The Lost Missile

Almost shockingly dark, apocalyptic 1950s Cold War terror fest. Many films of this era disguised their Cold War paranoia and terror within fantasy science fiction allegories. Alternatively, The Lost Missile is almost literal in its depiction of the nuclear threat.

This dread-laden tone is supported by earnest acting, and, as other reviewers have noted, far better than average integration of stock footage with original material. The movie is also effectively paced to create greater suspense than one would expect from this kind of film, given how poorly executed so many of its counterparts were. Yes there are moments of high melodrama - it is a far from perfect movie - but narratively, and as a cultural artifact of that era, it is an entertaining and fascinating watch. I've actually decided to buy it, and think it would be a worthy addition to any aficionado's 1950s scifi film collection.

Very, very cheaply made sci-fi thriller from the Golden Age of the 1950s that surprisingly is much better than you might initially expect. Yes, its is undeniably cheaply made. Yes, many of the actors are sub-par. Yes, the story doesn't always make sense nor is it cohesive. Yes, there is plenty of stock footage for a film that isn't even 75 minutes long. What does it have going for it? Well, the story is entertaining as we follow the exploits of a hydrogen missile or some alien missile as it blazes its way from Alaska through Canada on its way to New York City turning everything it passes over nothing more than a burned cinder. Another reviewer noted that the film is not "scared" to kill people. How true and that is something very unique for a film like this and from the 1950s. It is refreshing(in a twisted way I guess). Robert Loggia does a credible job as the lead - an overworked scientist who is married to his job, fallen in love and out of favour with his fiancée Ellen Parker who is his co-worker as well. we get all the stereotypes one might imagine, but loggia nd even Parker show us enough depth of character to care. the scenes with the people huddling together to escape death are oddly convincing and the mood of the film stays tense throughout. this is not a great science fiction film by no means, but it is better than its budget would initially suggest.

THE LOST MISSILE concerns the title projectile, its emergence from the unknown reaches of space, and its doomsday trajectory over the Earth. Traveling at 4000 miles per hour, it eviscerates everything in its flight path! All attempts to intercept and destroy it prove futile.

Dr. David Loring (Robert Loggia) and his fiancee / fellow scientist, Joan Wood (Ellen Parker), have their wedding plans cut short. They must find a way to stop this intergalactic ballistic menace, before megadeath results!

This is one of those wonderful 1950's sci-fi movies that, if it weren't for the magic of stock footage, would be about 15 minutes long! Obviously, it utilizes cold war paranoia and fear of nuclear annihilation as a backdrop for its alleged alien attack. Seeing an impossibly young Loggia as a man racing against time, adds to the melodramatic fun. The story is original, and true to its era...

Lost Missile, The (1958)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Rarely talked about "scare" film has Robert Loggia playing a scientist who has an hour to try and create something that will stop a runaway missile that is reaching temperatures of one-million. The missile is destroying everything in its path and it's heading towards New York City. I was pleasantly surprised to see how great the actual story of this film was but sadly the budget is just so low that they can't do as much with it as I'm sure they had hoped. The movie contains a great story and one can't help but think this film would have certainly scared people back in the day who feared something like this would happen. The movie, due to its low budget, features a lot of stock footage, which gets old after a while but the movies central story is still top-notch. Loggia does a very good job in his role and it's always great to see this underrated character actor. Ellen Parker is also pretty good in her role of Loggia's fiancé. What really separates this film from plenty of others is that it's not scared to kill people. I won't ruin anything but there are several downbeat moments that you really don't expect to see but this here helps keep the suspense going because you know the film isn't scared to bump someone off. Again, it's a real shame that a major studio didn't pick up this story because with a few more on the budget it could have been something really great. As it is, this remains an underrated "B" movie.

Released (some would say "escaped") in 1958, "The Lost Missile" is, de- spite it's many flaws and shortcomings, a fairly interesting tale about a wild missile, apparently of extraterrestrial origin, loose in the Earth's atmosphere and frying everything underneath it with a million-degree exhaust. The biggest problem with this film really isn't the film's fault: it suffers from being rather too ambitious for its budget. While this is true of many fifties sci-fi films, this is not to say that there are other flaws which cannot be so easily dismissed' to wit: the acting. Robert Loggia plays Dr. David Loring, the tragic hero, and turns in a performance that is played with such lethargy and apparent disinterest that it makes you wonder if he was wondering "what was I thinking?" The rest of the cast play their parts like second- or even third-string summer stock. Oh, yeah: there's also the cliche'd frazzeled scientist ("My wife's having a baby, and I can't be with her!!"), lots and lots of stock Dept. of Defense shots of scrambling fighters, and some surprisingly good effects rendered by then-Master

of the Art Jack Glass. By far, the most hilarious performance is rendered by the Governor's aide. This guy looks like he just found out that his wife is cheating, his single daughter is pregnant, his son has the clap, he has prostate cancer, the car needs a new tranny, and the bank is foreclosing on his mortgage. . .all at the same time!!! Coming in a close second is the TV singer. This guy couldn't carry a tune in a semi! Seriously though, while "The Lost Missile" may not be a great film, it isn't quite a bad one, either. It's fast-paced and does hold your interest, which is more than I can say for "Phantom From Space". That one.. .OY!!