Mission Mars (1968)

Three American astronauts who land on Mars discover the body of a frozen Russian cosmonaut and a mysterious talking orb.

Director:

Nicholas Webster

Writers:

Michael St. Clair, Aubrey Wisberg (story)

Stars:

Darren McGavin, Nick Adams, George De Vries

Cast

Cast overview:
Darren McGavin	...	Col. Mike Blaiswick
Nick Adams	...	Nick Grant
George De Vries	...	Duncan
Heather Hewitt	...	Edith Blaiswick
Michael DeBeausset	...	Cliff Lawson
Shirley Parker	...	Alice Grant
Bill Kelly	...	Russian Astronaut
Chuck Zink	...	Radio Technician
Ralph Miller	...	Simpson
Art Barker	...	Doctor
Monroe Myers	...	Lawson's Aide

Storyline

Three American astronauts who land on Mars discover the body of a frozen Russian cosmonaut and a mysterious talking orb.

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Plot Keywords:

astronaut | rocket ship | outer space | journey | mars the planet | 

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 July 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Endstation Mars

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Red Ram Productions, Sagittarius Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first feature made at the Studio City Complex in Miami, Florida.

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Goofs

Helmets worn by the astronauts on Mars are open to the outside atmosphere rendering their air supply useless (these appear to be painted motorcycle helmets).

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Connections

Featured in 42nd Street Forever, Volume 2: The Deuce (2006)

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Soundtracks

"No More Tears"
Written by Gus Pardalis
Performed by The Forum Quorum

User Reviews

Background on the film from a participant

I was there. Here's the true story about the open space helmets on Mars. When Darren McGavin first donned his helmet, it was a bad fit and mashed his nose, his most prominent facial feature. He angrily ripped it off, threw it against the sound stage wall (it shattered), and stomped off the Mars set, vowing not to return until the problem was rectified. With time being money and money scarce on this ultra low budget film, the films designer -- possibly hung over -- rushed out and bought and painted some motorcycle helmets. I, as a gopher and the only person on the crew who could type, was ordered to quickly write a few lines of dialogue indicating that the mission crew back on earth had just discovered that there was sufficient oxygen in the Mars atmosphere to permit simplified helmets that only needed to augment the oxygen supply. (That information was revealed in a brief en route scene on the space ship....which may have been edited out...not sure.)(As another reviewer has noted, I discovered through quick research, that this was considered a possibility.) Thus, Darren was back on the set later the same day. There's also the story of the dump truck which, when backing into the set with a load of "Martian sand," fell through a temporarily constructed plywood covering into a giant pit in the center of the sound stage. It took a day to get it pulled up out of the pit. Why, you ask, was Mars being recreated indoors? Because the day before a local Florida mini-tornado roared through destroying the outdoor Martian landscape it had taken days to construct. Let's face it....it was probably a mistake to film a sci-fi special effects film anywhere in the USA outside of Hollywood. - Lance Webster (the director's son, the 24 and just out of college. Now 68.)