A strange visitor from outer space lands on a remote Scottish island where a renowned astronomer has set up an observatory to study the mysterious Planet X, which will pass close to Earth in a few days. The astronomer, his pretty daughter, his assistant, and a visiting American reporter make contact with the alien and try to communicate with it. But things take a turn for the worse when the assistant tries to use the alien for his own ends.
The hero of the movie is played by Robert Clarke. With his pencil mustache, bomber jacket, and turtleneck, he's the definition of cool. William Schallert plays the villain. It's a different type of role than I'm used to seeing Schallert in but he plays bad very well. Margaret Field (mother of Sally) does fine as the astronomer's daughter and potential love interest for Clarke. Roy Engel is great in a small part as the constable. This is a very good, low-budget sci-fi film from the Golden Age of Sci-Fi (the 1950s). It's helped a lot by a short runtime and Edgar G. Ulmer's atmospheric direction. Most of the movie takes place at night, with lots of scenes on the fog-shrouded moors or the castle observatory. Creepy fun for fans of classic horror and sci-fi. Also, this was made back in the days when stories involving space and aliens were still filled with wonder and the fantastic, not the boring "realism" that permeates modern sci-fi. So here we have a big-headed alien in a neat-looking spacesuit traveling in an awesome rocket ship. Very entertaining for those who appreciate such things.
The hero of the movie is played by Robert Clarke. With his pencil mustache, bomber jacket, and turtleneck, he's the definition of cool. William Schallert plays the villain. It's a different type of role than I'm used to seeing Schallert in but he plays bad very well. Margaret Field (mother of Sally) does fine as the astronomer's daughter and potential love interest for Clarke. Roy Engel is great in a small part as the constable. This is a very good, low-budget sci-fi film from the Golden Age of Sci-Fi (the 1950s). It's helped a lot by a short runtime and Edgar G. Ulmer's atmospheric direction. Most of the movie takes place at night, with lots of scenes on the fog-shrouded moors or the castle observatory. Creepy fun for fans of classic horror and sci-fi. Also, this was made back in the days when stories involving space and aliens were still filled with wonder and the fantastic, not the boring "realism" that permeates modern sci-fi. So here we have a big-headed alien in a neat-looking spacesuit traveling in an awesome rocket ship. Very entertaining for those who appreciate such things.