Eastern Bloc, the communist states of Europe. There's that term again -- "jingoism". The nation had a level of jingoism, which gave way to a politically conservative climate. It was from this that a fear of communism was born. Congressional hearings only deepened the anti-communist sentiment of the American people. The "Red Scare", or the fear of the Soviet Union, led to McCarthyism, or the blacklisting of suspected communist-supporters living in our own country. In 1957, the Cold War really heated up when the Soviets launched Sputnik; the world's first Earth satellite. By now, the nation was already experiencing the fear of invasion through McCarthyism. This really made the American people afraid of what could come next. Could nuclear weapons be launched from space? This was five years after the first detonated testing of the H-Bomb. It wasn't beyond possibility that the nation who was the first to travel in outer space could be the nation to rule the Earth. 'Us vs. Them' was the sentiment of the American people. Not until the Cold War's end in 1991, did that mindset finally begin to dissipate. It's a theme you saw quite frequently from the Olympic games to movies like 'Red Dawn' and 'Rocky IV'. 

In 1950, the war in Korea had begun; and two Puerto Ricans had tried to assassinate President Truman. It was hardly a time of peace. But the post-WWII boom had begun; and the country, as a whole, was doing well and experiencing a high level of success. The crime rate was low, but the amount of juvenile delinquency was rising at an alarming rate.Almost a year to the date after Truman assassination-attempt, Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected. He would be a driving force behind much of the decade. Public Works became important when the Interstate Highway Act went into effect in 1956. This was, at the time, the largest construction job ever in the U.S. Travel was now convenient and encouraged.

Science was booming as we had just split the atom and utilized its destructive force with the A and H-Bomb. The 1950s also saw the creation of NASA; as well as many advances in modern science like the polio vaccine and the first organ transplants. The helical structure of DNA was discovered at Cambridge University and space travel was finally becoming a reality with the Soviet launch of Sputnik 1. 

 In Pop Culture, 77% of homes had televisions in them.  'The Day the Earth Stood Still' was on its way to becoming a classic, capturing the minds of the nation. The film manifested the nation's Cold War fears by exploring themes of the atomic age, invasion and mutation. Science-Fiction film became a metaphor for foreign ideologies and communism; and at the box office, fear sells.

 The country was seeing all of their fears manifested through film. The themes and tones of the '50s were common place in cinema, and each movie had a different way of presenting those fears.
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The Man from Planet X (1951)
Watch Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bp86FyeXQ0

Following the Roswell incident, 'The Man from Planet X' was one of the first U.F.O. movies to come out of Hollywood with the theme of a flying saucer landing on Earth. This became a monster hit, especially compared to how much money it made as opposed to how much it cost. It was budgeted at $41,000 and grossed well over a million. It was one of the first films of its kind to be sold to television, which led to the weekly airings. The film presents a creepy tone, almost in a Gothic-fairy tale way. The sets were small and reused from other films, such as Ingrid Bergman's, 'Joan of Arc'. Director, Edgar G. Ulmar, also employed great use of miniatures. 

A new planet appears in our solar system; and the next day, a strange invader rockets to Earth. The invader, our antagonist, lands in the Scottish moors, sending the townspeople into a panic. Our film's lead, John Laurence, and the elderly Professor Elliot discovers the alien. After failing to communicate with it, they fall back on geometry to interact with the visitor. When he becomes uncooperative, the film's other antagonist, Dr. Mears, shuts off the alien's breathing apparatus and leaves him for dead. But the alien is not dead, and escapes. Shortly after, the alien takes control of the townspeople, as he puts them under a trance. It is up to John to save the town -- and the world -- from an impending alien invasion. 

It's a fairly simple plot, but it's executed rather well. The film goes against a lot of the 1950s techniques with its Gothic, black-and-white feel. The characters are simple but likable. This movie doesn't play into the decade's norms -- communism and the atomic age -- but instead gives us a film reminiscent of the dark, creepy Universal pictures from 15 years prior. At times, the small sets play out like a staged production; but it's rather effective. Like I mentioned before, 'The Man from Planet X' plays on the "alien-invader" theme. After the Roswell incident of 1947, the nation's interest in aliens began to spike, as well as reported U.F.O. sightings. There is little-to-no allegory involved in this one, but its "flying saucer" and "space-invader" themes make it a very relevant picture for its time.
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When Worlds Collide (1951)
Watch Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtSHE_TvVsI

Predicting the end of the world was a common, yearly occurrence in the '50s. 'When Worlds Collide' comes face-to-face with those claims. After a new star and planet hurdle through space, its course is predicted to go straight through Earth, at an alarming speed. When brought to the attention of the public by one of the film's lead -- Dr. Hendron -- scientists and citizens alike become angered with the preposterous idea. Eventually martial law gets instated and most of the nation begins to panic and riot. This tension builds for a very dramatic finale, in one of the most well-done films which the early '50s had to offer.

The themes of this are more biblical than a lot of the other movies of the decade. It borrows from the story of Noah and the Arc (clearly, not my usual reading, since I just had to Google the arc-builder's name. Hell, I thought it was Jonah and the Arc or Joanne, or something).'When the world has become corrupt, it will be wiped clean of the evil', the film promises. 'When Worlds Collide' is almost a cautionary tale; especially since the people who most dispute the claims of Dr. Hendron are all single-minded scientists. With that, you can also draw the connection to the decade's early push for open-mindedness. The picture has an overall morally positive message; but presented in a catastrophic way. It wasn't often a film this old had such a dark, ominous tone; but it got the message across as many flocked to the theaters creating a commercial success out of this flagship disaster film.
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