FLIGHT
TO MARS (1951)Director: Leslie Selander
Image Entertainment
FLIGHT
TO MARS (1951)FLIGHT TO MARS was crafted at a time when Hollywood was making the transition from FLASH GORDON to the real thing. The film is a combination of both worlds. On one hand, it is a fantasy set on the planet Mars with sets and costumes culled from ROCKETSHIP X-M and DESTINATION MOON.
Space travel is represented in the most leisurely fashion as desk chairs and radio equipment substitute for the gadgetry we would later come to know in science fiction. The space travelers-- four men and a girl--eat, drink and smoke cigarettes freely in the cabin as they blast their way to the Red Planet. Except for a shower of meteorites, it's a quick trip with no frills.
Landing on Mars, things get off
to a familiar scenario of friendly Martians who look just like us yet have a
hidden agenda involving the conquering of the planet Earth. Gen
re
fans will enjoy seeing veteran character actor Morris Ankrum as the Red Planet
leader and chief mischief-maker.
There is a comic book flavor to the film that is enhanced by the Cinecolor process and FLIGHT TO MARS has the distinction of being the first color film about a journey to Mars. The producer, Walter Mirisch, would go on to win an Oscar for the film IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT.
Shot
at Monogram Studios in five days by Leslie Selander, a B-film director, FLIGHT
TO MARS is enjoyable Saturday matinee entertainment with Marguerite Chapman,
Cameron Mitchell and Arthur Franz remaining straight faced and dedicated to
the genre that would endure beyond their wildest imaginations.
The special effects are done mainly
by cartoon animation and matte work. The underground city is a combination of
both. The rocket ship itself is a 
model
pulled by strings in front of various matte shots and transparencies. The whole
thing recalls the days of atomic age entertainment of the 50s.
The controversy around the transfer for this release seems to stem from the wear and tear on the negative leaving scratches and other marks on the print itself. However, after watching the entire film it is more than serviceable and considering the age of FLIGHT TO MARS it looks as good as it can under the circumstances.
Except
for the trailer, fact-filled liner notes by genre fan Tom Weaver and a small
photo gallery, the highlight is a 60-minute interview with Cameron Mitchell
by film historian David Del Valle. Taken from his public access show, Sinister
Image, the result is a grainy transfer that could have been crystal clear if
Carey Roan (of the Roan Group) had not lost the masters. David Del Valle had
entrusted Roan with them for the laserdisc and DVD release of BLOOD AND BLACK
LACE. Roan only used an 8-minute excerpt of Mitchell discussing director Mario
Bava. Upon finally viewing the entire episode, Del Valle is obviously enjoying
Cameron Mitchell's company and the result is worth the wait in allowing us as
an audience to catch a glimpse of Mitchell in a candid and relaxed atmosphere.
Del Valle took this opportunity to tape Cameron Mitchell while he was still
among the living and should be praised for making possible this rare look into
the career of the actor.
FLIGHT TO MARS will take you back to the days when all one had to worry about was atomic radiation and Russians taking over the world, the Good Old Days. (Christopher Dietrich)