Phantom from Space
| Phantom from Space | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | W. Lee Wilder |
| Produced by | W. Lee Wilder |
| Screenplay by |
William Raynor Myles Wilder |
| Story by | Myles Wilder |
| Starring |
Ted Cooper Noreen Nash Dick Sands Burt Wenland |
| Music by | William Lava |
| Cinematography | William H. Clothier |
| Edited by | George Gale |
Production company |
Planet Filmplays |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Language | English |
Phantom from Space is a 1953 American science fiction film produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder from an original screenplay written by William Raynor and Myles Wilder. It was one of several films made in the early 1950s by Wilder and son, Raynor, and most of the same crew, independently on a financing-for-distribution basis with United Artists and, occasionally, RKO-Radio Pictures.[1]
Plot
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigators arrive in the San Fernando Valley after what appears to be a UFO crashes, causing massive interference with teleradio transmissions. During their investigation they receive witness reports of what appears to be a man dressed in a bizarre outfit. Their investigation uncovers that this is a being from outer space who is invisible. They start a massive manhunt, causing a public panic over the invisible alien running loose.
Cast
- Ted Cooper as Lt. Hazen
- Tom Daly as Charlie
- Steve Acton as Mobile Center Dispatcher
- Burt Wenland as Agent Joe
- Lela Nelson as Betty Evans
- Harry Landers as Lt. Bowers
- Burt Arnold as Darrow
- Sandy Sanders as First Policeman
- Harry Strang as Neighbor
- Jim Bannon as Desk Sgt. Jim
- Jack Daly as Joe Wakeman
- Michael Mark as Refinery Watchman
- Rudolph Anders as Dr. Wyatt
Production and Release
The film uses stock footage of radar rigs. Some of this stock footage would later reappear in Killers from Space[2] (1954).
Phantom from Space opened on May 15, 1953.[3] Legend Films released a colorized version of the film.[4]
Reception
Critical response
Film historian and critic, Glenn Erickson, was humorous in his DVD release review . He wrote, "After a couple of uninspired potboilers in the late 1940s (The Pretender is actually a good movie), Wilder hit his groove of incompetence with this no-budget wonder concerning the saddest space invader on record ... Endless talky scenes alternate with the entire cast of 6 running back and forth in the old interior of the Griffith Planetarium. The poor invader is a bald muscle beach type in a radioactive space suit and a helmet that appears to be the same prop from Robot Monster, somewhat altered."[5]
References
- ↑ Phantom from Space at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ 1000 Misspent hours and Counting
- ↑ Million Monkey Theater
- ↑ Legend Films
- ↑ Erickson, Erick. DVD Savant, DVD/film review, October 14, 2008. Accessed: July 23, 2013.
External links
- Phantom from Space at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Phantom from Space at the Internet Movie Database
- Phantom from Space at AllMovie
- Phantom from Space at the TCM Movie Database
- Phantom from Space is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- Phantom from Space complete film on YouTube (public domain)