Review of Red Planet Mars (1952) by Whit W — 03 Mar 2012

This is an early 50s Sci-Fi movie that will have you scratching your head.

Peter Graves stars as a scientist who sends a signal to Mars and gets an actual call back from real Martians. The Martians give Graves messages that send the world into a panic, apparently because we Earthlings are jealous of the the Martians' technology. World markets collapse, crime spikes, Labor Unions freakout (not surprising), etc. Graves also receives a proxy message from Mars, originally delivered by God. This message changes the world into a peaceful, religious place practically overnight. But hold on, the Russians have been eavesdropping so trouble is bound to ensue.

This movie contains absolutely no visuals of Martians, space battles or anything else that amounts to anything more than a left over stage prop. But somehow it almost works. Many will think that this is a thinly veiled commantary on McCarthyism. Others will sour on its overtly religious theme, and that's okay. I honestly can't decide what I think of it.