‘For many years we have picked up your radio broadcasts!’
Even the lesser Hollywood players jumped on the bandwagon after the runaway success of ‘Destination Moon’ (1950). Suddenly, space exploraion was big box office. The budgetary-challenged Monogram studios took a shot at it with ‘Flight to Mars’ (1951) and their effort was actually in colour!
The story focuses on the first manned expedition to Mars (as you may have guessed from that subtle title) and we have the usual assortment of dull boffins and standard romantic intrigue between the young journalist along for the ride and the sole woman on the crew. For a change she’s not the ship’s doctor but a scientist, albeit an assistant. The journo is played by Cameron Mitchell, at the beginning of a career that would include such gems as ‘Supersonic Man’ (1979) and ‘Nightmare in Wax’ (1971). All he gets to do here is be handsome and sulk.
Arrangements on the mission are cheerfully slipshod, with some of the crew arriving in the capsule at the last minute with their hats and coats still on! The scientists smoke pipes, the acceleration couches resemble bunk beds and everyone talks a lot as the minutes speed by like… well, hours really. The usual minor crises occur during the flight – I was waiting for the meteorite storm to hit and it duly arrived to knock our heroes off course.
When they finally reach Mars, it’s a crash landing but our crew emerge without a scratch thanks to their use of some advanced technology that they call mattresses. Right out the porthole is some pretty clear evidence that ‘we are no longer alone’ and, sure enough, the Martians all live underground after ruining their own planet. Their subterranean city is a bit like the one in ‘Metropolis’ (1926) – only funded by Poundland. Still, the natives seem friendly enough and their living arrangements are pretty cool. Our female scientist shows a particular enthusiasm for all the kitchen gizmos (groan)!
Do you come here often?
The Martians speak perfect English as they have been monitoring our broadcasts for some time (as per usual). Actually, I feel a bit sorry for any aliens out there in the cosmos who are monitoring our TV broadcasts at the moment. Is it any wonder they don’t come down and say hello and swap mobile numbers? I should think one look at the Jeremy Kyle Show would be enough to send them hurtling toward the other end of the galaxy. And imagine what exposure to ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ could do to them… we’ll probably be in an interplanetary war before we know it.
Anyway, back at the movie, some of the Martians aren’t as nice as they appeared to be at first but some of them still are and Cameron Mitchell still fancies the lady scientist but she doesn’t want him although she just may change her mind now that chief boffin has hooked up with his new alien girlfriend and there are problems with repairing the rocket but the boffins get round the table and invent some new thingamajig that might just work and… well, that’s about it really.
Mark David Welsh 