The Strange World of Planet X (film)
| The Strange World of Planet X | |
|---|---|
VHS box cover
|
|
| Directed by | Gilbert Gunn |
| Produced by |
George Maynard John Bash |
| Written by |
Paul Ryder Joe Ambor |
| Starring |
Forrest Tucker Gaby Andre Alec Mango |
| Music by | Robert Sharples |
| Cinematography | Josef Ambor |
| Edited by | Francis Bieber |
| Distributed by |
Eros Films (UK) Distributors Corporation of America (US) |
|
Release date
|
1958 |
|
Running time
|
75 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Strange World of Planet X (a.k.a Cosmic Monsters in the United States) is an independently made 1957 British science fiction horror film, produced by George Maynard and John Bash, directed by Gilbert Gunn, that stars Forrest Tucker and Gaby Andre. The film was distributed in the UK by Eros Films. In 1958 it was released in the US by Distributors Corporation of America on a double bill with The Crawling Eye (allegedly, DCA considered the alternative titles The Crawling Terror and The Crawling Horror for the second feature).
A monomaniacal scientist creates ultra-sensitive, disruptive magnetic fields, which have unexpected side effects, while also attracting unidentified flying objects from outer space. Strange things begin to happen, including a freak storm, blasts of cosmic radiation that penetrates the Earth's normally protective magnetic shield, and insects and spiders mutating into giant monsters.
The film, meant as a cautionary tale about science, was adapted by Paul Ryder and Joe Ambor from the 1957 Rene Ray novel of the same name; a made-for-TV serial, adapted by Ray in 1956, had aired previously in the UK and was the basis for the feature film.
In the south of England, at an isolated laboratory near a small village, physicist Dr. Laird (Alec Mango) is assisted by American scientist Gilbert Graham (Forrest Tucker). They are performing a series of advanced and dangerous experiments with magnetic fields, while using massive amounts of power in equipment never designed to carry such loads. An accident occurs and injures another assistant, after which a request for a replacement sent to the Ministry of Defense brings Brigadier Cartwright (Windham Goldie) down to investigate. He is accompanied by a woman computer expert, Michele Dupont (Gaby Andre), who helps to solve Laird's power problem, but not the larger risks inherent in his experiments.
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Wikipedia