An admirable sci-fi adventure about friendship, trust, self sacrifice, and co-operation in order to survive in an inhospitable world. A message sorely needed in today’s modern world.
Produced by Aubrey Schenck
Screenplay by Ib Melchior, John C. Higgins
Based on “Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe
Music by Nathan Van Cleave
Cinematography: Winton C. Hoch
Edited by Terry O. Morse
Production company: Schenck-Zabel
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Running time: 110 minutes
Cast
Paul Mantee : Commander Christopher Draper
Victor Lundin: Friday
Adam West: Colonel Dan McReady
The Woolly Monkey: Mona
Paul Mantee : Commander Christopher Draper
Victor Lundin: Friday
Adam West: Colonel Dan McReady
The Woolly Monkey: Mona
Original theatrical trailer
Long before there was a
“Mission to Mars” (2000)
OR
a landing on the “Red Planet” (2000)
OR
Any thought of trying to
“Escape from Mars” (1999)
OR
any desire to get “Away” (2020)
(What the...??)
THERE WAS…….
Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)
A science fiction retelling of the classic 1719 novel “Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe.
*******************************
- Aboard Mars Gravity Probe 1, Commander Christopher 'Kit' Draper and Colonel Dan McReady are forced to avoid collision with a meteor.
- Using an escape pod, Draper lands on the surface of Mars.
- With his fellow astronaut dead and with a monkey being his only companion, Draper will need to find a way to survive until he can be rescued and hopefully return to earth.
The need for;
Oxygen
Food
Water
And the effects of;
Loneliness & Isolation
are but a few of the threats posed to the survival of this modern-day.....
Robinson Crusoe on Mars!
************************
Read on for more........
Somewhere in another universe and another reality, the inhabitants of the third blue planet from their sun had by the 1960s reached out into space beyond mere low earth orbit and their bases on their single natural satellite.
The year is 1964 and Commander Christopher "Kit" Draper, USN and Colonel Dan McReady, USAF aboard their spaceship, Mars Gravity Probe 1 are set to become the first humans on Mars…...rather unexpectedly so.
The extra-ordinary account of the Mars Gravity Probe 1 mission is taken up by Commander Draper in his audio logs…...
Mars Gravity Probe 1
Commander Christopher Draper
Audio Log
Entry (Columbus in a strange new land)
This is Commander Christopher Draper... the Navy of the United States of America, planet Earth... former co-pilot Mars Gravity Probe 1.
Colonel McReady and I were set to make our remaining orbits before starting back.
“We took evasive action to avoid collision with a meteor.” With 28 seconds remaining, main retros were fired followed by the firing of upper retros which put us into a descending fast-decaying orbit resulting in “Mars's gravity taking over, pulling us down.” There was no question that we had been “forced into the dangerous gravitational pull of Mars.”
We informed NASA that we had been “forced out of orbital velocity to avoid collision with planetoid and into tighter orbit of Mars” with “the gravity of the planet...pulling us toward it.” We had no option but to “blast back into orbital velocity” which of course would cause us to use all our fuel: - a problem we would have to try and lick later.
After Delta “V” our fuel supply was spent and there was nothing left for us to do but to “prepare to eject: emergency procedure.” In short, we were forced to abandon ship using our pods. After that we would hopefully be able to join up later down on the planet’s surface.
“As of now, the vehicle frame is still orbiting Mars (and) seems to have established gravitational balance. We ejected capsule without incident, Colonel Dan McReady ejecting after I did.”
Despite the low oxygen content, fire seems to have have found a way to thrive on Mars. In fact, it almost ended my life as a fiery ball seemed to deliberately attack me as if it were alive! It reminded me of the way in which fire behaves in zero gravity and during some wild-fires – almost as if it were a writhing living entity.
Added the spookiness of the place was the soul-shattering, mournful but somewhat menacing moaning sound that at first seemed to be coming from all around me. Ghosts of Mars? However, I soon discovered that the sound was the result of the wind forcing its way through the shattered remains of my life-pod as if it were going through its final agonizing death-throes.
My immediate problem was to locate shelter and so I set off along this alien landscape to who knows where. It reminded me a lot of Death Valley back on earth, except for the reddish orange-tinged sky and the amazing light show of the Martian borealis of which I seemed to be the sole spectator.
By chance (or perhaps was it by design?), I stumbled upon a solution to obtaining fire and heat when one of fiery plasma balls shot towards me before moving on. Along the track it took, I discovered a collection of yellow rocks that seemed to act like coal that when ignited could retain heat while being able to he handled to some extent. “It's as burnable as some of our poorer grades of coal. Heat's uneven, but it should make the Martian nights endurable.”
Also by chance (or had it once again been by design?), I discovered a suitable place of refuge when like the stupid jerk I am, I managed to lose my footing up on a rock ledge and literally fell on my ass into a depression. Looking up, I spotted a cave and climbing up into it I discovered it contained seams of a kind of crystal. It was with such a lump of crystal that I used as magnifying glass to ignite the yellow ‘coal’ to provide me with fire, light and heat.
“Now, my two most difficult problems are air and water. I have, with what's left in my tank and one reserve cylinder, enough oxygen for...oh, about 60 hours, depending, of course, on how much I exert myself.”
As I mentioned, “my first discovery was that the air on Mars is far too thin to support human life. As to water, by severe rationing, I can get by for about 15 days. ‘Course, once my air gives out, water won't matter.”
Funny to think how I came here in a space ship from tens of millions of miles away only to wind up like some kind of a primitive cave man! In fact, “I feel a little bit like Columbus: set down in a strange new land, full of new wonders, new discoveries. It's a challenge, all right; a challenge to my training. Sometimes challenges can get mighty big. But I'm gonna stay alive, believe me - That's for the morale officer.”
I hope Mac was as lucky as me. “I'll set out to look for him tomorrow. From all indications, he should be on the other side of a high range of rocky peaks to the west.”
Entry (Breathless)
“At the most optimistic appraisal, I have 50 or so hours of life left - God willing.
“The problem is sleeping. If I don't wake up in time to renew my air supply, it's hearts and flowers. I've got to make some kind of alarm device, safeguard myself.
“Tomorrow - and morning's only a couple of hours away - I'm gonna rejoin Mac. Good old Mac. I'll bet he's got these problems licked.”
Entry (Over and out)
“This is signature... Mars Gravity Probe 1. Colonel Dan McReady dead. M-Me too soon.
No more oxygen.” Set out to find Mac. Under watchful gaze of orbiting ship - last link to earth and hope for survival- located Mac’s pod….Crash-landed and broke apart on rock outcrop….All that’s left of Mac after burying him was his ring, a recording of a song from his wife, Elinor and his two kids.
Entry (Life-saving discovery)
“Well, you can scratch signature. I've found an answer that's saved my life temporarily.” I awoke to find myself well and truly alive instead of stone-cold dead. Out of the fire fueled by the yellow stones, oxygen seeped to revive me.
“These yellow stones that burn like coal. I've been wondering about this a lot. Where do they get the oxygen to burn? It must be similar to solid rocket fuel with its own built-in oxygen. Heat and flame release it - and it's breathable. I've gotta find some way to store it. As far as life on this planet - I've seen no sign of any other living thing anywhere... yet.”
Guess I wont be joining you just yet Mac, old buddy. I really do wish you were here. You always seemed to know what to do in any situation. Don’t worry pal, I’ll hang in there.
Entry (Another problem to solve)
Having discovered that heating the yellow rock also releases oxygen has allowed me to devise a system for refilling my air tanks with a hand pump which will enable me to move around in the thin Martian atmosphere.
“Well, I've now been on Mars for two weeks. I've tried on several occasions to talk down the wreck of our space vehicle, the Elinor M. I can't break it out of Mars's gravity grip. It answers electronically, but the jets don't fire. No fuel left. So there it is: A supermarket that flies through my sky, and it might as well be in East Overshoe.”
Entry (Theory and practice)
The supply of water and food wont last for much longer. Much of our training involved survival training, namely locating water on another planet. Well, I have good old professor Woodward aboard on “Instructional videotape number six...second phase of survival, finding water” employing of course, “hypothetical knowledge from our studies here on earth.”
Well prof, “I can give you a tip from here on Mars:” There ain’t no seas, rain or snow and I’m sure as hell not going to drink my own piss! “Good night, Professor. Thanks for the heart-to-heart.”
Speaking of food and water, I’ve lately noticed that Mona keeps disappearing and she seems to display little interest in the dwindling supply of food and water. Something I’ll have to get to the bottom of or I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. Sorry, Mona.
Entry: (Even a monkey could do it)
I devised a plan that involves depriving Mona of water and restricting her to the cave. It worked. Mona is definitely not like a camel. She can get thirsty too and she obviously knew something very important to our survival.
I managed to find out what it was when I went in search of Mona. As is my habit, one moment I’m on solid ground and the next I’m falling down into something. In this case, that something was a very deep, deep cavern. Luckily, I manged to grab hold of a ledge which turned out to be the rocky rim of a water source like some kind of an underground spring. And guess who I found sitting on the other side happily munching away on something? Yep, good old Mona. It turned out that she was stuffing her face with an edible plant that resembles seaweed that contains something like a pod that once peeled looks a bit like a sausage. “Could use a little paprika.. not bad at all.”
This was a wonderful turn of events. Still, man cannot live by bread alone. With Mona being my sole companion, if she “just had four words” that she understood, even if it were just “Yes,” “No,” “Come,” “Go,” “then we could talk to each other.” Human beings need to interact, to communicate, to socialize. Rob them of that ability and they’re likely to…...well, I’ll talk to you later on.
Entry (Mana from heaven)
I found out that the new source of Martian food has other uses, because you can “eat it, weave it and you wear it.” Now, that’s one useful resource worth its weight in gold. “This is manna from heaven!”
This was a wonderful turn of events. Still, man cannot live by bread alone. With Mona being my sole companion, if she “just had four words” that she understood, even if it were just “Yes,” “No,” “Come,” “Go,” “then we could talk to each other.” Human beings need to interact, to communicate, to socialize. Rob them of that ability and they’re likely to…...well, I’ll talk to you later on.
Entry (Mana from heaven)
I found out that the new source of Martian food has other uses, because you can “eat it, weave it and you wear it.” Now, that’s one useful resource worth its weight in gold. “This is manna from heaven!”
Entry (Utterly alone)
“All right, here's another note for you boys in Survival, for you geniuses in Human Factors. A guy can lick the problems of heat, water, shelter, food. I know. I've done it.
And here's the hairiest problem of all: isolation, being alone. Boy, here's where he'll crack. Here's where he'll go under.”
“I know, I know. I had great training, including two months in the isolation chamber. But when I was in that chamber, I knew I was coming out. I knew I'd be with people again. But up here on Mars; you've gotta face the reality of being alone forever.”
The days have grown into months and “I haven't heard a human voice in four months - Four!” During all that time “I have just been aching for someone to talk to.” All I have is Mona’s chittering and the sound of my own voice echoing back to me at the pool, a place I euphemistically call ‘the beach.’ All I want is for Mr Echo to just for once “say something!….I mean…. say something back!”
I think I’m beginning to crack from the prolonged isolation. Why, after last night’s meal of stewed ‘sausages’ I went to sleep feeling none too good, perhaps coming down with a dose of food poisoning. Suddenly I awoke to the sound of knocking at the cave entrance. When I opened the makeshift door, I imagined that I was in the presence of Mac – alive but strangely silent. Was I going out of my mind? Was it Mac’s ghost? Was it a magic mushroom-like hallucinatory effect of the cooked Martian sausages? It was as if Mac was cruelly mocking me with his silence until the full import of what took place hit me like a sledgehammer when my ‘alarm’ jangled my senses back to reality.
We all remember the global pandemic of 1950 – 1953 during which a large proportion of the population was forced into lock-down and extended periods of social distancing. You’ll also recall how difficult it was for so many people to endure social isolation, together with the threat to lives, jobs and livelihoods. Despite the difficulties, we knew in the back of our minds that we were undergoing a shared experience and that in a sense we were in this together and that there were ways and means by which we could reach out to others no matter how inadequate they seemed to be. In the end, we came through it when the virus disappeared just as quickly as it arrived even before an effective vaccine had been fully developed. But for many the damage had been done and it took years for people to restore their psychological and emotional health.
Now imagine being cut off from ALL human contact while being separated from everyone and everything you knew by millions and millions of miles of space. No friend to joke around and have a beer with. No one to hug or be hugged by. No one to have a sane and rational conversation with. No woman to love and make love to. A monkey: your only contact, your only company. Your only hope – not to lose hope…….
And to rub in, there’s the ever-present Mars Gravity Probe 1 ship ceaselessly orbiting overhead: an inaccessible "supermarket" without fuel and unable to respond to my radioed commands to land.
“All right, here's another note for you boys in Survival, for you geniuses in Human Factors. A guy can lick the problems of heat, water, shelter, food. I know. I've done it.
And here's the hairiest problem of all: isolation, being alone. Boy, here's where he'll crack. Here's where he'll go under.”
“I know, I know. I had great training, including two months in the isolation chamber. But when I was in that chamber, I knew I was coming out. I knew I'd be with people again. But up here on Mars; you've gotta face the reality of being alone forever.”
The days have grown into months and “I haven't heard a human voice in four months - Four!” During all that time “I have just been aching for someone to talk to.” All I have is Mona’s chittering and the sound of my own voice echoing back to me at the pool, a place I euphemistically call ‘the beach.’ All I want is for Mr Echo to just for once “say something!….I mean…. say something back!”
I think I’m beginning to crack from the prolonged isolation. Why, after last night’s meal of stewed ‘sausages’ I went to sleep feeling none too good, perhaps coming down with a dose of food poisoning. Suddenly I awoke to the sound of knocking at the cave entrance. When I opened the makeshift door, I imagined that I was in the presence of Mac – alive but strangely silent. Was I going out of my mind? Was it Mac’s ghost? Was it a magic mushroom-like hallucinatory effect of the cooked Martian sausages? It was as if Mac was cruelly mocking me with his silence until the full import of what took place hit me like a sledgehammer when my ‘alarm’ jangled my senses back to reality.
We all remember the global pandemic of 1950 – 1953 during which a large proportion of the population was forced into lock-down and extended periods of social distancing. You’ll also recall how difficult it was for so many people to endure social isolation, together with the threat to lives, jobs and livelihoods. Despite the difficulties, we knew in the back of our minds that we were undergoing a shared experience and that in a sense we were in this together and that there were ways and means by which we could reach out to others no matter how inadequate they seemed to be. In the end, we came through it when the virus disappeared just as quickly as it arrived even before an effective vaccine had been fully developed. But for many the damage had been done and it took years for people to restore their psychological and emotional health.
Now imagine being cut off from ALL human contact while being separated from everyone and everything you knew by millions and millions of miles of space. No friend to joke around and have a beer with. No one to hug or be hugged by. No one to have a sane and rational conversation with. No woman to love and make love to. A monkey: your only contact, your only company. Your only hope – not to lose hope…….
And to rub in, there’s the ever-present Mars Gravity Probe 1 ship ceaselessly orbiting overhead: an inaccessible "supermarket" without fuel and unable to respond to my radioed commands to land.
Entry (An unexpected find)
As part of my survival at all costs bid, I opted for continuing to give my existence on this new world of mine some structure and purpose. You know, preserve the mind and body thing. I guess one way to do this would be to explore the surroundings.
Three weeks ago, as I was walking about with Mona, I stumbled across a dark rock slab standing upright. It had definitely been deliberately placed there – but by whom? Curious, I dug in the ground around it, and to my astonishment I managed to expose the skeletal remains of a hand and arm wearing a black bracelet. I then uncovered the rest of what definitely appeared to be a humanoid skeleton.
As part of my survival at all costs bid, I opted for continuing to give my existence on this new world of mine some structure and purpose. You know, preserve the mind and body thing. I guess one way to do this would be to explore the surroundings.
I don’t have to spell it out for you what that means: Intelligent life – extraterrestrial life - here on Mars! It seems that I might not be so alone after all. The burial suggests that the skeleton’s species have a concept of an afterlife, reverence for their dead, a belief in a god or gods or at least some kind of religious worship. The bracelet also suggests a degree of technological sophistication.
You can sense a tone of foreboding in my voice instead of the expected joy at my discovery and what it could entail. You see, “it is now three weeks since I found the skeleton out by the black mesas. I had to conclude it was murder because there was a large, neat hole in the forehead of the skull. The back of the skull was fused and charred. Because of this, I have concealed or destroyed any outward sign that anyone is living.”
Also, in order to hide my presence on Mars, I felt I had to signal Mars Probe 1 to self-destruct on its next overhead pass. There went my last link to and reminder of Earth.
“Last night occurred the most important event since I landed on Mars 147 days ago. An interplanetary space vehicle made a landing - like no space vehicle I've ever seen on Earth. From what I see from my videotape, it was manned by some animated beings, obviously from some planet other than Mars. They're here, apparently, on an ore-gathering expedition. They mine electronically by remote control. They also use slaves, and they handle them electronically. One of them escaped. He's with me and I'm trying to establish communication with him. He's pretty much like an Earth being, except he's completely mute and, for all I know, deaf.”
“Well, I prayed for a companion, and I finally got one, and he can't even make a sound.”
“As a companion, Cosmos, Mona's better.”
Entry (I’m The boss!)
Neither of us seem entirely sure whether we can trust each other. Well, for the time being I guess I’ll have to show the stranger that “I'm the boss” and make it known to him that if he gets “out of line just one iota,” I’ll bring his “enemies right back into this cave.” Hey, it’s my place and my rules after all! A great beginning so far for humanity’s first encounter with intelligent extraterrestrial life, eh?
Entry (Friday)
Trust has been slow in coming between myself and my new acquaintance. Last night I caught him fooling around with my sand alarm but as I decided to sleep with a knife under my pillow, I quickly made it known to him that it could be quite dangerous for him to fool around with my stuff.
When the ships departed, my alien friend thought that I had gotten rid of them and that I was therefore some kind of a god! I then determined that I’d give him a name and “with apologies to Robinson Crusoe,” I named him “Friday.” Alright, I can just picture you shaking your heads and laughing at the idea!
It was at that point when I discovered that Friday is not mute after all. He has the capacity to use spoken language and even though I cannot understand him, if he can make sounds like he has been doing, then he can make English sounds too! Yes sir, Friday is gonna have to learn English if I have to sit on his chest for two months.
Entry (Friendship)
It seems that since I have had the company of Friday I have been acting like an arrogant son of a bitch. There I was lording it over my solitary non-monkey subject, berating him for his apparent stupidity at only being able to mimic my English words and expecting him to carry out my ‘commands.’ I began to view Friday as being an “idiot” and “retarded.”
Shortly afterwards, a large meteor entered the Martian atmosphere and exploded overhead, showering the site with a tremendous volume of an ash or soot-like substance. Had it not been for Friday, I would have died of suffocation. He had risked his own life to save mine.
Entry: (Yet another problem)
It took some time, but I finally got Friday into a conversational mode instead of just repeating my own words. I found out that his home is located at the central star in the belt of Orion.
Friday also informed me that the enemy alien ships will return in two months but if that is so then “they’re overdue.” Even more concerning is that they will be able to use his bracelets to track him down. “We've gotta figure out some way of getting these things off.” The wire saw might do the trick.
“For the survival record, I've been taking Friday's oxygen pills. Chemically, of course, I have no way of analyzing them. As to how they work…...Somehow, these pills bypass the lungs and produce oxygen right in the blood.”
Commander Christopher Draper’s account
Debriefing Session Aboard Space Rescue Group 3
…. the alien spacecraft returned, and were able to track Friday by his bracelets. They began blasting our cave site with their energy weapons. Our little band of three fled our pursuers through the underground Martian canals, “our underground highway, our bomb shelter.”
Eventually our path was cut off by a fiery molten obstacle and with no water available to us, we had to get back up to the surface. There was nothing for it but for the three of us to embark on a trek to the Martian polar ice-cap.
When we reached the ice-cap, we were spent, half-frozen and almost out of air pills. I found out that Friday had not been taking his pills and was saving them for me instead. Now that’s what I call a real “buddy” – my “brother.”
We’ve often wondered whether alien races we might eventually encounter would have a concept of a God or of a supreme being. Well, it turns out that Friday’s people do. They call God by the name of “Kaihechipek,” a supreme being or “divine order.”
Another thing I learned about Friday is that he has had the controller or locator bracelets on for 62 years and that he is 78 years old himself! It gives you an idea just how long he has been enslaved by the other alien species. I guess not all encounters with technologically advanced life-forms are going to be mutually benign and fruitful. Look what happened when similar encounters occurred on Earth between peoples of widely differing levels of technological advancement, power, mind sets and points of view.
Anyway, we managed build a snow shelter and I finally succeeded in cutting off Friday's bracelets. Wouldn’t you know it, another one of those low-orbiting meteors burst onto the scene and smashed into the ice-cap setting off a massive explosion and firestorm. At least this time it helped us by melting the ice and snow and saving us from freezing to death.
Friday: “A-OK!”
So ends the account of
“Commander Christopher Draper
of the United States Navy.”
“A voice from Mars!”
Formerly…...
A Robinson Crusoe on Mars!
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Points Of Interest
The first half of “Robinson Crusoe on Mars” has a more serious and quieter tone as well as a slower pace concentrating as it does on one man’s struggle for survival. In fact, Paul Mantee does a fine job holding the audience's interest on his own during this time combining both a tough-guy can-do attitude and evident vulnerability. The pace then picks up in the second half with the appearance of Friday and the subsequent trek to the Martian polar ice-cap. Unfortunately the events in the second half do come across as being rather rushed and devoid of any real suspenseful build-up.
As with “War of the Worlds” (1953), the film effectively brings a classic story to life within a modern or more contemporary setting, in this case outer space.
"Robinson Crusoe on Mars” was released a year before NASA's Mariner 4 spacecraft took the first closeup images of the planet Mars. The film did at least provide the best depiction of the Red Plant at the time. Even back then Percival Lowell's theory of Martian canals was losing favor.
Of course, there will be those today who will quibble over the film’s scientific accuracy or lack of it. But you know what? Who cares! It works well as a sci-fi adventure story and should be enjoyed for its entertainment value. Just thank God it is not overlaid with or buried under lashings of PC correctness and forced or opportunistic gender concerns, racial and sexual orientation requirements as well as the necessity for absolute scientific accuracy.
Thank goodness also for not bogging the story down with endless flashbacks and cross-overs to earth for tedious back stories of characters. Without all that crap, we are left with a film that at least contains a sense of fun, something we have almost forgotten about in the 21st Century.
“Robinson Crusoe on Mars” is a stunning visual feast with excellent Technicolor photography and Matte paintings provided by Albert Whitlock combined with stunning Death Valley exterior shots. In fact, many of the scenes of the Martian surface were filmed at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, California. With all of this before us on the screen, we can well imagine that we are on an alien planet.
Also from “War of the Worlds” is the "valley of the shadow of death" verse that Draper recites as he and Friday walk along after the meteor explosion and rescue of Draper. This was also recited by the priest in the “War of the Worlds” as he walks towards the Martian vessels before being vaporized.
The music score is by Nathan Van Cleave, who is also known for his music for “Conquest of Space” (1955), “The Space Children” (1958) and “The Colossus of New York” (1958). These classic sci-fi films are also featured in the blog.
Apparently, M&Ms were used for the air pills while pepperonis were used for the alien plant “sausages.” In addition, real snow and ice was used in the Martian ice-cap scene in which Draper and Friday were buried after the meteor impact.
The ‘female’ monkey, Mona was played by a male Woolly Monkey named "Barney," who (possibly an affront and insult to the poor fellow’s dignity) wore fur trunks or a diaper to hide his maleness! It happens a lot with decpictions of male characters in movies these days!
Certainly the discoveries made about Mars over the decades from the 1965 ‘Mariner’ fly-by, to ‘Viking’ then on to ‘Spirit’, ‘Opportunity’ and ‘Curiosity’ have served to render the film as being way off the mark in terms of accuracy about the conditions found on Mars. Well, we could bore our selves silly watching a lone stranded astronaut trying to grow potatoes on Mars, or struggle to keep awake during an episodic soap-opera about a mission to Mars and feel good about how accurate it all seems to be. Or, we could just enjoy the film for what it is and not concern ourselves with the planet in question being the planet Mars we now think we know it to be. Just think of it as being an an adventure story about alien world on which a single human struggles to survive. (By the way, it has recently been discovered that Mars does indeed have water - a salt water lake - under its surface!)
Overall, “Robinson Crusoe on Mars” is a fine adaptation of Defoe’s classic tale which stands the test of time with its authentic look and feel, and fine performances from its small human and non-human cast!
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