BLOG ENTRY # 7 -------THANKS for reading SUPERNATURAL THEATER!
This week --- Two of the most famous Outer Space Turkeys! Gobble, Gobble!
QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE, and THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE.
QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE, and THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE.
ZSA ZSA GABOR and ERIC FLEMING in
QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE
Co-starring Laurie Mitchell, Lisa Davis, Dave Willock, Patrick Waltz,
and Paul Birch
Directed by Edward Bernds ----- U.S.A. 1958
"VIMMEN CANNOT BE HAPPY VIZOUT MAN" ---- Quote from Zsa Zsa !
You can't make up this stuff !
IT'S THE ULTIMATE IN HIGH CAMP, DAHLING !
You can't make up this stuff !
IT'S THE ULTIMATE IN HIGH CAMP, DAHLING !
While planning what to write, I realized that I survived having my brain seriously damaged as a kid. I must have been hurt in some way by the repeated viewings of this movie on TV in the 1960's. The Million Dollar Movie on NY's Channel 9, would run the same movie from Monday to Friday. FIVE times in one week. The same film! I would sit and eat a Swanson TV dinner to this hokey flick, and others like it.
How many brain cells did I lose way back then???
The actual plot of this movie can be described as immature, chauvinistic, outlandish, and totally camp by today's standards. But people still like it. Me too.
Corny sex isms, & dumb lines fly around. ---- Don't be uptight and serious. Just watch it, relax with a drink & popcorn, & have a good laugh.
America sends up the first manned flight to Venus, with 3 astronauts, and one scientist. The guys are comfortable in their lazy boy recliners en route to the new space station for the first step of their journey. Eric Fleming (Rawhide, Glass Bottom Boat) plays the boss, Captain Neal Patterson. Paul Birch (Not of this Earth) plays Professor Conrad. Dave Willock & Patrick Waltz portray two comic relief astronauts.
Then out of nowhere, death rays zap in from all directions, and blows up the cheesy model of the space station. One ray hits the spaceship and hurls it all the way to Venus at warp speed (I guess it was warp speed, this movie was made way before Star Trek).
The boys soon discover that Venus is only inhabited by lovely ex-chorus girls with great legs. WOW! What luck. The male audience of 1958 sure loved that!
So did boys like me watching TV in the 60's.
The astronauts are captured by some lovelies at ray gun point. The tall girl dressed in red, tells them to "Boccino, boccino". One of my favorite lines in the picture. Whatever that means?
We see the whole planet of women are ruled by a mysterious, masked Queen Yllana (Laurie Mitchell). She despises men, until she meets the Captain. And her mask.... gee it must mean something to the plot. You think she's hiding something?
The head scientist of Venus learns of the men's arrival. She's Talleah, and is played by the most famous Hungarian of all time, Zsa Zsa Gabor. Even as a kid, I couldn't believe that casting. Really -- Head scientist? She is the good girl in the story, because Zsa Zsa just hates "zat" evil Queen. Didn't realize that Venusians could have a Hungarian accent.
Let's zee, you mix 'za blue, with 'za green. No dahling, 'za orange, with 'za pink. I think.
Talleah and Neal go gaga over one another. She proves that aliens can have great legs, and body parts that match up to Earthlings. Neal would love to bring her back to Earth to meet Mom.
Queen Yllana threatens to destroy the Earth with her death rays from the Beta Disinegrator. That's located in that big white cardboard box, I mean building above. She thinks the men of Earth will invade her planet.
The lonely ones will, when they hear about all those lovely Venusians.
The lonely ones will, when they hear about all those lovely Venusians.
One cool thing, the Queen shows the Captain her Beta white box killing machine on a flat screen TV using a remote control. Remember, people had small screen Black & White TV's with a channel dial in 1958. The remote control in our house was me.
Since I was "the kid", I had to get up to change the channel.
So that was a bit of genius in movie set design.
Since I was "the kid", I had to get up to change the channel.
So that was a bit of genius in movie set design.
But lo and behold, Queen Yllana wants the Captain.
Is he different than the lost Venusian men?
Then Neal is brought to the Queen's chamber for a private, cozy rendezvous.
Then Neal is brought to the Queen's chamber for a private, cozy rendezvous.
The special glass of Venusian wine. Romance blooms.
Hey, wine always helps romance out, even up there on Venus.
Hey, wine always helps romance out, even up there on Venus.
Here comes the big sci-fi kiss !
The mask just cramps his kissing. I mean who wants to kiss through a paper mache mask???
Bye bye mask. Hello evil Queen trouble !!
OMG the SHOCK !!! Oh --The 1958 HORROR !!!
Queen Yllana was burned by radioactivity from the evil male scientists of years ago.
When she gained power, she had all the men banished.
Now she wants to punish and eliminate the Earthlings, & DESTROY the Earth !!!
Neal really blew it.
Neal really blew it.
The no spoiler climax comes.
Will Earth survive the attack from the big white cardboard box?
Will the Queen get burnt to a cinder? (Oops, I gave that spoiler away)
Will the good girls that want men triumph?
Will healthy sex drives combat interplanetary evil?
Will Zsa Zsa get the Earthling Captain all for herself?
Get the DVD (mastered from the beautiful original negative) to find out.
And a "Boccino, Boccino" to one and all.
Break out your marshmellows. --- Smores anyone?
British release lobby card above. The mini skirt before it's time.
This film used sets, costumes, and a silly spider monster borrowed from older studio films, like Forbidden Planet. The low budget shows throughout, but they did film it in beautiful Technicolor and CinemaScope wide screen.
Eric Fleming was best known as Clint Eastwood's trail driving boss on the TV western, Rawhide. He also played a spy in Doris Day's comedy, The Glass Bottom Boat.
Sadly, he drowned filming a spy film in the Amazon River.
My rating ---- C plus! C it for a comic look into the 1950's.
Sadly, he drowned filming a spy film in the Amazon River.
My rating ---- C plus! C it for a comic look into the 1950's.
The girls get the boys at the end. Even on Venus.
Zsa Zsa gets her captain. The playboy will settle down.
Even an old professor can get three Venusian ladies for himself.
He forwarded his mail to Venus.
The US version poster.
Normal beauty shots of Laurie below. She's not really hideous. Quite the opposite.
Italian and Spanish posters below.
_________
______
This one is soooo bad, but I still love it !!!--------
ROBERT HUTTON & JENNIFER JAYNE
in
THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE
With Zia Mohyeddin, Bernard Kay, Luanshya Greer,
and MICHAEL GOUGH as the Master of the Moon!
and MICHAEL GOUGH as the Master of the Moon!
Directed by FREDDIE FRANCIS
Produced by MILTON SUBOTSKY & MAX ROSENBERG for AMICUS PRODUCTIONS
England --- 1967
"HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF METEORS LANDING IN A 'V' FORMATION?"
This is one picture you just love to hate. I saw it at an Army movie theater in 1967. The military theaters were really great back then because they had a different film every day. So many films that would not get a major release would be shown there. Tons of European trash films that would not be shown outside New York City, I enjoyed from the 60's to 70's at the local Army base. Tickets were just 35 cents too. $1.00 at regular theaters back then.
This was produced in England by Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky through their Amicus Productions. They were famous for great films like "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors", "Asylum", "The House that Dripped Blood". This film, and it's co-feature, "The Terronauts" seemed subpar for the talents involved.
Nine meteors crash into a farm field in Cornwall, England one evening. Scientists were called in to investigate this odd occurrence. This was not a crash of just any normal meteors. Oh no. This is a 1967 sci-fi film. They flew and landed in formation. A "V" shape.
Top scientist on life on other planets, Dr. Curtis Temple (Robert Hutton) would be leading the research group, along with his assistant and girlfriend, Leigh Mason (Jennifer Jayne---remember her in The Crawling Eye?).
They and others will be at a research base set up at the farm.
Robert Hutton as Dr. Curtis Temple, & Jennifer Jayne as Leigh Mason.
Why all this concern over meteorites landing? ----- Have you ever see meteorites
land in a perfect V formation?
Don't chisel that meteorite! Here comes the aliens!
Turns out Temple has a metal plate in his head, as a result of a car accident. His doctor will not allow him to go to the Cornwall farm. Temple must be a wimp. Miss Mason will lead the team. Don't worry, having a metal plate in your head will pay off for him later in the plot.
At the farm things are going well for Leigh & the gang. Until they go and try to chisel into one of those instantly cooled off meteors. Weird music blares, and fuzzy bright dots fly around
and go into the scientist's brains.
Oooh, it must be alien life forms taking over their brains and bodies!!! What else could they be?
and go into the scientist's brains.
Oooh, it must be alien life forms taking over their brains and bodies!!! What else could they be?
They came from beyond space after all!
Your calculations are correct... the meteorites came from..... the moon!
Leigh Mason (Jennifer Jayne) under the influence.
Even worse. Leigh Mason under the influence....with a ray gun!
Leigh is now boss of the aliens. They build a large fortified, secure base with guards, electrified fencing, and watch towers to keep people away. Temple using the landing data, figures that the meteors came from the Moon.
Two aliens attempt to have a being from a meteor rock transfer into Temple's brain. No good. That metal plate keeps that floating alien out of his head.
Now Temple is worried about his girl Leigh. He goes to the farm fortress, only to be shut out by a mean alien Leigh, and tough brainwashed guards with machine guns. She even told the guards to shoot, if he comes back.
He hides nearby to watch the activities of the base. That night he gets an eye full, with a spaceship lift off out of the farm's lake. He must get a closer look.........
Two of the many victims.
Will Temple figure out what the aliens are up to? (Of course, it's a movie from 1967)
Watch Temple and an old friend devise weird eye wear to detect aliens, and a ray gun to disable them!
Will Temple save Leigh Mason from the aliens? (Duh? He thinks she's hot)
Watch them go on a trip to the moon!
Will they save the planet Earth? (Nah, they put a For Sale Cheap sign up)
Fly me to the moon!
Screenplay based on the story by Joseph Millard.
It had a real catchy title.
This was not a winner for Amicus Productions. Many of their productions were great.
They were famous for anthology horrors with 3 to 5 different stories in one film. The films ---Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Tales from the Crypt, Asylum, Torture Garden, Vault of Horror, and House that Dripped Blood, put them on the worldwide horror map,
and are still popular today.
This production was complete with a plot with too many holes in it, flat acting, boring music, lackluster photography, and cheesy visuals. Some of the sets were not bad, due to being leftovers from the Doctor Who film, Daleks Invasion Earth, that was filmed just before this.
But it still lives on, as another in the list of famous golden turkeys of all time.
This is on DVD from a few companies. Mastered from various film prints with
washed out color.
washed out color.
Unfortunately, this had washed out Pathe color in it's original release.
I've had a 16mm film print of this since 1978.
It's is so lovingly bad, sometimes the projectors try to shut themselves off.
It's is so lovingly bad, sometimes the projectors try to shut themselves off.
My rating --- C minus. C it for pure corny nostalgia.
ORIGINAL ONE-SHEET POSTER, 27X41".
Dig those wild eye glasses. --- Good enough to see the alien life forms.
Reminds me of those cool X ray glasses they sold on the back of comic books.
The ray guns can drive the aliens out of their human victims.
The attractive metal caps can prevent the aliens to transfer to our brains.
Great British character actor, Michael Gough playing the leader of the Moon.
Had a very long career in films. Known as Alfred in the Batman films.
ORIGINAL ITALIAN POSTER
Lovely Jennifer Jayne was no stranger to sci fi & horror films. She co-starred in the 1957 classic Crawling Eye, featured here at Supernatural Theater. Jayne was also featured in another Amicus production, that was a hit around the world. She played a sexy vampire wife for Donald Sutherland in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors from 1965.
The lovely Jennifer Jayne.
Lovely Jennifer Jayne was no stranger to sci fi & horror films. She co-starred in the 1957 classic Crawling Eye, featured here at Supernatural Theater. Jayne was also featured in another Amicus production, that was a hit around the world. She played a sexy vampire wife for Donald Sutherland in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors from 1965.
The lovely Jennifer Jayne.
ORIGINAL LOBBY CARD SET
ORIGINAL LOBBY CARD
SHOWN IN THE US. AS A DOUBLE FEATURE, WITH THE TERRORNAUTS.
ORIGINAL 22x28"POSTER FOR THE TERRORNAUTS
As a teenager back then with wild hormones, I wondered why would you ever want to
sacrifice a beautiful virgin???
Below, the original Embassy Pictures promo for the double feature, and the Mel Brooks' film, The Producers. Both releases were box office high hopes for Embassy in 1967.
Joseph E. Levine was the promotion expert behind Embassy Pictures.
The winner was the great Brooks film. Still popular 51 years later in various forms.
As a teenager back then with wild hormones, I wondered why would you ever want to
sacrifice a beautiful virgin???
Below, the original Embassy Pictures promo for the double feature, and the Mel Brooks' film, The Producers. Both releases were box office high hopes for Embassy in 1967.
Joseph E. Levine was the promotion expert behind Embassy Pictures.
The winner was the great Brooks film. Still popular 51 years later in various forms.
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YOU CAN READ MY OTHER BLOG ENTRIES IN THE ARCHIVE (to the right).
******************
BLOG ENTRY #12 ---- ATTACK OF THE ROBOTS
EDDIE CONSTANTINE and JESUS FRANCO.
Two of my all time favorites.
EDDIE CONSTANTINE and JESUS FRANCO.
Two of my all time favorites.
Eddie Constantine in the Jesus Franco film, Attack of the Robots. Eddie's famous for playing the FBI agent Lemmy Caution in a slew of flicks including Alphaville. Jesus Franco was probably the most prolific director of all time, or in the the top 3, with over 180 features to his credit. Famous or infamous, for having the most names used in his credits. Like Jess Frank. He just passed away at 82. I was very lucky to have a good conversation with him, and his lady, the late Lina Romay some years ago. A great memory to have.
CHECK OUT BLOG ENTRY #19 ---- FOR EDDIE CONSTANTINE EUROSPY FILMS.
BLOG ENTRY #20 ----- HORROR CASTLE & CASTLE OF BLOOD.
