Visit to a Small Planet (1960)

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Gore Vidal (play)
Edmund Beloin (writer) ...

Release Date:

4 February 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The weirdest alien of the galaxy pays a visit to Earth...

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Planet | Spaceship | Love | Extraterrestrial

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Jerry Lewis	...	Kreton
Joan Blackman	...	Ellen Spelding
Earl Holliman	...	Conrad
Fred Clark	...	Major Roger Putnam Spelding
John Williams	...	Delton
Jerome Cowan	...	George Abercrombie
Gale Gordon	...	Bob Mayberry
Lee Patrick	...	Rheba Spelding
Milton Frome	...	Police Commissioner
Ellen Corby	...	Mrs. Mabel Mayberry
Barbara Lawson	...	Beatnik dancer Desdemona

Runtime:

85 min | Portugal:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Hal Wallis Productions

Trivia:

Prior to its successful Broadway run,"Visit To A Small Planet" was first aired as a television play on May 8, 1955 on the Goodyear Television Playhouse. While some sources places another broadcast of this play in 1957, Gore Vidal did publish a collection of television plays in 1956 entitled "Visit to a Small Planet and Other Television Plays". The play opened on Broadway on February 7, 1957 at the Boothe Theater and ran for 388 performances.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Lost in Space: Visit to a Hostile Planet (#3.2)" (1967)

Soundtrack:

Desdemona's Lament

Funny.

Film version of Gore Vidal's stage hit was later re-made as TV's Mork and Mindy. UFO movies in the 50's and early 60's usually dealt with unfriendly, intellectually superior aliens out to kill helpless and somewhat naive humans. Then comes Jerry Lewis as a friendly, intellectually lacking alien who is out to study the "human condition." Most of the gags have been used and reused again on countless sitcoms but they are done well. Great character actors give hilarious supporting performances. Supposedly Gore Vidal was not happy with this version of his play. I've seen Vidal on TV many times over the years and never once ever seen him laugh or smile so maybe he has a different definition of comedy than the rest of the planet.