Review of The Man from Planet X (1951) by Bryan G — 30 Sep 2009

Though this practice is still done today, it was a little more rampant during the 1950's and 60's where a poverty row studio would make a film that would be in one way or the other similar to a much bigger, and usually better, film. The Man from Planet X was made around the same time as such films as The Thing from Another World, of which this film has a similar feel to. With a much lower budget, and only six days of filming, Edgar G. Ulmer's film is a much flawed one. But of all of the cheap knock-off films I've seen, The Man from Planet X is a little more well-crafted than the average schlock.

The movie is filmed on nicely designed sets, and has a feel almost like some of the Golden Age Universal Horror classics. Ulmer does a great job at capturing the sheer creepiness of the various sets that the movie is filmed on. Also, for a poverty row picture, the acting in the film is surprisingly good. Mixed with the great look of the film, The Man from Planet X doesn't feel completely empty or difficult to get through as a lot of these pictures tend to be.

The reveal of the actual Man from Planet X (Pat Goldin) is a creepy one to say the least. I actually stumbled on the trailer for this film some time ago online, and it was the bizarre look of this creature (as it looked out the window of its spaceship) that got me interested in seeing this movie. The film doesn't handle the character too well, and since it doesn't speak (other than some weird sounding musical tones) you don't get to know much about him. I guess this could be a plus, since it makes the character more mysterious. But he was one of the few elements to this film that I felt was empty, and a bit of a letdown. I wish there was more with him, since the whole reason for him being here on Earth (his dying planet has drifted into our solar system, and he is trying to set up a device that will transport his people to our planet) is an interesting one.

I like that while the Man from Planet X's plans could be seen as evil, he isn't the biggest menace of the film. Dr. Mears (William Schallert), one of the people studying this other worldly man, turns out to be the real villain of the film. Because of his obsession with this great "scientific find" Mears grows violent after becoming captivated with the advanced technology this strange visitor has brought to our planet. Schallert was great in the role, and the true standout of the film.

I have a soft spot for b-grade horror and science fiction films, and The Man from Planet X turned out to be one of the better ones I've seen in a good while. I'm sure that with a bigger budget, and a shooting period of more than six days, Edgar G. Ulmer could have made a much better film than he was limited to. This one had a lot more potential, but as is The Man from Planet X is a lot of fun.