Tales of Tomorrow (TV Series) Plague from Space (1952) User Reviews

Decent bit of early sci-fi

[gordonl56 · 7/10 · 30 September 2012]

Tales of Tomorrow – Plague from Space – 1952 Gene Raymond is the Commander of a U.S. Air Force base. He has taken to the bottle a bit since his wife was killed in a crash. He knows he is about to be replaced.

While waiting for word from Washington, junior officers, Charles Procter and Philip Pine enter. They are getting strange readings on the radar. At first they thought it was a meteor. But the object is slowing and circling the airfield.

The object. A small arrow shaped craft lands on the airfield. Raymond has it moved into a hanger for inspection. They find a door on the craft and pry it open. Inside they find an unconscious humanoid.

Raymond has the being moved to the base hospital. The medical staff draw blood, etc for testing. A short time later, the doctors and everyone who had contact with the being, start to die.

Raymond seals the base and restricts personal to the base. Going over the early medical tests, Raymond, Procter and Pine discover that the being's blood is full of a strange infection.

Soon there is only 14 men out of 2000, left alive on the base. Raymond calls Washington and informs them he believes he has found a cure. He tells them to drop an A-Bomb on the base. He is sure the heat of the blast will kill the infection.

Raymond now sits quietly in his chair as he waits for the bomber to arrive overhead.

Pretty tense little episode of a great early sci-fi series. Also in the cast is James (Scotty) Doohan of Star Trek fame. (b/w)

He Had No Other Option

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 6 August 2013]

This episode involves choices that would be hard to make. It involves a base where a spacecraft is inadvertently compromised, allowing a plague to take over the base. Anyone in contact with the alien (who is really a kind of interplanetary Typhoid Mary) becomes ill with no hope of survival. It builds pretty good suspense and is brought to a logical conclusion. I'm really interested in how often this series dealt in the bleakest of themes. There are few happy endings or messages of hope. These were all made post World War II, after the A-bomb, and probably fed into the fright register of the average viewer. The acting here is pretty good and the story one that could conceivably happen. In contemporary times people would not have been so quick to delve into the mysteries of the space ship. Apparently, quarantine wasn't an option or a choice.

Unfortunately, 22 minutes was insufficient to develop an interesting and imaginative premise

[jamesrupert2014 · 8/10 · 12 December 2021]

An extraterrestrial vehicle lands at a remote desert air force base with a single passenger, dead from a massive bacterial infection. Too much time is spent on the opening scenes of Col. Ward (Gene Raymond) drinking and feeling sorry for himself but once the UFO begins its landing approach the episode picks up. With only about 15 minutes left to develop a complex scenario, the story takes great leaps in logic about decoding alien languages, figuring out alien pathophysiology, etc. But the final 'twist' is novel and Ward's climatic decision well set up. Star Trek fans will be pleased to see a young James Doohan as Sgt. Morgan. The episode I watched on-line has an interesting interlude, during which representatives of the show's sponsors (Jack Kreisler Mfg. Corp. And C. H. Masland and Sons) accept a Loyalty Award on behalf of the show from the V. F. W. For "...broadening... the American families' understanding of modern science". That shows such as 'Tales of Tomorrow' did much to interest viewers, (especially young viewers), in science and technology is undeniable, but it is interesting to see this contribution so prominently recognised by a veterans' organisation.

Among the best of the series.

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 24 September 2012]

This is an exceptional episode from "Tales of Tomorrow". "Plague From Space" is an especially harrowing episode--mostly because it SEEMS almost like something that could happen. It also features some nice acting from its lead, Gene Raymond.

The show is set on an air force base. From out of no where, a meteorite is spotted...but soon they realize it isn't a meteorite--it changes course, and a meteorite NEVER does that. It turns out to be a spacecraft--a very odd one. That's because there really isn't a pilot inside. It's more like a passenger...or, more accurately, a weapon in the form of a passenger. Soon, folks all over the base start keeling over...some of them dying! What's next? What's happening? See this episode and find out yourself.

This is a dark show--very, very dark. That might even be why I liked it, as I like my sci-fi to be dark and foreboding--and it's in this one in spades! It also proves you don't need a big budget to make an excellent show.