The Man From Planet X (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1951) [RePoPo]

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Technical Information

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Type..................: Movie

Container file........: AVI

Video Format..........: H.264

Total Bitrate.........: 2775Kbps

Audio format..........: AC3 (untouched)

Audio Languages.......: English 1.0 Mono

Subtitles Ripped......: Spanish

Subtitles in Subpack..: Spanish, French

Resolution............: 640x480

Aspect Ratio..........: 1.37:1

Original Aspect Ratio.: 1.37:1

Color.................: B/W

FPS...................: 23.976

Source................: DVD NTSC

Duration..............: 01:10:28

Genre.................: Science-Fiction

IMDb Rating...........: 5.6

Movie Information.....: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043778/



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General Information

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SYNOPSIS: 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.



CAST:

Robert Clarke - John Lawrence

Margaret Field - Enid Elliot

Raymond Bond - Prof. Elliot

William Schallert - Mears

Roy Engel - Constable

Charles Davis - Geordie

Gilbert Fallman - Dr. Blane

Tom Daly



CREW

Edgar G. Ulmer - Director

Jack Pollexfen - Producer / Screenwriter

Aubrey Wisberg - Producer / Screenwriter

John L. Russell - Cinematographer

Charles Koff - Composer (Music Score)

Fred R. Feitshans, Jr. - Editor

Joel Moss - Sound/Sound Designer

William Randall - Sound/Sound Designer

Andy Anderson - Special Effects

Jack R. Rabin - Special Effects

Howard Weeks - Special Effects-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review by Craig Butler



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.

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IMDB forums (march9hare)

A diminuative alien arrives on Earth in what looks for all the world like an

oversized Christmas tree ornament and terrorizes a sleepy little Scottish town.

Ultimately, both he and his spaceship are destroyed just as Planet X whisks by

the Earth. This early fifties sci-fi effort was rushed into production to

capitalize on Howard Hawks' "The Thing", and looks it. How rushed? Would you

believe a six day shooting schedule? Six days; that's all Mid-Century Films

could afford with a budget of less than $60,000. Shot on sets leased from the

Hal Roach Studios (most were originally used in the film "Joan of Arc") and with

less-than-convincing backdrops, this film somehow manages to capture a moody

atmosphere that's perfect for the genre. Add to this an eerie score, and you can

just overlook the genuinely hilarious alien. Everything about this creature

screams "CHEAP!!!", from the obvious duct tape around the mouthpiece to the

control valve on his backpack that looks like it was stolen from Alice Kramden's

sink. What optical effects there are are nicely rendered by Jack Glass, and most

of the performances are okay, especially that of Roy Engel, who plays Constable

Tommy with an accent that would make James Doohan envious. Margaret Field plays

Enid, Professor Eliot's daughter and the (we guess) love interest for Robert

Clarke, the American reporter. We used the modifier "we guess" because there's

no chemistry between the two, despite Clarke's repeated - and obvious -

advances. A good deal of the dialogue is pretty strained, as well. Example:

Prof. Eliot says to the two: "Let us concentrate on this remarkable object"

and:"Ssshh! The scale is delicate; it responds to a breath upon it." Does

anybody talk like this? Nobody we know. In spite of all this, plus the fact that

the terror is somewhat forced and just why the alien's spaceship comes equipped

with a hypnotic ray is never explained, believe it or not, "The Man from Planet

X" isn't really a bad film, just a cheap one, and Robert Schallert fans can add

a star. Try it; believe us, you COULD do worse!



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