ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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This highly whimsical version of the Mark Twain time travel yarn is packed with jokes!

Will Rogers plays the Connecticut hayseed who finds himself transported back to Ye Olde England and proceeds to modernize King Arthur's realm with factories, telephone service, and knights who ride around with signs which advertise the new products being made!

Myrna Loy (The Thin Man series) plays Merlin's sister, Morgan le Fay, and Maureen O'Sullivan (the Tarzan series) is King Arthur's daughter.

There's almost a time machine which causes Will Rogers' temporal adventure — a wacky scientist in a ancient castle/estate invents an elaborate radio which can pick up voices from the pasts . . . ummm, somehow . . . and shortly after hearing King Arthur's voice and accident knocks Will down, causing him to wake up in 6th century.

Yes, it's all a dream.

But the inclusion of Will's attempt to bring technology to Camelot puts this movie a step closer to sci-fi than Dorothy's all-expense-paid vacation in OZ.

I was surprised that YouTube had neither a trailer nor the complete movie. I DVRed it from TCM a few days ago, so keep an eye on their schedule for future airings.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

I've never seen this version, only the wonderful 1948 musical iteration starring Bing Crosby and the Rhonda Fleming who recently passed away just last year.

[Bud Brewster]

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I wrote my post above before I'd finished watching the movie. I had no idea what was coming in the amazing climax!

Will Rogers and King Arthur are captured by the evil Morgan le Fay, and they're about to be hanged when all the knights from Camelot arrive to rescue them . . . traveling in 174 automobiles, one WWI tank, and an autogyro aircraft!

No swords and lances for these knights! They're armed with submachine guns to mow down the knights fighting for the evil queen, and dynamite to completely destroy her castle!

It was a completely unexpected turn of events, and was dazzled by it.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Krel]

SPOILERS!

David.

[Bud Brewster]

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I'm sorry, David, I didn't mean to spoil the movie.

But I doubted anybody would bother watching this rare film if I didn't promote it aggressively! I almost gave up on it myself during the first part.

Besides, who knows if TCM will ever show it again? They've never shown it before (to be best of my knowledge). And I promise you'll still be amazed by all the surprises I DIDN'T reveal!

And of course, if TCM finally does show it again in a few years (and if you folks actually manage to watch it), you probably won't remember much about my post!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)