A rather plodding, dull and amateurish sci-fi film that eventually is redeemed by an unusual alien encounter
Directed by Nick Webster
Screenplay by Mike St. Clair
Story by Aubrey Wisberg
Produced by Everett Rosenthal
Cinematography: Cliff Poland
Edited by Paul Jordon
Music by Berge Kalajian, Gus Pardalis, The Forum Quorum
Poduction company: Red Ram Productions
Distributed by Allied Artists Pictures
Running time: 90 minutes
Cast
Darren McGavin: Col. Mike BlaiswickNick Adams: Nick Grant
George De Vries: Duncan
Michael DeBeausset: Cliff Lawson
Heather Hewitt: Edith Blaiswick
Shirley Parker: Alice Grant
In the last post, Night Caller From Outer Space (1965), I alluded to the fact that the British seemed to have the knack of constructing good quality films (including science fiction films) despite budgetary constraints and questionable plot lines. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many sci-films that have come out of the US and the film, Mission Mars is just one example of a film that is on the whole rather dull, pedestrian and plainly amateurish.
When the film was made in the 1967- 68, Apollo 8 was set to herald humanity’s first breakaway from its earthly bonds on a journey to orbit another heavenly body. This mission provided the human race with a view of our beautiful but fragile planet suspended in the void of space and offered us a glimpse of our place in the scheme of things. From that mission, we then set our sights for mankind’s first physical presence on the surface of another world – our moon.
As a 12 year old at the time, I envisioned human beings establishing bases or colonies on the moon sometime in the 1970s. From this, I believed that human beings would probably set foot on Mars sometime during the 1980s. How wrong I was! Nearly 60 years later, we are possibly about to somewhat replicate Apollo 8s achievement and many in the space industry are (over?) confidently anticipating that we will have a human (American) presence on the moon’s surface by 2027. That is if the Chinese don’t get there first in the new ‘race’ to the moon. From this it is projected that we will use the moon as a springboard to having a human presence on Mars and of course – beyond. As to when? Well, pick a number, any number!
Let’s now go back to the late 60s to the film, Mission Mars as the United States prepares to launch three astronauts on a mission to land on the planet, Mars….
We are at first confronted with titled credits to the accompaniment of a poppy sixties song “No More Tears” that appears to have little to do with the film’s subject-matter and is as far away from any kind of science fiction theme as one could get.
We are then presented with the usual feast of stock footage of Cape Kennedy with a sense of mounting tension in the form of a countdown of time to the moment when the United States launches three astronauts on a mission to land on Mars in a rocket so imaginatively called, ‘M-1.”. Lots of chronometers, rockets, control rooms and personnel. Even at this early point the film has the feel of being a throwback to the previous decade!
The mission crew consists of Colonel Mike Blaiswick, navigator Duncan and civilian geologist, Nick Grant.
“You could never tell what might happen up there”
A sense of foreboding surrounding the upcoming mission comes in the form of Mike having a restless night before the flight and his hot wife, Edith having frightening nightmares.
Mike and his wife spend what little time remains before the mission gallivanting on the beach in what is really a very corny scene full of equally corny dialogue. It makes one wonder why Mike would want to leave this planet and his beautiful wife on such a beautiful day and trade the sand on the beach for the Ferris oxide dust of Mars! Man, that dust is much worse than sand, it literally finds its way into every nook and cranny!
Meanwhile, Nick is having issues with his girlfriend Alice whose eyelashes appear to be quite lethal. They bat away nineteen to the dozen as she earbashes him over the phone about his always chasing after one more Adrenalin hit and that there’ll “never be an end of it, there'll always be that one more place where nobody's ever been before” till one day he just won't come back. She’s afraid that it is destroying their relationship. Nick promises that this mission is his last adventure……..A bit of eye-shadow foreshadowing?
So, despite the heroism and courage of those who go boldly where no man has gone before, spare a thought for those loved ones who are left behind to bravely and stoically carry on with their lives always wondering and worrying.
It’s not long until lift-off and at mission control we see the mission director, Cliff Lawson who to our surprise sports a very hairy face that would not be out of place amongst Russian and British royalty of the 19th and early 20th centuries! Where’s the buzz cut?
After the crew have undergone their medical checks, conversation moves on to the matter of a previous flight made by Russian cosmonauts that unaccountably disappeared and was never heard from again. Of course, in keeping with Cold War suspicions it’s thought that the Russians are keeping quiet about what might have happened.
As the astronauts enter the capsule atop the rocket which is yes, technically a “missile,” (or bomb) a media commentator tries to capture the enormity of the enterprise. Someone, however needs to inform the commentator that the stars actually lay far beyond Mars!
“Nothing can go wrong, can it?
I mean nothing is going to go wrong, is it?”
“No of course not”
Mission Control reports that orbit is achieved before they switch over to manual control. The crew report that the space module is operating smoothly and that they are able to walk about freely. Well, it seems that the problem of weightlessness has been overcome by means of some kind of magical artificial gravity which will put less strain on the film’s budget.
Next we proceed on to a tedious sequence involving rendezvous and docking with the supply ship. Why not just send the supply ship ahead to Mars and have it land on the planet’s surface instead of heaving about the extra mass?
As the crew continue their flight to their next stop Mars, we see flight director Cliff waddling like a jolly teddy bear past a poolside smorgasbord of sixties bikini-clad babes. Perhaps his thoughts are turning to a possible controlled landing manoeuvre and planting a flag on one of these heavenly bodies! Anyway, Cliff plunks himself down at the table where Edith and Alice are seated. Edith is hoeing away at a disgusting culinary conglomeration consisting of pickles, chocolate ice cream and mangoes. Yeah, Ok, she’s pregnant, we get it. Alice’s eyelashes are beating away in time to the mounting outrage she feels over the possibility that Nick could be nominated for the position of director. This little meeting then ends on the question of whether anything could go wrong with the mission. Yes indeed, as some viewers at this point might be losing the will to live!
Oh, God, with 115 days having elapsed we’re only at the half-way mark of the voyage. Oh, but guess what? We’re about to be treated to a litany of fun facts in the form of “a series of in mission briefing sessions” about Mars – at least what was known about the planet at the time. At this point, being cooped up in such confined quarters with these jokers with the prospect of spending time with them on Mars and having to spend 9 more months returning to earth with them, I would surely begin to think of myself as the angel of death!
Thank God! Something has just happened. The crew discover the bodies of two of the Russian cosmonauts floating in space, perhaps buried in space. They are likely from the launch the Soviets made four months earlier. They radio back to Earth to have Cliff notify the Soviet embassy. Notice how the dead cosmonauts look very much like little plastic figures one might have found in breakfast serial packets. Notice also how radio transmissions are instantaneous with no interval between sending and receiving messages. Another problem magically solved!
Later on Mike does the old ‘Hey, you OK?’ thing when he notices that Nick seems to be bothered by something. It appears that his mind is filled with concern about Alice and the fact that he’s a mission specialist and not a test pilot. Being oh so helpful, Mike offers the manly advice of, “we all have to make our decisions.” Gee, thanks for that mate!
What else happened? Oh yeah, the ship passed through a meteor shower because that’s what all spaceships do in sci-fi films and why should we be any different in this one?
Thank the heavens, M-1 is finally about to land on the surface of Mars. Somewhat disturbingly, Mars looks a lot like a spoiled and rotting variety of fruit. During the landing procedure, the supply ship goes into an out of control wibble-wobble and will not end up landing on the spot its supposed to. There’ll be time to worry about that later as M-1 descends to the planet’s surface and makes a successful landing. Not soon enough, either.
“I don't like it. It may be hostile. We just don't know!”
When they reach the site of the errant supply capsule they discover that there is a hole burned in the side of its hull. The supplies also appear to have been deliberately scattered about – but by whom or what? Understandably feeling quite apprehensive, Mike and Duncan gather whatever supplies they can salvage and head back to the M-1 capsule. To their shock they discover that the balloon markers have been removed. Again, by who or what?
In good old John Wayne fashion, Mike shoots the creature in the eye causing it to melt and evaporate. In many sci-films it seems to be mandatory to carry fire arms aboard space ships. Whatever happened to ‘we come in peace?’ With their space diapers full, the two men beat a hasty retreat back to their ship. At last we now have a sequence of events that are at least half-way interesting. The creature they encountered is also quite effective as an alien presence and even in its most static moments it manages to exude a kind of disconcerting menace.
Back on earth at ground control theories abound as to the nature of the creature the M-1 crew encountered. The creatures are given the name of “Polarites” and are probably robots controlled by an external intelligence. It is determined that the alien robot is relaying images and sound to a master control located possibly on another planet from which it receives orders. It is concluded that whatever intelligence lies behind it is “hostile and dangerous.” The only course of action is to scrap the mission and return to earth.
Back on earth at ground control theories abound as to the nature of the creature the M-1 crew encountered. The creatures are given the name of “Polarites” and are probably robots controlled by an external intelligence. It is determined that the alien robot is relaying images and sound to a master control located possibly on another planet from which it receives orders. It is concluded that whatever intelligence lies behind it is “hostile and dangerous.” The only course of action is to scrap the mission and return to earth.
“There'll always be that one more place where nobody has ever been before”
Back on Earth, Alice and Edith voice their concerns over the news that contact has been lost with the crew of Mars-1, but Cliff reassures them that he had just talked with them and that “everything is going well.” The two women, however are not buying it based on what they have heard on the news. Apart from the usual veil of official secrecy that occurs in such situations, Cliff probably believes he is sparing Alice and Edith undue concern by withholding the truth. Surely though, they do have the right to know?
Edith frets that Mike doesn't even know about his baby on the grounds that she didn’t want him to worry and now she’s beginning to wonder if she did the right thing. Even though, as Cliff reassures her, that Mike has enough on his mind, surely as Alice’s husband he has right to know of the birth of his own son! It may even prove to be a motivating factor.
As for Nick, “one of the world's great accomplishers” with “no challenge too great, no mountain too high and all of that gung-ho stuff,” Alice is beginning to understand what that drive he feels means to him.
Meanwhile on Mars, the M-1 is going to require extra power for takeoff which will necessitate the obtaining of the emergency booster unit from the supply ship. There’s only one problem – the presence of the alien Polarite and how to get past it. Nick suggests shooting it in the head but that proposal is itself knocked on the head. He then feels that he is being held to blame for what happened to Duncan. Somewhat unconvincingly, Mike reassures him that is not the case.
Suddenly, a light bulb moment hits when it is noticed that the Polarite begins to enter a dormant state when it is covered by a shadow from the ship’s radar antenna blocking the sun’s rays. Mike and Nick deduce that the Polarite’s disks must catch the sun's energy which it then uses for power. One would think with the Polarite covered by shadow and powered down, that would the perfect time to beat the crap out of it. But no, Mike tip-toes around it on a twenty minute bid to race to the supply ship and back again.
While Mike is hot-footing it, Ivan the Ruskie begins to wake up from his frozen slumber. Never mind about the likelihood of irreparable brain damage and cell degradation and a host of other physiological problems associated with snap freezing human bodies. The kind of things that poor schmucks who enlist in cryogenic projects will no doubt discover (or not) as the case may be. As for deep space mission suspended animation? Yeah, dream on!
Later, when Ivan is reviving some more, Mike uses his bad Russian to establish communication with the cosmonaut. Luckily, Ivan knows enough English and the Americanskis learn that the sphere can be deactivated by destroying a disc inside it.
With Alice’s refrain of “there’ll always be that one more place where nobody has ever been before” running through his head, Nick hastily volunteers to accomplish that very task. Mike makes moves to try and stop him but they sort of seem about as convincing as his denial of Nick’s responsibility for what happened to Duncan. However, Nick succeeds with his attempt to deactivate the sphere but at the cost of his life.
From Earth Cliff with Edith and Alice either side of him conveys his sorrow for what happened. He seems to give Alice a brief but pointed sideways glance when he says “it took a lot of courage and devotion.” What are you trying to say, Cliff?
Mike and the Soviet cosmonaut learn over the crackling radio communications that Mike's wife is pregnant. With gosh gee-whizz knowing looks the detente duo blast off to earth and now we can all “stop crying!”
Well folks, Mission to Mars is worth a look particularly for die-hard fans of cheapie vintage sci-fi films. However, don’t expect to be confronted by anything like the caliber of such films of the time as Marooned, Planet of the Apes or the somewhat overrated 2001: A Space Odyssey!
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