Red Planet Mars

Apparently, 1952 was the year the Big Guy finally got broadcasting rights in the US. Because movies like The Next Voice You Hear (1952) and this one managed to put God in direct communication with us mere mortals courtesy the Hollywood hotline. Of course, it really helped when the Big Guy enlisted on our side against the godless commies, while His Presence also helped clean up Hollywood's image as a commie harboring red nest. You might even call His intervention a godsend for the film industry.

Actually, this 90-minutes is to effective propaganda what the sledgehammer is to the fly swatter. At least, its companion movie (The Next…) had the good sense to avoid the obvious, like crude stereotypes. On the other hand, this concoction has no such inhibitions. Commies are uniformly beasts, Russian peasants are uniformly downtrodden, and Americans are uniformly thoughtful. I don't know what Soviet propaganda was like at the time, but it couldn't have been much cruder than this.

I will say the movie is well mounted visually. In fact, the skillful complexity of some of the visuals clashes with the simple-mindedness of the script. On the whole, I wish I could say this propaganda piece is nothing more than a clumsy Cold War artifact. But it's not. Unfortunately, it feeds into that current sense of smug self-congratulation that goes by the popular meme of American exceptionalism.

I fondly remember the movie and particularly liked the conceit used to open communications with the aliens (the number sequence for pi). It was also thrilling to think that world peace could come about. On reseeing the movie over the years, and with the actual passing of the USSR and soviet communism, the movie doesn't really hold up. It's in the museum of propaganda films now. The closing screen was "The Beginning."

An old-fashioned revival of faith sparked by a message from Mars touches an Earth under threat of nuclear war. This probably seems like a silly plot idea to a lot of modern sophisticated people. Except, this is almost what happened in Eastern Europe in our lifetime. Pushed beyond its military-industrial ability by the defense initiatives of Ronald Reagan(also a man of faith), the Soviet Bloc was pushed over the edge as people of faith in Poland, the Baltic republics, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and even Mother Russia herself protested and pushed toward democracy and freedom. The combination of political, economic, and spiritual forces have reshaped a continent and changed our world. The candles and prayers didn't hurt. "Well done, Simplicity!"

This old , offbeat and incredible Cold War relic deals with an American scientist discovering that a Radio voice transmission from Mars belongs to God . As the scientific (Peter Graves) and wife (Andrea King) contact Mars by radio and receive information that Mars is ruled by a godlike supreme being , causing a global revolution on Earth . The plot rolls out barmstorming happenings in which TV transmission from Mars origines unfortunate incidents and extraordinary distresses . As Revolution sweeps the Earth, including the Soviet Union. But there remains doubt about the messages being true , as an ex-Nazi claims he was duping the Americans .Here is the first contact between Earth and Mars! Out-Of-This-World excitement and suspense ! The World Torn Asunder By A Thret From Outer Space!

A main candidate for the strangest and nuttiest Science Fiction of all time with a surprising premise and plenty of twists , set-up and turns : An American scientist (Peter Graves) and his wife (Andrea King) are able to contact and communicate with Mars . But Mars results to be a utopia and that Earth's people can be saved if they return to the worship of God and other rare events . There follows a further bona fide transmission proclaiming that its leader is God himself , which stirs up a worldwide religious revival and a resolve for all to live in harmony . All of them cause shattering political, economic , and spiritual repercussions . This in an incoherent movie overburned with various messages about religion , politics , extraterrestrial life and science . The strange script involves a marriage of scientists , a mad doctor hoping to topple capitalism , religious riots against Stalin and communism and many other things . It stars the always agreeable Peter Graves . Peter drafted United States Air Force, he studied drama at the University of Minnesota and then headed to Hollywood, where he first appeared on television and later made his film debut in Rogue River (1951). Numerous film appearances followed, especially in Westerns . However, Graves is primarily recognized for his television work, particularly as Jim Phelps in Mission impossible (1966). He made movies of all kinds of genres , Sci-Fi, drama , Western , Warlike , comedy , such as : Stalag , Beneath the 12-mile reef , It conquered the world , Killers from space , The clonus horror , The court martial of Billy Mitchell , The winds of war , Sergeant Ryker , Cruise missile , Legend of the Sea Wolf , Scream of the Wolf, Texas across the river , The Guns and the Fury , The rebels , Survival run, Let's make up , The night of the hunter , The slipper and the rose , being especially known for his special appearances in : Airplane I and II and Men in Black 2 . Peter Graves died of a heart attack on March 14, 2010, just four days before his 84th birthday. His partenaire is the beautiful and attractive Andrea King , being her first screen appearance in the film entitled The Ramparts We Watch (1940). After signing with Warner Bros. and changing her professional name, Andrea's career took off very quickly, and she appeared in nine films in 18 months. The Warner Bros. studio photographers voted Andrea the most photogenic actress on the lot for the year 1945. Her first leading role came early on with Hotel Berlin (1945), following other films as The Very Thought of You , God Is My Co-Pilot , My Wild Irish Rose , Song of surrender , Darby's Rangers , Silent Fear , Dial 1119 , I Was a Shoplifter , The Lemon Drop Kid , The Mark of the Renegade and The world in his arms . They are accompanied by a good support cast , such as : Walter Sande , Marvin Miller , Willis Bouchey and an usual actor in Sci-Fi movies : Morris Ankrum .

Rare screenplay by Anthony Veiller and John Balderson based on the play : ¨Red Planet¨ by John Hoare and John Lloyd Balderson . It packs an atmospheric musical score by Merrick . As well as an evocative cinematography in black and white by the notorious cameraman Joseph F. Biroc who had a long career .This film from another age that was ahead of its time was regularly directed by Harry Horner . He formed an association with the noted production designer William Cameron Menzies and made a few films , such as : New faces of 1952 , Vicki , Man from Del Rio , The wild party , A life in the balance , Beware my lovely and this one . Rating : 5/10 , average but passable .

Peter Graves plays a scientist in San Diego, California who receives messages from Mars on his radio transmitter (sneakily intercepted by the Russians); initially, the decoded Martian messages about prolonged life and their unnecessary need for industrial mechanics throw America's population into a tailspin. However, it turns out Mars is a Christian planet, and their next communication with us, a regular "sermon on the mount", begins to ease tensions and starts a religious revival worldwide. Talky think-piece, adapted from a play, amusingly full of clean-cut, incredibly polite Americans and savage-acting Russkies. Not likely to please science-fiction fans who are used to propulsive action, though the b&w cinematography by Joseph Biroc is excellent and there are some interesting ideas and a last-act plot-twist. Released at a time when communist hysteria was running rampant in the U.S., the movie is brave enough to attempt a humanitarian tact--and naive enough to believe in what it preaches. A livelier cast might have made it more memorable, but check out Peter's big-screen TV! ** from ****