Riders to the Stars (1954)

Three men are assigned by the Office of Scientific Investigation to man rocket ships to outer space and attempt to capture a meteor.

Directors:

Richard Carlson, Herbert L. Strock (uncredited)

Writer:

Curt Siodmak (screenplay)

Stars:

William Lundigan, Herbert Marshall, Richard Carlson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Lundigan	...	Dr. Richard Stanton
Herbert Marshall	...	Dr. Don Stanton
Richard Carlson	...	Dr. Jerry Lockwood
Martha Hyer	...	Dr. Jane Flynn
Dawn Addams	...	Susan Manners
Robert Karnes	...	Walter Gordon
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Dr. Delmar
George Eldredge	...	Dr. Paul Dryden
Dan Riss	...	Dr. Frank Werner
Michael Fox	...	Dr. Klinger
King Donovan	...	James O'Herli
Kem Dibbs	...	David Wells
James Best	...	Dr. Sidney K. Fuller (as James K. Best)

Storyline

In an attempt to discover the composition of meteors, three astronauts are sent out into space in three specially designed rockets. Their mission is to capture a meteor and bring it to Earth.

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Plot Keywords:

ambulance | instruction | atmosphere | stars | altitude | 

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Taglines:

SEE! men and equipment float in air, trapped where there is no gravity - no up or down!

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cinematographer Stanley Cortez was fired and replaced (by Joseph F. Biroc) after clashing with director Herbert L. Strock, but still retained screen credit.

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Goofs

In the film's first minutes, two crews race through the desert to recover equipment from a rocket that has landed. One is in a truck pulling a trailer, and the trailer has a big black box in it. When the truck and trailer runs over plants and bumps, the trailer bounces around, and we see in a quick shot that the big black box is thrown out of the trailer. But it is still in the trailer in later shots, such as on reaching the landing site. Also a vehicle carrying electronic equipment that more than likely contained vacuum tubes before the invention of solid-state electrics would not be driven in such a reckless manner with unsecured cargo in the trailer.

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Quotes

Dr. Jerry Lockwood: [to Susan Manners] I've only got 20-20 vision for you.

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Connections

Referenced in Monster Kid Radio: Tom Biegler ate the mushrooms of Matango, Part Two (2013)

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Soundtracks

Riders to the Stars
Music by Harry Sukman
Lyrics by Leon Pober
Vocalist: Kitty White

User Reviews

A 1950s version of "the Right Stuff"

This is a great sci-fi film from the pre-space age era. This remains on my short list of Sci-fi films I'd like to see again but can't find. It uses stock footage of V-2 rockets and others from the early atom bomb tests. It is very good to excellent and a darned shame that it is not available on vhs. Younger sci-fi buffs who haven't seen it are missing out on a good example of this 1950s genre.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 January 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

150 milhas acima da Terra

Filming Locations:

Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ivan Tors Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Color Corporation of America)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1