Flight to Mars *** (1951, Cameron Mitchell, Marguerite Chapman, Arthur Franz, Virginia Huston, John Litel, Richard Gaines, Morris Ankrum) – Classic Movie Review 2561

Director Lesley Selander’s pioneering 1951 low-budget sci-fi movie quickie, produced by Walter Mirisch for poverty row studios Monogram, stars Cameron Mitchell, Marguerite Chapman, Arthur Franz, Virginia Huston, John Litel, Richard Gaines and Morris Ankrum.

It is the second American postwar film following the 1950 Rocketship X-M to depict a manned space trip to Mars. However, this one chronicles a planned not accidental mission and the Martian species the crew find is superior to humanity and could pose a long-term threat to Earth.

Cameron Mitchell plays the newspaper reporter hero Steve Abbott who clambers aboard a spacecraft to cover the expedition of a team of five astronauts on the first mission to Mars. The mission is led by physicist Dr Lane (John Litel) and includes Professor Jackson (Richard Gaines), engineer Dr Jim Barker (Arthur Franz) and his assistant Carol Stadwick (Virginia Huston).

An interview before takeoff with the scientific team makes Steve realise that there are grave risks involved. When a meteor storm disables the landing gear, the crew must then decide whether to crash-land on the Red Planet and never go back home or turn back to Earth.

However, they crash-land safely on the Red Planet, where they discover a vast underground city (achieved in painted backdrops, alas) and that Martians look exactly like us unfortunately. It is home to seemingly friendly and advanced inhabitants who unfortunately have a covert plan to steal the astronauts’ spaceship to invade Earth as Mars is running out of one of their natural resources – Corium.

[Spoiler alert] Luckily, the Martian underground helps the Earthmen to  stop the evil plan.

Marguerite Chapman plays Alita, one of the leading Martian scientists, Morris Ankrum plays the Martian leader, Ikron, the president of the planet’s council, Robert H Barratt plays Tillamar, the past president and now is an advisor to the council, and Lucille Barkley is Terris, a young female Martian.

Especially considering time and budget restrictions, as well as of course the movie’s age, Monogram’s early space movie is fairly well made, if now endearingly naive seeming in Arthur Strawn’s simple-minded screenplay. It’s just a shame that it is so horribly cheaply filmed in just 11 days in spectacularly unreal Cinecolor, despite the credited work of consultants Wilton R Holm and Richard V Heermance (the film’s editor).

The cinematographer is Harry Neumann, the production designer is Edward S Haworth and the special visual effects are by Jack Cosgrove, Irving Block and Jack Rabin.

Also in the cast are Edward Earle, William Forrest, Bob Peoples, Tony Marsh, Tristram Coffin, Bill Neff, Trevor Bardette, Russ Conway, Raymond Bond, Everett Glass, David Bond, Wilbur Back, Stanley Blystone, William Bailey, Frank O’Connor and Perc Launders.

Principal photography on location at Death Valley, California, took place in just five days from May 11 1951. The film reuses the interior flight deck sets and props from Lippert Pictures’ 1950 science fiction feature Rocketship X-M.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2561

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