Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

Director:

Byron Haskin

Writers:

Ib Melchior (screenplay) and
John C. Higgins (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

June 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A Lone U.S. Astronaut Space-Ship Wrecked on Mars!

Plot:

Stranded on Mars with only a monkey as a companion, an astronaut must figure out how to find oxygen, water, and food on the lifeless planet.

Plot Keywords:

Monkey | Astronaut | Stranded | Alien | Crash Landing

Cast

Paul Mantee	...	Cmdr. Christopher 'Kit' Draper
Victor Lundin	...	Friday
Adam West	...	Col. Dan McReady
The Woolly Monkey	...	Mona

Directed by
Byron Haskin

Writing credits
Ib Melchior		(screenplay) and
John C. Higgins		(screenplay) (as John Higgins)
Daniel Defoe		(novel "Robinson Crusoe")

Produced by
Aubrey Schenck	....	producer
Edwin F. Zabel	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Van Cleave

Cinematography by
Winton C. Hoch

Film Editing by
Terry O. Morse

Art Direction by
Arthur Lonergan
Albert Nozaki		(as Al Nozaki)
Hal Pereira

Makeup Department
Bud Bashaw Jr.	....	makeup artist
Wally Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Goodstein	....	assistant director
Arthur Jacobson	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Harold Lewis	....	sound
John Wilkinson	....	sound
Howard Beals	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lawrence W. Butler	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
Albert Whitlock	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Murray Young	....	key grip (uncredited)

Music Department
Fred Steiner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Edward V. Ashburn	....	technical advisor
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant

Production Companies

• Aubrey Schenck Productions (as Devonshire Productions)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Film AB Paramount (1964) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1966) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Criterion Collection, The (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Butler-Glouner

Also Known As:

Runtime:

110 min | Sweden:96 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | Australia:G | Singapore:PG | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Death Valley National Park, California, USA

Company:

Aubrey Schenck Productions

Trivia:

A sequel titled "Robinson Crusoe in the Invisible Galaxy" was planned but it was scrapped due to the films lackluster box office.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Draper gets in and out of pond in long shots, he's totally naked but during time he's actually in water he's wearing brown trunks.

Quotes:

Draper:Mr. Echo, go to hell!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hell in the Pacific (1968)

one of my favorite sci fi films

This is a little science fiction gem that goes quietly unnoticed,but it does have a following. It's much smarter than given credit for and very entertaining considering a lot of the time Paul Mantee has the screen by himself with a monkey. What isn't talked about is how well made it is for this type of subgenre(the Mars sci fi films aren't always so well made). It has this 50's feel to it so it would be hard to see the CGI generation being totally overwhelmed by it,but I have a love and affinity for these types of films. This film even has the monkey contribute to the story(it even is key to Mantee's survival on the red planet). The film actually isn't that cheesy until Friday,the alien, comes into the film. It is a film you really need to have patience with. I enjoyed because I never knew where the story would take me. It has imagination and does really well with it's limitted budget. I highly recommend this film if your are a fan of it's ilk. ****1/2/*****