The Strange World of Planet X (film)
| The Strange World of Planet X | |
|---|---|
 The Strange World of Planet X VHS cover | |
| Directed by | Gilbert Gunn |
| Produced by |
George Maynard John Bash |
| Written by |
Paul Ryder Joe Ambor |
| Starring |
Forrest Tucker Gaby Andre Alec Mango |
| Music by | Robert Sharples |
| Cinematography | Josef Ambor |
| Edited by | Francis Bieber |
| Distributed by | Distributors Corporation of America (US) |
Release dates | 1958 |
Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Strange World of Planet X (aka Cosmic Monsters, The Crawling Terror, The Cosmic Monster, and The Crawling Horror) is an independently made 1958 British science fiction horror film, produced by George Maynard and John Bash, directed by Gilbert Gunn and released (in the USA) by Distributors Corporation of America. The film was released on a double bill in 1958 with The Crawling Eye (aka The Trollenberg Terror).
The film is a cautionary tale about science.
The film was adapted by Paul Ryder and Joe Ambor from the 1957 Rene Ray novel of the same name; a TV serial adapted by Ray himself in 1956 had aired previously in the UK.
Plot
A monomaniacal scientist, Dr. Laird (Alec Mango), has invented ultra-sensitive magnetic fields, which attracts objects from space. Strange things begin happening, including a freak storm, and insects and spiders mutating into giant monsters. An alien spaceship appears over London and mankind is warned against the dangers of this scientific experiment.
Cast
- Forrest Tucker as Gil Graham
- Gaby André as Michele Dupont
- Martin Benson as Smith
- Alec Mango as Dr. Laird
- Wyndham Goldie as Brigadier Cartwright
- Hugh Latimer as Jimmy Murray
- Dandy Nichols as Mrs. Tucker
- Richard Warner as Inspector Burns
- Patricia Sinclair as Helen Forsyth
- Geoffrey Chater as Gerard Wilson
- Hilda Fenemore as Mrs. Hale
Trivia
The plot of this low-budget film appears to have been inspired by The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951).
On its original theatrical release it was not notably successful; it became something of a cult favorite due to later television syndication.
Unusual for such a low budget film, a theremin is used in the music soundtrack.
The film is said to have inspired the later B movie, Invasion from Inner Earth (1974).
External links
- The Strange World of Planet X at the Internet Movie Database
- The Strange World of Planet X at AllMovie
- In-depth review of the film
- The Strange World of Planet X at Moria - Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review