Kronos (1957)

Aliens from another world send a huge robotic accumulator to invade the Earth and absorb all energy it comes in contact with.

Director:

Kurt Neumann

Writers:

Lawrence L. Goldman (screenplay) (as Lawrence Louis Goldman), Irving Block (story)

Stars:

Jeff Morrow, Barbara Lawrence, John Emery

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jeff Morrow	...	Dr. Leslie Gaskell
Barbara Lawrence	...	Vera Hunter
John Emery	...	Dr. Hubbell Eliot
George O'Hanlon	...	Dr. Arnold Culver
Morris Ankrum	...	Dr. Albert Stern
Kenneth Alton	...	McCrary - The Pickup Driver
John Parrish	...	Gen. Perry
Jose Gonzales-Gonzales	...	Manuel Ramirez (as Jose G. Gonzales)
Richard Harrison	...	Pilot
Marjorie Stapp	...	Nurse
Robert Shayne	...	Air Force General
Don Eitner	...	Weather Operator (as Donald Eitner)
Gordon Mills	...	Sergeant
John Halloran	...	Lab Central Security Guard

Storyline

Scientists investigate what appears to be a meteorite that crashes into the ocean. After a few days and nights of mysterious lights and noises, a giant machine comes out of the ocean. The machine is the creation of an alien race, that is trying to syphon energy from earth. A true classic, in that it is so different from anything in the time period. To this day, nothing else has come out like it.

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Plot Keywords:

robot | evil robot | hydrogen bomb | pilot | general | 

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Taglines:

PLANET ROBBER TRAMPLES EARTH...STEALING ENERGY FOR OTHER WORLDS!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kronos: Ravager of Planets

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$160,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Regal Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although he was fourth billed, George O'Hanlon, who played Arnie, was the most familiar face in the cast. For more than a decade, he was the star of the popular long running series of "Joe McDoakes" (aka "Behind the Eight Ball") comedy shorts which ended production the previous year.

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Goofs

That asteroid M47 is a tricky devil. Not only did it zig-zag fifteen degrees before Dr. Gaskell's eyes, it also paused and rose at the beginning of the film when he wasn't watching.

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Quotes

Dr. Hubbell Eliot: We have half of the equation; we can turn matter into energy. But up there, they have the second half; they can turn energy into matter.

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Connections

Referenced in The Incredibles (2004)

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Soundtracks

Something's Gotta Give
by Johnny Mercer
Heard as truck radio instrumental

User Reviews

Enjoyable if you don't think too much about it

"Kronos" is about a robot emissary (which Earth scientists name Kronos), sent by aliens to Earth. It lands on the coast of Mexico and goes on a rampage. The aliens have exhausted energy supplies on their own planet (which it is correctly noted may well happen here before too long), and so they sent Kronos to Earth to suck up energy from our remaining energy resources. Unknowingly, Earth counterattacks with weapons like an H-bomb, but Kronos greedily absorbs all that energy and just gets stronger and hungrier for more.

At this point, you just have to put aside the immediate obvious objection that there is far more energy in any star in the galaxy than in all the power plants on Earth, and the aliens should have just harvested energy from them.

If you can forget all that, what is left is an enjoyable typical 1950's B-movie, with what I consider to be some decent special effects for the time (except for the obvious cartoon animations of Kronos' march). Jeff Morrow, one of the better B-movie actors, delivers a decent performance as a scientist. Despite its low budget, the movie tries hard to be an early techno-thriller, replete with what was state-of-the-art technology for its time--B-47 jet bombers, missiles with nuclear warheads, computers, etc. And that also makes it a cut above the usual sci-fi B-movie of the 1950's.