Queen of Outer Space (1958)

American astronauts are drawn by a mysterious force to the planet Venus, which they find to be inhabited only by beautiful women and their despotic queen.

Director:

Edward Bernds

Writers:

Charles Beaumont (screenplay), Ben Hecht (story "Queen of the Universe")

Stars:

Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eric Fleming, Dave Willock

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zsa Zsa Gabor	...	Talleah
Eric Fleming	...	Capt. Neal Patterson
Dave Willock	...	Lt. Mike Cruze
Laurie Mitchell	...	Queen Yllana
Lisa Davis	...	Motiya
Paul Birch	...	Prof. Konrad
Patrick Waltz	...	Lt. Larry Turner
Barbara Darrow	...	Kaeel
Marilyn Buferd	...	Odeena
Mary Ford	...	Venusian Girl
Marya Stevens	...	Venusian Girl
Laura Mason	...	Venusian Girl
Lynn Cartwright	...	Venusian Girl
Kathy Marlowe	...	Venusian Girl
Coleen Drake	...	Venusian Girl

Storyline

En route to Earth's orbiting space station, a spaceship with four men aboard is attacked and they awaken after their spaceship crash lands. One of them, Professor Konrad, determines they have landed on Venus, a planet scientists had believed to be uninhabitable. They are taken prisoner by the inhabitants, all beautiful women, who imprisoned the men and took control of the planet. Their masked Queen, Yllana, has plans to destroy the Earth with their beta disintegrator but there is dissent among them led by the beautiful Talleah.

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | space station | space station explosion | matriarchy | nuclear energy | 

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Taglines:

Man's First Flight to Planet Venus!

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Costumes worn by the ship's officers and Motiya and other props, such as some weapons and the belt radio with the retractable microphone, were re-used or copied from Forbidden Planet (1956).

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Goofs

When the crew lands on Venus, it is day time. Soon after leaving the ship, night sets in and the crew members take guard duty shifts while the others sleep. The next scene shows that morning has come. However, due to Venus's orbit and proximity to the sun, it would take about 117 Earth days for just 1 solar day on Venus. The night on Venus would last roughly 1,395 hours.

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Quotes

Capt. Neal Patterson: You're not only a Queen, you're a woman too. And a woman needs a man's love. Let me see your face.
Queen Yllana: Ahhhh
[as her mask is pulled off]
Queen Yllana: ! For that you will die!
Capt. Neal Patterson: I'm sorry. I didn't realize!
Queen Yllana: Radiation burns. Men did this to me, men and their wars. You say I need the love of a man. Very well. Now that you know, will you give me that love, Captain?
[drawing her hideously disfigured face toward the captain's]

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Crazy Credits

The title and opening credits do not appear until fifteen minutes into the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Ladykracher: Cash Call (2010)

User Reviews

The Cheesecake from Venus!

The infamous so-bad-it's-good space opera from director Edward Bernds, the man who gave us several of the `Three Stooges' movies. Zsa Zsa Gabor (a former `Miss Hungary') plays one of the Venusian women who defies the evil Queen of Venus (Lauren Mitchell) and falls in love with one of the four Earth men who lands on their planet. The queen hates all males because her face (which she hides behind a mask) was scarred in a war the women once fought against the now-extinct Venusian men (an idea perhaps borrowed from `Abbott and Costello Go to Mars').

The captive Earth astronauts go nuts over the sexy dames, all of whom look just fine in their futuristic miniskirts. The mission commander is Eric Fleming (`Rawhide' and `The Conquest of Space'), and one of the crewmen is Paul Birch (`Not of this Earth').

The best thing you can say about this movie is that it gives the audience a look at numerous props from more worthy 1950s science fiction movies: the astronauts' uniforms and the Venusian women's outfits are all borrowed from `Forbidden Planet' (along with a few blasters). The spaceship is from `Flight to Mars' (from a design originally submitted but rejected for the `Destination Moon' rocket). The sets and monster spider are from `World Without End' (the latter of which was also directed by Bernds, though it's a much better movie).

Amazingly enough, it was filmed in color and CinemaScope, one of the few 1950s sci-fi films that can claim this honor. In 1987 it was beautifully spoofed in `Amazon Women on the Moon', right down to the borrowed `Forbidden Planet' uniforms (recreated for that film).

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 September 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Women Without Men

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allied Artists Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1