The Man from Planet X (1951) – Review

Alien visitors were the meat and potatoes of science fiction cinema throughout the 40s and 50s, but they were rarely of the peace-loving variety. They often spearheaded a massive alien invasion and blew up national monuments. Still, in 1951 United Artists released an entry in which the herald of such an invasion was a little less impressive than its contemporaries.

Set against the eerie backdrop of a remote Scottish island, The Man from Planet X deals with American journalist John Lawrence (Robert Clarke) arriving on the isolated island of Muir to cover the work of Professor Elliot (Raymond Bond). It seems that the professor is observing a mysterious celestial body one that he believes is heading towards Earth. Lawrence quickly realizes that this is no ordinary celestial event but the arrival of an extraterrestrial visitor from the distant Planet X. Along for the ride is the professor’s daughter, Enid (Margaret Field), who is ostensibly the film’s love interest/damsel in distress. It is Enid who has the first “close encounter” with the film’s titular character, wandering across the moors and up to the strange spacecraft in what could best be described as a very lackadaisical attitude, but when she sees the occupant her reaction is typical of her gender in 1950s movies, she screams and high-tails it to find the menfolk.

To be fair, I’d not have even gotten this close.

As Lawrence investigates her claim, he discovers a small, eerie spaceship and he to encounters the alien – a humanoid with a large, bulbous head – the plot thickens as it becomes evident that the alien, devoid of malicious intent, is merely seeking assistance and he is even rescued by our heroes when his suit malfunctions and the creature almost asphyxiates. However, Professor Elliot’s opportunistic assistant Dr. Mears (William Schallert) sees the alien as a chance to become rich and powerful – a piece of alien tech they discover is made out of metal that is ten times stronger and lighter than what we have here on Earth have – so he tries to torture the metal formula from the alien, with expected results.

And this is when talks broke down.

Which brings us to the key question regarding the plot of this movie. Is the alien nothing more than a stranded traveller who is misused by an opportunistic villain? That seems to be part of the plot of this movie, but this visitor also has a hypno-ray that can mind-control people and which he utilizes to enslave the inhabitants of the nearby town.  We later learn from a mind-controlled Mears that the spaceman intends to use its ship as a wireless relay station in advance of an invasion coming from the approaching planet, which is a dying world, and this kind of takes the whole “innocent traveller” idea and chucks it into the dustbin.

“Klaatu barada nikto.”

Stray Observations:

• Professor Elliot informs reporter John Lawrence of an approaching planet and states “This isolated island is that part of the world that this new planet will come closest to.” Which is a bit ridiculous when you consider the size of interplanetary bodies.
• This was a great year for planets colliding as 1951 also saw the release of George Pal’s science fiction epic When Worlds Collide.
• To save money, director Edgar G. Ulmer was able to use sets from the 1948 big-budget epic Joan of Arc, which is a weird genre mix, to say the least.
• This movie inspired Steven Spielberg’s use of musical communication between humans and aliens that he utilized in his sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
• Mind-controlled townsfolk forced to dig free an alien was a plot later used in the 1978 Marvel novel “Incredible Hulk: Stalker from the Stars.”
• The Man from Planet X makes a cameo appearance in the 2003 hybrid film Looney Tunes Back in Action. In that film, he is one of the many aliens captured and contained within Area 52.
• I can’t say I wasn’t a little disappointed that the “Man from Planet X” didn’t turn out to be either Marvin the Martian or Duck Dodgers.

“And now this planet is hereby claimed for the Earth in the name of DUCK DODGERS IN THE 24 1/2TH CENTURY!”

Edgar G. Ulmer’s The Man from Planet X certainly deserves recognition for its ambitious attempt to explore extraterrestrial themes in the early days of science fiction cinema, however, a critical examination reveals that despite its intriguing premise, the film falls short in several key areas. One of the most glaring issues is the film’s low-budget production values which resulted in most of the film’s running time consisting of people wandering around the fog-shrouded moors and the titular extraterrestrial being portrayed by a dude in a cheap and unconvincing costume.  The filmmaker’s attempts at creating a sense of intergalactic wonder are also hampered by visibly artificial set designs and clumsy visual effects.

This film does provide a quaint-looking spacecraft.

The narrative, while conceptually interesting, lacks the depth and complexity necessary to elevate it beyond a run-of-the-mill B-movie, nor does the film’s 71-minute running time allow any proper exploration of themes that are hinted at. The characters, particularly the protagonist John Lawrence, are one-dimensional and fail to evoke a genuine emotional connection from the audience and the dialogue feels stilted and lacks the sharpness that could have elevated the film’s script to a more sophisticated level. The pacing is another significant drawback as the plot struggles to maintain a consistent rhythm, with moments of suspense diluted by unnecessarily prolonged scenes – such as the aforementioned wandering around in the fog – and uneven transitions also result in a disjointed viewing experience that hinders the film’s ability to build and sustain tension effectively. Furthermore, the film’s setting on a remote Scottish island, while initially promising, ultimately feels underutilized. The potential for atmospheric and claustrophobic environments is not fully realized and the film misses the opportunity to create a more immersive and haunting atmosphere.

“This place is so foggy I’ve lost the plot of the movie?”

In summary, while The Man from Planet X is credited for its pioneering efforts in the early days of science fiction cinema, a critical evaluation reveals its shortcomings, its technical limitations, underdeveloped characters, as well as pacing issues, prevent it from achieving the status of a timeless classic. But despite these flaws, it remains an interesting artifact of its time, showcasing both the challenges and aspirations of filmmakers attempting to navigate the uncharted territories of outer space on a modest budget.