ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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What can I say about Queen of Outer Space, The Questor Tapes, and The Revenge of Frankenstein?

Well . . . ummm . . . let me get back to you about that.
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Queen of Outer Space (1958)

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The infamous so-bad-it's-good space opera from director Edward Bernds, the man who gave us several of the "Three Stooges" movies. Zsa Zsa Gabor (a former "Miss Hungary") plays one of the Venusian women who defies the evil Queen of Venus (Laurie Mitchell) and falls in love with one of the four Earth men who land on their planet.



The queen hates all males because her face (which she hides behind a glittering mask) was scarred in a war the women once fought against the now-extinct Venusian men (and idea borrowed from "Abbott and Costello Go To Mars").

The captive Earth astronauts go nuts over the sexy dames, all of whom look just fine in their futuristic miniskirts. The mission commander is Eric Fleming ("Rawhide" and "The Conquest of Space"), and one of the crewmen is Paul Birch ("Not of this Earth").



The best thing you can say about this movie is that it gives the audience a look at numerous props from more worthy 1950s science fiction movies: the astronauts' uniforms and the Venusian women's outfits are all borrowed from "Forbidden Planet" (along with a few blasters), the spaceship is from "Flight to Mars", and the sets and the monster spider are from "World Without End" (the latter of which was also directed by Edward Bernds).

Amazingly enough, it was filmed in color and CinemaScope, one of the few 1950s sci-fi films that can claim this honor. In 1987 it was spoofed in "Amazon Women on the Moon", right down to the replicated "Forbidden Planet" uniforms.

The DVD features a wonderful commentary with Tom Weaver and Laurie Mitchell, with a wealth of info about the movie, as well as personal anecdotes from Miss Mitchell.

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The Questor Tapes (1974 TV movie)

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Another unsold pilot from Gene Rodenberry, perhaps his best, an intelligent non-action story in which Robert Foxworth portrays an android who feels driven to solve the mystery of his missing creator's whereabouts and true identity, as well as the recovery of certain areas of his memory which have been inexplicably erased.

In a fascinating opening scene, the half-finished android completes his own facial and body features while alone in the laboratory. Then he goes to the research lab's library where he educates himself by scanning through a few thousand books.

Mike Farrell (MASH) is a sympathetic young scientist who accompanies the escaped android on his quest. Farrell serves as the android's advisor concerning the confusing subject of human behavior while the two flee from authorities, following elusive clues concerning the whereabouts of the android's creator, a man named Questor.

The final solution to the mystery is both interesting and typical of Rodenberry's optimistic vision of the future.

Foxworth's performance is admirable, effective, and consistent. His android character displays some remarkable similarities to Data of "Star Trek - The Next Generation".

The fine supporting cast includes some familiar faces: Lew Ayres ("Donovan's Brain"), Dana Wynter ("Invasion of the Body Snatchers"), Robert Douglas ("The Flame and the Arrow", "The Fountainhead", many others). Directed by Richard A. Colla. ____________________________________________________________________

The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)

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Number two in the Hammer Frankenstein revival series, a sequel to "The Curse of Frankenstein", directed by Terence Fisher from a script by Jimmy Sangster.

The story follows the famous doctor as he is rescued from death at the guillotine by his hunchbacked servant, after which he goes into hiding as "Dr. Stein", working at a charity hospital.

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Medical student Francis Matthews recognizes the infamous doctor and becomes his assistant. Frankenstien's pauper patients become spare parts for more body-building experiments, and he puts together a reasonably healthy one to house the grateful brain of his loyal hunchback servant.

Michael Gwynn plays the created body with the hunchback's brain. When Gwynn receives a head injury it lessens his intelligence and causes the body to deteriorate. The brain-damaged creature unwittingly reveals Frankenstein's true identity to the shocked populace.

The victimized patients of the charity clinic attack the demented doctor.

Badly injured, Frankenstein whispers hasty instructions to assistant Matthews. Later, the townspeople exhume the body of Frankenstein to confirm his death. But death doesn't come so easily for a man who can build new bodies from old parts . . .
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)