The Terrornauts (1967)

A group of scientists are kidnapped and taken into outer space aboard a saucer.

Director:

Montgomery Tully

Writers:

John Brunner, Murray Leinster (novel)

Stars:

Simon Oates, Zena Marshall, Charles Hawtrey

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Simon Oates	...	Dr. Joe Burke
Zena Marshall	...	Sandy Lund
Charles Hawtrey	...	Joshua Yellowlees
Patricia Hayes	...	Mrs. Jones
Stanley Meadows	...	Ben Keller
Max Adrian	...	Dr. Henry Shore
Frank Barry	...	Burke as a child
Richard Carpenter	...	Danny
Leonard Cracknell	...	Nick
André Maranne	...	Gendarme
Frank Forsyth	...	Uncle
Robert Jewell	...	Robot Operator

Storyline

Residents of a radio telescope laboratory are kidknapped when they answer a mysterious signal from outer space. They are taken to a satelite inhabited only by robots, where they are presented with a series of intelligence tests. Since this is a mystery as well as a sci-fi movie I will only say that the rest of the plot deals with theyre attempt to find out why they've been kidknapped, and how they will get back to earth.

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Plot Keywords:

outer space | robot | kidnapping | based on novel | independent film | 

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Taglines:

The virgin sacrifices to the gods of a ghastly galaxy!

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1967 (UK)

Also Known As:

Rapto espacial

Filming Locations:

Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amicus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Last feature of Zena Marshall.

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Goofs

Whilst flying through space, 'space' has the shadow of the window frame upon it, revealing it to be a rolling painted backdrop.

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Connections

Featured in 42nd Street Forever, Volume 5: The Alamo Drafthouse Edition (2009)

User Reviews

Star Talk indeed!

"The Terrornauts" is on the edge of being an awful film, were it not for its slightly suggested comic approach. If you listen carefully to the music cue accompanying the main title sequence, it gives you a hint of what to expect. Classic composer Elisabeth Lutyens' score has airs of (sinister) children games and charades, and I am only guessing that is what the movie must have inspired her, with its cartoonish models of space ships, props which are riddles, pastel sets of a military base (with test cubicles and a control room) and the acting by vaudeville buffoons as Charles Hawtrey, Patricia Hayes and even Max Adrian as the "villain" who is against the space program led by Simon Oates. The program aims to find signs of life in outer space, following a hunch Oates has since childhood, when he had a visionary dream. Unfortunately, the script is loaded with dialogues, explanations and debates within closed sets, and little action. Even for children and adolescents "The Terrornauts" is too verbose, making its running time seem much longer than its 73 minutes.