FLIGHT TO MARS (1951) – Film Detective Blu Ray Special Edition $24.95 (also available on DVD, $19.95) 72 minutes. Color https://www.thefilmdetective.com/flight-to-mars
FLIGHT TO MARS (1951) was one of the first science fiction films to deal with interplanetary travel that was not a serial. That said, with its alien civilization where they speak perfect English subplot, it is not too far removed from the Flash Gordon episodes that had gone before.
It was an expensive production for Monogram Pictures, better known for Bowery Boys and inexpensive programmers. Luckily, the year prior, ROCKETSHIP X-M (Lippert,1950) and DESTINATION MOON (Paramount,1950) proved that there was an audience for these kinds of adventures.
Monogram was beginning to try and transition into more expensive pictures and began to use color in their films. Cinecolor was a two-color process, rather than the pricier three strip Technicolor or the Ansco Color favored by MGM on several films before LUST FOR LIFE (MGM,1956) became the last in that process.
Even though it was an expensive project for the studio, a lot of material from other studios was repurposed or rented for the production, including sets and props from ROCKETSHIP-XM, as well as leftover military surplus, like the leather flight jackets and helmets.
Still, there are a lot of original costumes, sets, and props, as well as the several special effects shots, making this film more impressive when you learn that, according to the late star Cameron Mitchell, the actors completed their work in only five days!
Though the effects are attributed to Jack Cosgrove, who had worked on GONE WITH THE WIND (MGM,1939), it seems most of the work was done by the uncredited effects team of Jack Rabin, Louis DeWitt, and Irving Block. Some of the work they did on this film was echoed on the later FORBIDDEN PLANET (MGM,1956).
The film was directed by Lesley Selander, an odd choice, as he had directed mostly westerns, though he had directed with great style one of Republic’s few horror features, THE VAMPIRE’S GHOST (1945). The short shooting schedule of this film would allow little in the way of directorial flourishes, but he kept the story going in a clear manner.
Screenwriter Arthur Strawn had written the 1944 Broadway farce SLEEP NO MORE (that played all of seven performances!) but had been writing screenplays since the 1930s, including the classic Karloff thriller THE BLACK ROOM (Columbia, 1935).
The first earth expedition to Mars is made up of reporter Steve Abbott (Cameron Mitchell, who was coming off a Theatre World Award winning performance as Biff in the original production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN on Broadway as well as recreating his role in the 1951 Columbia film),who is their to record the historic event ,the expedition leader Dr. Lane (John Litel, who in real life had enlisted in the French Army during WWI because he didn’t want to wait for the U.S. to enter the fray, and he was twice decorated for bravery!) ,Professor Jackson(Richard Gaines, who appeared that same year in Billy Wilder‘s ACE IN THE HOLE , Paramount), engineer Jim Barker (Arthur Franz ,BUD ABBOTT & LOU COSTELLO MEET THE INVISIBLE MAN ,Universal, 1951) and Carol , his assistant (Virginia Huston, FLAMINGO ROAD,W.B.,1949).
There is talk about the dangers of the voyage, knowing that any number of things could happen that would result in their deaths (someone must have seen ROCKETSHIP -XM). Sure enough, they encounter a meteor that damages some of their equipment, including their radio and landing gear. The Professor crash lands the ship, still hoping to collect data that they can send back, even though they themselves may never return to earth.
Donning outfits better suited for a B-25 than an extraterrestrial expedition, they discover that there are intricate structures created by an advanced civilization. Sure enough, they are met by a group of Martians in colorful space suits and helmets. Ikron (Morris Ankrum, who switched sides, as he had been Dr Fleming in ROCKETSHIP X-M!) informs the earthlings that they have been monitoring Earth transmissions and thus have learned their languages, keeping the film moving rather than a long time figuring out how to communicate. Kiron is the current President of the Martian Planetary Council, and he invites the visitors to see their vast underground city.
The Martian civilization is advanced in many ways, though it seems all the women are incredibly young and wear miniskirts (well, STAR TREK, Paramount TV, 1966-69 did the same) while most of the men seem middle aged or older. Seeing the scientific advances, the earth crew asks for help with repairing their spaceship, to which the Martians eagerly agree. We find out that the Martians an atmosphere by use of a material called Corium . We soon learn that their supply of the mineral is depleted.
Ikron and the council plan to fix the ship, copying it and using this new fleet to make a mass exodus to earth. Alita (Marguerite Chapman, later in Hammer’s THE LAST PAGE /MAN BAIT ,1952 directed by Terence Fisher), one of the Martian scientists, helps with the repairs, unaware of the plans of the council. Also helping is Terris (Lucille Barkley, who appeared in the 1951 Universal surprise hit, BEDTIME FOR BONZO). Terris is spying upon the visitors and the progress of the repairs, reporting back to Ikron.
Jim begins to suspect what the Martians are up to and fakes an explosion. He then informs the other crew members that the ship is really ready and will take off the next day , with the addition of Alita and Tillamar (Robert Barrat, who had been acting on Broadway as far back as 1918,and who in 1950 played the Judge in the Sam Fuller picture BARON OF ARIZONA, Lippert ,1950),a former Council President who is sympathetic to the humans.
There is a desperate getaway attempt after Terris reports her suspicions to the council, but the ship takes off, bound back for earth.
The film is a fun pulpy science fiction film that exhibits the mindset of the times in which it was made (when asked what she would like to see in the Martian Civilization, Carol first wants to see- a kitchen!!).
Long available in blurry prints, FILM DETECTIVE has sourced their new 4K restoration copy from an original 35MM Cinecolor Separation Negative, giving us a much clearer idea of how great the film must have looked when it was first released. The copy is superbly clean, and the mono sound is reproduced cleanly.
There are also optional subtitles in either English or Spanish.
Other extras include :
A running commentary by film historian Justin Humphreys (co -author with William Goldstein of THE DR PHIBES COMPANION, Bear Manor ,2020). Justin is not afraid to point out the flaws of the film but is also quick to defend its entertainment value as well, and the difficulty of doing a color science fiction film back in the early 1950s with a low budget.
WALTER MIRISCH: FROM BOMBA TO BODY SNATCHERS– a new documentary about the producer who helped Monogram evolve into Allied Artists, while attracting bigger names and better productions to the studio, before he left and formed his own production company, producing some of the biggest hits in the 1960s like WEST SIDE STORY (UA,1960). Being a Ballyhoo documentary, you know that it is informative and very well done, hosted by filmmaker C. Courtney Joyner (screenwriter of PRISON, Empire,1987).
Interstellar Travelogues: Cinema’s First Space Race – a celebration of sci fi space race films hosted by Hugo winning artist historian Vincent Di Fate. It examines the importance of the earlier German film Frau im Mond (DEFA,1929) and moves forward to cover a few other films that dealt with interplanetary flight that followed. Oddly, it ignores Himmelskibet (Denmark ,Nordisk Films,1918) ,which was probably the first film to have a space exploration of Mars.
The documentary was an interesting idea, and I wish it had been expanded to go into greater depth of that film and those that followed, like PROJECT MOONBASE (Lippert 1953) and CONQUEST OF SPACE (Paramount ,1955). The recording of Di Fate sounds like it was from an older tape recording or a phone call, being a bit echoey. Still the information is fascinating to hear.
Inside the slipcover is a small booklet that has an essay by Don Stradley that covers the production of FLIGHT TO MARS as well as other films that visited the Red Planet.
If you are a fan of pulpy science fiction films, I can recommend that you pick up The Film Detective’s release of FLIGHT TO MARS.
-Kevin G Shinnick
FLIGHT TO MARS on Blu Ray and DVD is available on Amazon and other fine DVD/Blu Ray dealers.
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