Les premiers passagers du satellite

Included on the same disc as WORLD WITHOUT END (1956), this contemporaneous sci-effort from Britain takes a much more serious approach (down to the stiff-upper-lipped characters and stirring score) – with its documentary-like depiction of flights outside the Earth's atmosphere, the ultimate reason for which is the testing of a new type of bomb that's so powerful it can only be blown in outer space! While not uninteresting in itself, the treatment is so hackneyed as to render the whole dull instead of gripping, managing only a modicum of suspense during the last half-hour or so when the bomb, already timed to explode, remains attached to the back of the shuttle when dislodged! Casting is second-rate but adequate: Kieron Moore (as the stoic test pilot), Lois Maxwell (an intrepid reporter who, having lost her father and brother to science, feels a natural aversion to progress…but still can't help stowing away on the space vessel for the sake of a scoop!), Donald Wolfit (in the obligatory pompous physicist role, who then breaks into hysterics when the going gets tough!) as well as Bryan Forbes and Jimmy Hanley, playing other members of the flight each given a dreary romantic subplot fraught with complications.

This well-made British science fiction story concerns the crew of a test rocket on which a lady reporter (Lois Maxwell) stows away. Kieron Moore plays the pilot of the rocket sent into orbit in connection with the test of a new "Tritonium bomb". Donald Wolfit plays the bomb's inventor.

After releasing he bomb, it's internal propulsion system fails and it becomes attached to the hull of the spacecraft. All attempts to dislodge it are unsuccessful, so the bomb's inventor takes drastic action to deal with the situation.

Director Paul Dickson presents an exciting and intelligent story. The special effects are both competent and exciting -- which is no surprise in view of the fact that their creator, Wally Veevars, later worked on "2001".

The special effects include the space scenes, an underground space complex, and a rocket which is launched from a horizontal track, similar to "When Worlds Collide". Well-designed sets and props (especially the ship's interior and the spacesuits) enhance this wonderful British entry.

Currently this exceptional film is not available on either VHS or DVD. Hopefully, Mr. Wade Williams will eventually offer it as part of his wonderful, high-quality collection.

This is a moderately entertaining but rather dry and slow-moving British Cold War sci-fi adventure/parable in color and CinemaScope, released in the U. S. by Warner Bros. It's about an experimental new space project whose participants find out at the last minute was financed by military funds so a new super-bomb could be tested in space.

A woman reporter (a young Lois Maxwell) who doesn't think any space exploration is worth the money stows away on board. When the bomb is ready to be released there is a malfunction and it sticks to the rocket ship, so the ground crew and rocket crew have to decide what to do next. It's okay as a sci-fi drama but more interesting as a symptom of 1950s nuclear war paranoia.

A team of British astronauts on the first manned satellite into space encounter several problems. First, they're informed the satellite will be carrying a new "tritonium" bomb that is to be tested in space. Then, once they've left the atmosphere, they discover they have a reckless reporter as a stowaway. Then the bomb becomes stuck to the side of the ship and they have to find a way to defuse the bomb before it explodes and kills them all.

A mostly dull but not entirely uninteresting British sci-fi film shot in CinemaScope. It starts off with a quote from Nostradamus, which I found kind of odd for a science fiction film. It's a talky movie without much action. There's a bit of an anti-nuke message but not enough to give this any depth. Lois Maxwell's unlikable character has a bizarre anti-science stance because her brother and father were killed...or something like that. Anyway she basically turns out to be a huge hypocrite, on top of her other character flaws like carelessly endangering the lives of others. She's good at fetching coffee and sandwiches, though. And yes, that's literally what they do with the only female character on the satellite -- have her bring the men coffee and sandwiches. Most of the other characters are bland and forgettable, save for Donald Wolfit's Professor Merrity. It takes awhile before the ship gets off the ground and only then do things get a little exciting. The real saving grace of the movie comes from the special effects work of Wally Veevers, who would go on to work on such classics as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Superman.

This little seen film is definitely worth seeking out for fans of 50's sci-fi that concerns space travel. It has very nice production values, something along the lines of KRONOS, and is equally entertaining.

Good acting, intelligent script, nice matte paintings and some pretty good effects using miniatures make this one an interesting watch throughout. Recommended mostly for fans of good, lost 50's sci-fi!

Note:

Satellite in the Sky was originally filmed in 2:35 widescreen, however the collectors copy in circulation is unfortunately a horrendous pan and scan version. Whoever put together this sloppy and choppy pan and scan transfer should be shot into space without a satellite...