Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1966) (TV)

Director:

Larry Buchanan

Writers:

Hillman Taylor (screenplay) &
Larry Buchanan (screenplay)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

A misguided scientist enables an alien from Venus named Zontar to come to earth in order to help solve man's problems...

Plot Keywords:

Venus | Mind Control | Alien | Murder | Laser

Cast

John Agar	...	Dr. Curt Taylor
Susan Bjurman	...	Martha Ritchie
Tony Huston	...	Keith Ritchie (as Anthony Houston)
Pat Delaney	...	Anne Taylor (as Patricia De Laney)
Neil Fletcher	...	General Matt Young
Andrew Traister	...	Sgt. Magalar
Warren Hammack	...	John, Rocket Scientist at Zone 6
Jonathan Ledford	...	Zone 6 Gate Guard
Colleen Carr	...	Louise, Zone 6
George Edgley	...	Mr. Ledford, Newspaper Editor (as George Edglley)
Jeff Alexander	...	Rocket Scientist at Zone 6
Carol Gilley	...	Alice, Zone 6 Clerk
Bill Thurman	...	Sheriff Brad Crenshaw
Bertha Holmes	...	Townswoman

Also Known As:

Zontar: Invader from Venus (USA) (video box title)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

Azalea Pictures

Trivia:

This remake of Roger Corman's low budget It Conquered the World (1956) was one of a series of films shot in 16mm and color and was used to pad out one of American International's television syndication packages.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Keith confronts Curt in the lab, they are seen behind a glass window; when the camera angle reverses, the window is gone.

Quotes:

Keith Ritchie: He knows exactly what he wants and he's about to make a move to get it. And although his name is untranslatable to any Earth language, it would sound something like Zontar.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Svengoolie: Zontar the Thing from Venus" (1997)

Delightfully Awful

I guess when John Agar came to Hollywood, they thought he was going to be the next Cary Grant. So what does he end up doing: cheap monster movies. He was adequate as the doctor in "Tarantula." In this one, he must be embarrassed. He is so stiff and must act opposite dreadful people. The mad scientist who makes contact with Zontar is about as emotive and unappealing as one can get. His wife is even worse. Don't try to think about the believability of all this because it absolutely defies even the most primitive logic. Who are these people and why are they so important? How do you get Venus on an old time radio? They even refer to it as a "set." Zontar is, himself, just an ugly bat guy. Of course, fortunately, the scientist just happens to own a "ruby plutonium laser gun" which is the one thing that can kill Zontar. If he's that nutty about the good intentions of the alien, why does he have this? Did he build it? Don't ask. I did love the arguments between the guy and his wife, but that's because it's the most dreadful acting one has ever seen.