Red Planet Mars

Peter Graves plays a scientist in San Diego, California who receives messages from Mars on his radio transmitter (sneakily intercepted by the Russians); initially, the decoded Martian messages about prolonged life and their unnecessary need for industrial mechanics throw America's population into a tailspin. However, it turns out Mars is a Christian planet, and their next communication with us, a regular "sermon on the mount", begins to ease tensions and starts a religious revival worldwide. Talky think-piece, adapted from a play, amusingly full of clean-cut, incredibly polite Americans and savage-acting Russkies. Not likely to please science-fiction fans who are used to propulsive action, though the b&w cinematography by Joseph Biroc is excellent and there are some interesting ideas and a last-act plot-twist. Released at a time when communist hysteria was running rampant in the U.S., the movie is brave enough to attempt a humanitarian tact--and naive enough to believe in what it preaches. A livelier cast might have made it more memorable, but check out Peter's big-screen TV! ** from ****

I enjoyed the film, like a little snip of history, as you could "feel" the mood of the times just watching it.

What I was wondering, when you see Peter Graves watching television at home he is clearly looking at a wide (really wide) screen set seemingly embedded in a wall that is made of stone floor to ceiling.

Additionally, he has knobs on a table along side his chair to turn on and off the set.

For all intent and purpose (with the exception of no remote control) the room is set up rather like a home-theater only in 1952. Were there wide screen television able to be set into a wall with knobs on tables back then? I noticed too that the screen was surrounded by wood trim, rather like the way you see a wall mounted AC unit! Interesting.

This old , offbeat and incredible Cold War relic deals with an American scientist discovering that a Radio voice transmission from Mars belongs to God . As the scientific (Peter Graves) and wife (Andrea King) contact Mars by radio and receive information that Mars is ruled by a godlike supreme being , causing a global revolution on Earth . The plot rolls out barmstorming happenings in which TV transmission from Mars origines unfortunate incidents and extraordinary distresses . As Revolution sweeps the Earth, including the Soviet Union. But there remains doubt about the messages being true , as an ex-Nazi claims he was duping the Americans .Here is the first contact between Earth and Mars! Out-Of-This-World excitement and suspense ! The World Torn Asunder By A Thret From Outer Space!

A main candidate for the strangest and nuttiest Science Fiction of all time with a surprising premise and plenty of twists , set-up and turns : An American scientist (Peter Graves) and his wife (Andrea King) are able to contact and communicate with Mars . But Mars results to be a utopia and that Earth's people can be saved if they return to the worship of God and other rare events . There follows a further bona fide transmission proclaiming that its leader is God himself , which stirs up a worldwide religious revival and a resolve for all to live in harmony . All of them cause shattering political, economic , and spiritual repercussions . This in an incoherent movie overburned with various messages about religion , politics , extraterrestrial life and science . The strange script involves a marriage of scientists , a mad doctor hoping to topple capitalism , religious riots against Stalin and communism and many other things . It stars the always agreeable Peter Graves . Peter drafted United States Air Force, he studied drama at the University of Minnesota and then headed to Hollywood, where he first appeared on television and later made his film debut in Rogue River (1951). Numerous film appearances followed, especially in Westerns . However, Graves is primarily recognized for his television work, particularly as Jim Phelps in Mission impossible (1966). He made movies of all kinds of genres , Sci-Fi, drama , Western , Warlike , comedy , such as : Stalag , Beneath the 12-mile reef , It conquered the world , Killers from space , The clonus horror , The court martial of Billy Mitchell , The winds of war , Sergeant Ryker , Cruise missile , Legend of the Sea Wolf , Scream of the Wolf, Texas across the river , The Guns and the Fury , The rebels , Survival run, Let's make up , The night of the hunter , The slipper and the rose , being especially known for his special appearances in : Airplane I and II and Men in Black 2 . Peter Graves died of a heart attack on March 14, 2010, just four days before his 84th birthday. His partenaire is the beautiful and attractive Andrea King , being her first screen appearance in the film entitled The Ramparts We Watch (1940). After signing with Warner Bros. and changing her professional name, Andrea's career took off very quickly, and she appeared in nine films in 18 months. The Warner Bros. studio photographers voted Andrea the most photogenic actress on the lot for the year 1945. Her first leading role came early on with Hotel Berlin (1945), following other films as The Very Thought of You , God Is My Co-Pilot , My Wild Irish Rose , Song of surrender , Darby's Rangers , Silent Fear , Dial 1119 , I Was a Shoplifter , The Lemon Drop Kid , The Mark of the Renegade and The world in his arms . They are accompanied by a good support cast , such as : Walter Sande , Marvin Miller , Willis Bouchey and an usual actor in Sci-Fi movies : Morris Ankrum .

Rare screenplay by Anthony Veiller and John Balderson based on the play : ¨Red Planet¨ by John Hoare and John Lloyd Balderson . It packs an atmospheric musical score by Merrick . As well as an evocative cinematography in black and white by the notorious cameraman Joseph F. Biroc who had a long career .This film from another age that was ahead of its time was regularly directed by Harry Horner . He formed an association with the noted production designer William Cameron Menzies and made a few films , such as : New faces of 1952 , Vicki , Man from Del Rio , The wild party , A life in the balance , Beware my lovely and this one . Rating : 5/10 , average but passable .

I fondly remember the movie and particularly liked the conceit used to open communications with the aliens (the number sequence for pi). It was also thrilling to think that world peace could come about. On reseeing the movie over the years, and with the actual passing of the USSR and soviet communism, the movie doesn't really hold up. It's in the museum of propaganda films now. The closing screen was "The Beginning."

Peter Graves and Andrea King are working toward making communications with some life form on the planet Mars. Communications are made and then frequent messages are shot back down to Earth relating the Martian way of life, its lack of need for resources such as coal and oil, its ability to produce enough food from one field to feed a city, etc... All this news puts the world in a panic and the Western world's economy comes crashing down. Workers all of a sudden have nothing to do because of this little piece of communication. Now, the time has come for the East and the Red Menace to take over. What a bunch of malarkey! Red Planet Mars is a definite diversion from typical Sci-fi fare of the 1950s. We never see Mars(except some map of how its surface changes all the time). We don't get a glimpse at any aliens. We don't get any special effects except an astronomy lab and a cheaply-made communication center. What we do get is a story about science fiction actually masking a political agenda: to show how there is a great deal of tension between the West(United States) and the East(Soviet Union). The West is of course good; the East is bad. This is a propaganda film all the way, and though some of it is indeed thoughtful and inspires discussion - much of it is way too simplistic and heavy-handed. To really appreciate the film for what it is, it is important to understand the context of the time in which it was made. As a reminder of the Cold War and all the friction that existed in the world at that time, Red Planet Mars is acceptable. As a science fiction film, Red Planet Mars ultimately fails. Look, it isn't a bad movie really. Sure its doesn't have the most creative direction by Harry Horner. Graves gives his typical every man attempt at a performance of a world-famous scientist that has caused the catastrophic fall of Western civilization as being nothing more than a father of two boys a bit harried with his new found fame. His wife played by King is ever so more unconvincing as she just gives a bad performance. Watch her as she says some of her lines. it's like watching a bad impersonation of Olivier! The rest of cast borders one side or the other around mediocrity(Morris Ankrum has a bit part). Easily the most interesting character in the whole movie is the Russian in charge of trying to beat the Americans in conquering the communications battle. He is funny in his sly manner. If you don't mind the overly-optimistic preaching laced throughout the film and particularly at the end, you might give Red Planet Mars a look. It is definitely not something you have seen before.