The Cosmic Man (1959)

Low budget, derivative and mildly entertaining sci-fi film

Directed by Herbert S. Greene
Produced by Harry Marsh, Robert A. Terry
Written by Arthur C. Pierce
Music by Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter
Cinematography: John F. Warren
Edited by Helene Turner, Richard C. Currier
Production company: Futura Productions
Distributed by Allied Artists
Running time: 72 minutes.


Cast

John Carradine: Cosmic Man
Bruce Bennett: Dr. Karl Sorenson
Angela Greene: Kathy Grant
Paul Langton: Col. Matthews
Scotty Morrow: Ken Grant
Lyn Osborn Lyn: Sgt. Gray
Walter Maslow: Dr. 'Rich' Richie
Herbert Lytton: Gen. Knowland
Ken Clayton : Master Sergeant
Alan Wells: Sergeant
Harry Fleer: Bill, the Park Ranger
John Erman : Radar Operator
Dwight Brooks: Major
Hal Torey: Dr. Steinholtz

Trailer

TV Broadcast:

PROBING THE PAST

WITH 

BILL BANNERMAN 

Good evening. I’m your host, Bill Bannerman and welcome to tonight’s program, “Probing The Past” where on this occasion we will be examining a 1958 incident involving a spherical UFO that reportedly contained an alien visitor to our planet.

This is not the first such instance of spherical objects having been reported landing on earth. If you remember from a previous program in which we covered the case of the troubled Nancy Archer, heir to the Fowler fortune, who one evening while driving her 1958 Chrysler Imperial on Route 66 suddenly encountered a glowing sphere that descended and landed on the road in front of her, causing her to swerve off the road and come to a stop.

According to reports, Nancy Archer had been menaced by a gigantic alien occupant of the sphere and had been affected by her contact causing her to grow to an incredible height of 50 feet! Her rampage has been coined as the Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Another program dealt with the 1968 United States launching of three astronauts on a mission to land on Mars which occurred around the same time that the Soviet Union launched its own secret Mars mission. While on Mars, an alien sphere appeared and dragged one of the astronauts inside and killed him by means of a mysterious force. The sphere also was said to have emitted a force field which prevented the American spacecraft from taking off. A surviving Russian cosmonaut helped the Americans deactivate the sphere resulting in one surviving American astronaut and the Soviet cosmonaut escaping Mars in the American spacecraft.

A third program of ours reported the 1998 OSSA discovery of a spacecraft thought to be at least 300 years old laying at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. It was then decided to assemble and send a team of experts down to the depths of the ocean to study the space craft and learn more about it.

The space craft was found not to be of alien origin at all, but was in fact of earthly U.S. origin possessing a level of technology far surpassing any in the present day. It was determined that the ship and its crew had encountered an "unknown event" that sent the vessel back in time. 

The investigative team eventually stumbled upon a large, perfect sphere with a fluidic surface hovering a few feet above the floor in the ship's cargo bay. They were unable to probe the inside of the sphere, but they realized that while the sphere reflected its surroundings, it did not reflect the humans nearby!

From such examples as these, it can be seen that the track record in terms of encounters with spherical UFOs is not a good one. Which leads us to the subject of tonight’s program which we have called,

THE COSMIC MAN 

Read on for more.....

Spoilers follow below....

A mysterious large levitating white globe appears in a California canyon! 

The Air Force, assisted by physicist Karl Sorensen investigate! 

A strange being emerges from the object! 

Who is this being and what does he want? 

Is the “Cosmic Man” benevolent? 

OR….. 

Does the mysterious stranger pose a danger to Earth?

Join us after this station break as we begin our investigation into this fascinating and incredible incident on PROBING THE PAST!! 

[The program resumes and viewers are presented with a view of a spiral galaxy followed by a zoom in on views of Earth, the Long Beach, California Harbor and then the Los Angeles area.]

Welcome back. I’m your host Bill Bannerman. The material for tonight’s program is the result of previously classified documents released under Freedom of Information provisions, an eye-witness account of events from the last living survivor who was involved and of the pain-staking investigative work of our research team. A combination of actual and reconstructed images and footage will be used to present the events of sixty years ago.

“The bogey has been picked up all around the globe today” 

Our story of the “Cosmic Man” begins at a military base where a radar operator picks up an object on his screen and reports this to Colonel Matthews. The area of likely impact is Oak Ridge.

General Knowland enters and informs Colonel Matthews that Air Defense Command says the ‘bogey’ has been picked up all around the globe and that “Washington wants us to keep a close check on it."

"What kind of craft can possibly fly over our military posts and cities, in broad daylight, without being seen or heard?"

The question remains, what exactly is the ‘it’ that Knowland is referring to? Matthews speculates that the object may be “some kind of light aberration or temperature inversion.” We know from Air Force, Project Blue Book and other official investigations that such explanations are often used to explain (away) sightings of unidentified flying objects.

It soon turns out that the Forest Service has reported something up by Bear Lake. Knowland sends Matthews to investigate and calls Pacific Tech requesting Dr. Karl Sorenson to help with the investigation.

A park ranger who we know only by the name of Bill, along with Colonel Matthews and a certain Sgt. Gray arrive on the scene. The three men proceed into the canyon where the mysterious object is located. They are soon confronted with the sight of a large white sphere, suspended in the air. Upon descending into the canyon to get a closer look at the object, a ticking sound is heard, the source of which they discover is coming from a Geiger counter being operated by none other than Dr. Karl Sorenson.

“Space supremacy could be ours overnight"

Sorenson reports there is some radiation he has yet to identify and concludes that the object is not metal, but that it might be a type of glass. Colonel Matthews is not interested in knowledge for knowledge’s sake. His military mind is more attuned to the strategic and practical military applications of such knowledge. 

After arranging for an armed detail to be sent for and seeking a commitment of secrecy about their find from the others, Matthews declares that "knowledge of what makes this thing work could be the greatest military weapon of all time.” Sixty years on and some of our political and military leaders are also contemplating achieving mastery of the strategic ‘high ground’ of space as part of preparations for future conflicts. 

The scene appears to be set for a clash of views concerning knowledge and power and their applications. As Sorenson reminds Matthews, there are two kinds of power: constructive and destructive. Deciding which path to embark upon still seems to bedevil certain political, military and corporate leaders to this very day.

I’d now like to introduce viewers to tonight’s guest. Please give a warm welcome to Mr. Ken Grant. [Applause. A tall thin man with silver hair, possibly in his seventies walks on the set, shakes Bannerman’s hand and acknowledges the audience before taking a seat.]

Bannerman: Welcome to Probing the Past, Mr Grant. Can you please tell the viewers who you are and the role you played in those strange events of sixty years ago?

Ken: Sure, Bill. My name is Ken Grant, son of Kathy Grant. Mom initially had heard on the party line (something youngsters these days wouldn’t be familiar with) that a strange object...a flying saucer had been found. So, mom put me in the car along with my wheelchair and we drove to the canyon site. You see, back then I was unable to walk and I wasn’t expected to live for much longer due to a medical condition - polio. As you can see, sixty years on and I’m hale and hearty! Anyway, my mom owned the local lodge and offered the military boys its use as a base of operations.

Dr. Sorenson introduced himself to us but I immediately recognized him as “the famous scientist who discovered omicron radiation." Sorenson then said that he would be staying at the lodge.

Bannerman: Thanks Mr. Grant. Stay with us as we continue with our presentation and we’ll ask you more about what you recall of the ‘Cosmic Man’ incident. And viewers, you stay with us too as we take a short break with this message from our sponsor. 

Welcome back. With Sorenson having been given official backing to be a part of the investigative team, Col. Matthews had no choice but to try and get along with him. After all, Sorenson was a Major General in the reserves and was even instrumental in the development of the Atomic Bomb – then subject to secrecy and tight security.

It must be noted that by this time a tight security classification had been placed on the mysterious spherical object. Even sixty years later and with the dubious benefit of freedom of information provisions, it is difficult to peal away the layers of top secret and national security classifications that have been slapped on this incident.

Kathy Grant’s Lodge now acted as military headquarters and a road had been constructed to facilitate the transport of the object back to the Air Base. The area around the sphere was secured by means of an armed military detachment sent out to surround the object.

Shadowy Stranger

Now, Mr. Grant, it seems that your mother told you about a strange encounter that she had at the Lodge in the presence of Col. Matthews and a couple of other military men. 

Ken Grant: Why yes. Mom was startled by a sound and when she turned on a light she was confronted by the appearance of a shadowy figure in the dining room. Hearing her scream in horror, Col. Matthews and his men rushed in to help her. A search of the area failed to turn up anything but soon after reports were received by the police in the nearby town concerning the sighting of someone or something very strange indeed.

Later on at Pacific Tech, it seems that the strange shadowy figure had entered Sorenson's lab and made a correction to the plans for his Photon Chamber. Dr. Ritchie showed Sorenson the correction on the blueprint which seemed to confirm that something had indeed arrived on the sphere.

The Lodge 

An odd-looking stranger wearing a coat, hat and very thick glasses approaches and startles Kathy Grant. In a deep, precise and deliberate voice, he requests a room. He suggests that he is a scientist and knows Sorenson. On the way to his room he spots Ken’s wheelchair and states to Kathy, "You have a child who does not walk."

The Canyon

Brute force cannot budge the sphere. Oxyacetylene torches are unable to cut through the sphere’s exterior. 

Suddenly, Sorenson detects a signal coming from the sphere and determines that electromagnetic waves surround it and that light is converted to electricity by the sphere. An experiment to produce light instead results in a sonic explosion that knocks Sorenson flat on the ground. The object apparently does not conduct electricity, but it does convert it into sound waves.

Certain additional facts are beginning to emerge:

1. The Cosmic Man is partially visible during the day but is invisible at night.
2. Various facilities in the area have been visited by the Cosmic Man.
3. The facilities involve work on Ion Propulsion and radiation research.

Now Mr. Grant, you witnessed the presence of the ‘Cosmic Man’ and some of what he said. Can you please tell the viewers what you recall. Ken Grant: Sure Bill. I spent some time with Dr Sorenson and Dr Ritchie as they went over some calculations. I kind of liked being around them when they discussed technical issues. There was talk about setting a trap for the Cosmic Man and that somehow a Professor Steinholtz was now involved and that he had some ideas on how to capture the Cosmic Man.

I’ll never forget how at that time Dr Sorenson gave me a present of a telescope. He sure sparked my interest in science and later set me on the path that eventually led to a career in astrophysics.

“The peoples of your society must develop a new concept of thinking. Adopt and practice new values and principles of living together before they will be ready to encounter the civilizations of the universe." 

Before I even had time to enjoy my new telescope, the lights in the lodge suddenly went out. It was the Cosmic Man. He told us more or less that he and others like him were inter-planetary explorers, that for centuries the oceans of the earth have been mined and that he would depart the Earth the next day. As he left, shots were fired at him but without any effect.

"I will leave your planet now. For the present my work here is finished." 

Bannerman: Yes, and in the meantime electromagnets had been moved to Stone Canyon and acts of sabotage had been reported at various companies in the area. Fortunately there was no loss of life or injuries. So, Mr Grant that was not the end of your encounter with the Cosmic Man?

Ken Grant: No, not at all! Some of it I recall and the rest was pieced together later during conversations with mom and Dr Sorenson.

Bannermann: We’ll be right back with you recollections after this short message…. 

Bannerman: You were about to tell us more concerning your experiences with the ‘Cosmic Man.’

Ken Grant: That’s right, Bill. I remember the Cosmic Man coming into my room where we had some great games of chess. He didn’t seem so bad after all. Later that evening, the Cosmic Man returned and took me away with him.

As preparations were under way in the Canyon with the setting up of the electromagnets, the Cosmic Man arrived on the scene carrying me. He apparently told the military boys to shut off the magnetic field in exchange for my safety. He then placed me down on the ground and made his way to his sphere.

"We must not let him escape, General. We must learn the secrets of this object”

Mom and Dr Sorenson later told me that The Cosmic Man commanded everyone to remain where they were until he departed. Apparently Professor Steinholtz was intent on not letting the Cosmic Man reach his ship, and so he proceeded to turn on the electromagnets. This somehow caused the Cosmic Man to collapse.

The last part that I do remember is waking up and walking over to mom. Yes, I said WALKING over to mom. It seems that I have the Cosmic Man to thank for that. I have spent the last sixty years wishing I could personally thank him for that miracle!

The last I saw of him was when a beam of light shot out of the sphere and shone on the Cosmic Man who then gradually disappeared like a sand dune’s individual grains being blown away by a desert wind. All that remained were the Cosmic man’s empty clothes. The sphere itself then disappeared leaving us all to gaze up in wonder and apprehension at a cloud-filled sky.

Bannerman: Thank you so much Mr. Grant for giving us your time and willingness to recount your experiences surrounding this intriguing incident.

Now in closing, I would like to share with you some of the numerous tweets, email and text messages we have received during the course of our program. Of course there is much more to be found on our Facebook Page.

"This so-called ‘The Cosmic Man’ incident seems to suspiciously draw heavily on the ideas and characters from the classic 1951 sci-fi film, The Day Earth Stood Still. At least Michael Rennie’s fictional Klaatu character had more screen time presence and substance than this supposedly ‘real-world’ alien visitor did in real life."

"Funny how The Cosmic Man's spaceship is little more than a white sphere. Where is all the all the advanced whiz-bang alien technology with blinking lights and such? What kind of alien is a man wearing just glasses and a coat?" 

"This smacks of more than just being an elaborately made-up story in which we merely have a menacing alien issuing us with a dire ultimatum." 

"No wonder there’s a cloud of official secrecy surrounding such incidents what with the military looking to the potential for weapons of mass destruction while being confronted by an alien force with superior minds." 

"Really! A disabled child made to walk again? From politics to the entertainment media; sounds like the Christian lobby is sallying forth again with its agenda!" 

On that note, until next week, this is Bill Bannerman wishing you good evening from all of us at Probing the Past where we take one step back into the past and two steps forward into the future….

Full Film

©Chris Christopoulos 2019