IMDb > First Spaceship on Venus (1960)
Der schweigende Stern
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany credits
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guidemessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsmemorable quotes
Did You Know?
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
box office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

First Spaceship on Venus (1960) More at IMDbPro »Der schweigende Stern (original title)

Photos (See all 16 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
3.9/10   1,441 votes »
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Kurt Maetzig
Writers:
Stanislaw Lem (novel)
Jan Fethke (adaptation) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for First Spaceship on Venus on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
31 October 1962 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi See more »
Tagline:
You are there... on man's most incredible journey!
Plot:
When an alien artifact discovered on Earth is found to have come from Venus, an international team of astronauts embarks to investigate its origins. Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Attack The Bloc: Twitch Presents Kurt Maetzig's The Silent Star
 (From Twitch. 23 February 2012, 6:06 AM, PST)
The Empire Strikes Back as a 50s Sci-Fi Movie
 (From Collider.com. 19 May 2010, 7:25 AM, PDT)
Sci-fi London 2010: Full Lineup Announced!
 (From QuietEarth. 26 March 2010, 10:47 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Good old sci fi See more (58 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Yoko Tani ... Die japanische Ärztin / Sumiko Ogimura MD
Oldrich Lukes ... Amerikanischer Atomphysiker / Prof. Harringway Hawling
Ignacy Machowski ... Polnischer Chefingenieur / Prof. Saltyk / Prof. Durand
Julius Ongewe ... Afrikanischer Fernsehtechniker / Talua
Michail N. Postnikow ... Sowjetischer Astronaut / Prof. Arsenew / Prof. Orloff
Kurt Rackelmann ... Indischer Mathematiker / Prof. Sikarna
Günther Simon ... Deutscher Pilot / Robert / Raimund Brinkmann
Tang Hua-Ta ... Chinesische Linguistin / Dr. Tchen Yu / Lao Tsu
Lucyna Winnicka ... Fernsehreporterin / Joan Moran (as Lucina Winnicka)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Horst Schäfer ... Wissenschaftler
Danuta Szaflarska ... (voice)
Klaus Bamberg ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Fredy Barten ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Christoph Beyertt ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Karl Brenk ... Bit part (uncredited)
Fritz Decho ... Reporter (uncredited)
Karen Fredersdorf ... Brinkmanns Mutter (uncredited)
Eva-Maria Hagen ... Female Reporter (uncredited)
Karl-Helge Hofstadt ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Peter Kiwitt ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Gertraud Kreissig ... Reporter (uncredited)

Ruth-Maria Kubitschek ... Frau Brinkmann (uncredited)
Heinz Kögel ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Hans Ulrich Laufer ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Barbara Leonhard ... Sekretärin (uncredited)
Erich Lie ... Chinese (uncredited)
Omani Mensah ... Afrikanischer Funker (uncredited)
Vera Oelschlegel ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Paul Paulsen ... Bit part (uncredited)
Lieselotte Schmoock ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Werner Senftleben ... Funker (uncredited)
San Din Tscho ... Chinese (uncredited)
Nico Turoff ... Wüstenarbeiter (uncredited)
Eduard von Winterstein ... Wissenschaftler / Weiland (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Kurt Maetzig 
 
Writing credits
Stanislaw Lem (novel "Astronauci")

Jan Fethke (adaptation) (as J. Fethke) and
Wolfgang Kohlhaase (adaptation) (as W. Kohlhase) and
Günter Reisch (adaptation) (as G. Reisch) and
Günther Rücker (adaptation) (as G. Rücker) and
Alexander Stenbock-Fermor (adaptation) (as A. Stenbock-Fermor)

Kurt Maetzig (screenplay collaboration)

J. Barkhauer  uncredited

Original Music by
Andrzej Markowski 
 
Cinematography by
Joachim Hasler 
 
Film Editing by
Lena Neumann 
 
Production Design by
Alfred Hirschmeier 
L. Kunka 
Paul Lehmann  (as P. Lehmann)
T. Mystzorek  (as T. Myszorek)
Senta Ochs  (as S. Ochs)
Ryszard Potocki  (as J. Potocki)
Anatol Radzinowicz 
A. Schulz 
W. Schäfer 
 
Costume Design by
Elli-Charlotte Löffler  (as Elli-Charl. Löffler)
 
Makeup Department
Christa Grewald .... makeup artist
Alois Strasser .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Hans Mahlich .... production manager
Martin Sonnabend .... unit manager
Henryk Szlachet .... unit manager
Edward Zajicek .... production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Doris Borkmann .... assistant director
Hans-Joachim Kasprzik .... assistant director
Hieronim Przybyl .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Theo Görgens .... property master: exterior
 
Sound Department
Kurt Eppers .... sound
Werner Klein .... sound
Andrzej Markowski .... sound effects
Günter Witt .... sound
 
Special Effects by
Helmut Grewald .... special effects
Ernst Kunstmann .... special effects supervisor
Vera Kunstmann .... special effects
Jan Olejniczak .... special effects
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Helmut Grewald .... assistant camera
Detlev Hertelt .... assistant camera
Herbert Leistikow .... gaffer
Waltraud Pathenheimer .... still photographer
 
Music Department
Walter Greene .... music editor
Andrzej Markowski .... conductor: DEFA-Sinfonie-Orchester
Josef von Stroheim .... music editor (as Joseph von Stroheim)
Gordon Zahler .... music provider: US soundtrack
Hans J. Salter .... composer: stock music, US version (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Edmund Goldman .... producer: US dubbing
Hugo Grimaldi .... executive dubbing supervisor (US version)
Newton P. Jacobs .... producer, american dubbing
Paul Schreibman .... producer, american dubbing
Hans-Joachim Wallstein .... script editor
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
"Der schweigende Stern" - East Germany (original title)
"The Silent Star" - USA (DVD title)
See more »
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
93 min | USA:79 min | West Germany:80 min | East Germany:95 min (short version: 94')
Country:
East Germany | Poland
Language:
German
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo
Certification:
Finland:S | Sweden:11 | West Germany:12 | USA:Unrated
Filming Locations:
DEFA-Studio für Spielfilme, Babelsberg, Potsdam, Brandenburg, GermanySee more »
Company:
VEB DEFA-Studio für SpielfilmeSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
The German version contains a reference to one of the professors having his career stalled when he was thrown out of the university by the Nazis. Director and co-writer Kurt Maetzig had his career stalled by the Nazis because his mother was Jewish.See more »
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the English-dubbed version, the chess-playing robot announces the move King to B-8. The actor moving the robot's pieces moves the king to D-8.See more »
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: First Spaceship on Venus (#3.11)" (1990)See more »

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
16 out of 21 people found the following review useful.
Good old sci fi, 26 February 2001
Author: jake-179 (jakeb610@aol.com) from VEGAS

This movie suprised me. I thought I was going to see a cheesy old science fiction movie. But this movie, for its time, is actually really good. The special effects are pretty impressive for a film this old, and I love the design of the spaceship. I have no idea what kind of budget this movie was done on, but there are a lot of scenes in this movie that look BIG budget! The sets are very impressive, lavish and expansive. And the enviornment of Venus is detailed, spooky, and bizarre. I didn't care for the little plastic spiders, I thought that was distractingly goofy. I was very suprised to see such a forward thinking and racially diversified cast. For its time, such diversity was totally unheard of. Its a little long and slightly boring, but for good old fashioned sci fi, with cool alien landscapes and bizarre spaceships, this is a must see. Thats why I am rating this movie fairly high, giving it an 8.

Was the above review useful to you?
See more (58 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for First Spaceship on Venus (1960)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
My Review of this Great DEFA Sci-Fi Film jayskitstar
Voice Sample from US Version 1962 ichigatsujohn
79 min vs. 94min vs. 130 min (clarification) pac-foto
Space suit tear zurich13
Der Schweigende Stern and MASTODON!! Orestes988
See more »

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Planet of the Apes The War of the Worlds Monsters vs Aliens Contact Star Wars
IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb East Germany section

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Edit page' button will take you through a step-by-step process.