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Conquest of Space (1955)
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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17019
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Back on February 12th of 2014, both North and South Carolina had a magnificent "snow day" that allowed me and Bulldogtrekker to enjoy a day-long marathon of classic sci-fi from the 1950s.

During that enjoyable day I made several videos of the view through my glass front door while Bulldogtrekker and I synchronized our DVDs of classic sci-fi movies and watched them together in our respective states. I posted the videos on Youtube, and you can watch them below.

You can even hear Conquest of Space playing in the background! Very Happy

This Saturday, snow is on it's way again to the Carolina's, and I was wondering if anybody might want to join me and BDT if we decide to repeat that pleasant experience during this glorious snowbound occasion.

If so, I'll open All Sci-Fi's Chat Room, and you folks can drop in whenever it's convenient.

No formal schedule has been made yet, but I suspect the movies will include Destination Moon, Conquest of Space, When Worlds Collide, War of the Worlds, This Island Earth, and Mysterious Island.

Watch these videos below to get a feel for what BDT and I might be sharing with you folks on Saturday. Very Happy
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_______________ Snow Day 5C Feb 12, 2014


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_______________ Snow Day 5D Feb 12, 2014


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_______________ Snow Day 5B Feb 12, 2014


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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alltare
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Joined: 17 Jul 2015
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 3:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Conquest of Space, the movie, was reportedly intended to somewhat follow Bonestell's book of the same title, with visits to all of the planets which he so excellently depicted. Unfortunately, because of cost (and maybe studio politics), it ended up being what we have now- a considerably less adventurous story. It's still a very good movie visually, but it could have been a much better epic.

I have always thought that Bonestell's paintings were highlights of the film, and if the original plan had been carried through, a grand tour of the solar system via his artwork would have been beautiful to see. Come to think of it, it's a shame that the producers in the fifties had not yet discovered the concept of sequels. What a great series of visits to other worlds we could have had.

I highly recommend the book "Conquest of Space" (1949) by Willy Ley and Chesley Bonestell. It's crammed full of excellent space art and Ley's descriptions of how things work. Other than the title and CB's artwork, there is almost no similarity to the movie. The book is scientific and technically accurate, while the movie is a scifi drama. George Pal's "War of the Worlds" used a few of Bonestell's paintings from the same book, and so did his "When Worlds Collide".
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I too have complaints about Conquest of Space, although mine focus on the regrettable inclusion of the General's slow mental decline while he delivered sermons about how God didn't want mankind going out into space.

That's the movie's biggest flaw. Rolling Eyes

Steve, I've heard others say that a movie about that fine book would be wonderful, and I certainly agree that "a grand tour of the solar system" sounds wonderful . . . but I can't figure out what the story would be about.

We can't really expect one spaceship to make all those trips in anything less than ten years, and I can't think of dramatic plot that would involve all that time-consuming space travel. Confused

Would this "grand tour" involve multiple, simultaneous missions of several spacecraft? If so, I wonder how we could tie them all together into an exciting plot that gives the audience more to contemplate than just cosmic site-seeing.

Any suggestions? I'm hoping you'll blow me away by pointing out something fantastic I just plain didn't think of! Shocked

But if not, working with you to come up with something is a challenge I wouldn't shy away from. You know me, Steve, I'll crank out a story idea (good or bad) at the drop of a hat! It's what I do, just for fun here on All Sci-Fi! Cool

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Tue Sep 13, 2022 8:26 pm; edited 1 time in total
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alltare
Quantum Engineer


Joined: 17 Jul 2015
Posts: 351

PostPosted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
Steve, I've heard others say that a movie about that fine book would be wonderful, and I certainly agree that "a grand tour of the solar system" sounds wonderful . . . but I can't figure out what the story would be about. ...

... I'll crank out a story idea (good or bad) at the drop of a hat! It's what I do, just for fun here on All Sci-Fi! Cool

Bud,
I don't recall where I read about the original expanded nature of the movie and I don't recall any details given about how it was to have been accomplished, so I can't really give an answer to your question, but as I see it, dramatizing the book would be the difficult part. That's exactly what they have already done, but poorly, with "part one" (CoS 1955). Hopefully, visits to the other planets could be done the same way (but better, of course). I touched on this in my preceding message. A series of movie sequels or TV shows is envisioned. In fact, Star Trek and many others have already done it - every episode and every movie sequel is on a new planet with a new set of discoveries and problems.

The "make or break" of the "grand tour" concept would depend on the quality of the script and director and, of course, borrowing greatly from Bonestell's artwork as set pieces. If it's done using the standard Hollywood space opera thought process, it would be just another snoozer. On the other hand, a quality set of well directed scientifically correct scripts, keeping hysteria and fight scenes to a minimum, could produce something of value. Two examples of the latter that come to mind are "The Martian" and "2001".

OK, Bud - I have given you some working parameters. Now get to work!
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Gord Green
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Joined: 06 Oct 2014
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 1:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I always thought that this was one of the weakest Pal movies.

What a great concept . . . What great visual possibilities . . . What a great opportunity for such an epic and exhilarating vision!

What a great cop out to cliché memes and stale storytelling!

Instead of being a real thrust for space exploration it was a rehash of old WW2 submariner GI Joe conflict and foolish "Dear john" sexual tension surrounded by some of the most beautiful paintings and brief looks at stunning special effects!

That a real opportunity for a truly inspiring film was missed may be attributed to studio manipulation . . .But ultimately it falls in the hands of George Pal.

I can forgive him in light of the oh so many other films he's given us . . . But . . . Oh . . . What a truly GREAT film this could have been!

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Last edited by Gord Green on Mon Nov 18, 2019 3:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
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Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 3:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

alltare wrote:
OK, Bud - I have given you some working parameters. Now get to work!

I accept your challenge, sir! I've got the germ of an idea, but it will take me a day or so to craft a post that will do it justice.

This is what Sherlock would call "a three-pipe problem.
_
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sat Jan 06, 2024 11:38 am; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17019
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2019 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I found a very interesting and comprehensive article about this move, packed with facts, opinions, great pictures, and information about several scripts George Pal considered for Conquest of Space.

Based on this article, the "grand tour of solar system" we've heard about seems to be a myth, but the various ideas that were considered certainly bore little resemblance to the final film.

Read this article and you'll have a better understanding of the history behind Conquest of Space.


______________________Conquest of Space



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sat Apr 16, 2022 11:45 am; edited 2 times in total
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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
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Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sat Jan 25, 2020 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On This Day in Space: Jan. 25, 2004: Opportunity rover lands on Mars

This was the second of NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers to land on the Red Planet. Its counterpart, the Spirit rover, arrived just three weeks earlier. Opportunity landed on Mars at 12:05 a.m. EST on Jan. 25 (the local time at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where the rover is controlled, was Jan. 9:05 p.m. EST on Jan. 24.)

Opportunity is the longest-running Mars rover mission. It was only intended to last 90 days, but the rover has been trekking around the Red Planet for more than 50 times its expected lifetime. Over the years, Opportunity has found meteorites on Mars, observed dust storms and looked for clues about the presence of water in Mars' ancient past.

In 2019, NASA bid farewell to Opportunity after months of silence from the rover following a massive, planet-wide dust storm in 2018.


OTD in Space – January 25: Opportunity Rover Lands on Mars


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Having spent this Christmas morning watching my awesome Blu-ray of White Christmas, I found myself desparately wanting to watch another Christmas movie! Very Happy

Unfortunately I'd already watched all my Christmas favorites over the last few days. Smile

I wondered if there were any fifties sc-fi movies which had strong Christmas connections. And by gum, I actually came up with a few that qualified! Like this one, for example. Very Happy

Here's what I mean.

After enduring the religious fanaticism of General Samuel T. Merritt during the journey to Mars and his conviction that the Bible indicated man shouldn't go to other planets, the brave crew endures months of hardship when they run low on water.

But on Christmas day, moments after Sgt. Siegle goes off on a gloomy rant about how there's no God on Mars . . . the crew suddenly finds that it's snowing outside, and they've been saved by a Christmas miracle! Very Happy

The music which accompanies this scene is "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and the date of this event is . . . December 25th! Very Happy






This scene is important because it refutes the maniacal general's conviction that God was angry at mankind for venturing to other planets. Very Happy

Having found this inspirational moment in Conquest of Space, I went looking of other Christmas connects in classic sci-fi. And I thought of one almost immediately!

Click here (<— link) for another Yuletide message from 1950s science fiction! Cool

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 25, 2021 1:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

If you're interesting in watching Rosemay Clooney's full musical number shown on the big TV in Conquest of Space, here's the best copy I could find of the 1954 Bob Hope movie Here Comes the Girls, from which the clip was taken.

The harem routine is at the 54:20 mark.

Note that the 4:3 aspect ratio is somewhat clipped for the 16:9 image needed for Conquest of Space. The two movies were made just before-and-just-after the change from fullscreen to widescreen.


_______ Bob Hope in Here Come the Girls (1953)


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~ The Space Children (1958)
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scotpens
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Joined: 19 Sep 2014
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 25, 2021 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
If you're interesting in watching Rosemay Clooney's full musical number shown on the big TV in Conquest of Space, here's the best copy I could find of the 1954 Bob Hope movie Here Comes the Girls, from which the clip was taken.

The harem routine is at the 54:20 mark.

Note that the 4:3 aspect ratio is somewhat clipped for the 16:9 image needed for Conquest of Space. The two movies were made just before-and-just-after the change from fullscreen to widescreen.

16:9 (which may also be expressed as 1.78:1) is the aspect ratio of today's HDTV screens. Conquest of Space was shot with an intended projection aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The most common aspect ratio for matted widescreen is 1.85:1.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 25, 2021 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Thanks, Scot!

I was basing my comment on the fact that my DVD is formatted to fill a standard 16:9 television screen, so it doesn't represent the aspect ratio of the theatrical release, as you described.

But of course, the big TV in the movie is not 16:9 like my LG television. It's actually closer to the 4:3 televisions of the past.

And yet the image of Miss Clooney's musical number when it's NOT being on the TV is even wider whenever the TV screen isn't part of the clip from the 1954 movie!








So, the movie cheated a bit.

On the big TV shown in Conquest of Space, it presents a wider-than-4:3 image than the 1954 movie actual had . . . and then wider still when the clip has to fill the screen when it isn't being shown on the big TV in the movie!
Shocked
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~ The Space Children (1958)
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

IMDB has a new and interesting trivia items for this production which I didn't include in my previous post. Very Happy
________________________________

~ General Merritt's opinions on Man's 'trespass' into space was actually a reflection of a real-life movement.

In the 1950s there were those who claimed that the heavens were God's domain and that humans would be committing blasphemy by engaging in space travel.

Although real, the movement was never very widespread, and once actual space travel began, it was quickly drowned out by the public enthusiasm for the space race.


Note from me: The inclusion of a religious fanatic in this otherwise fine science fiction story proved to be the downfall of George Pal. Sad

Fortunately he was able to give us The Time Machine in 1960 — but it took poor Mr. Pal five years to recover from his bad choice of story elements in Conquest of Space.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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Captain Starlight
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2022 10:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

alltare wrote:
Conquest of Space, the movie, was reportedly intended to somewhat follow Bonestell's book of the same title, with visits to all of the planets which he so excellently depicted.

What kind of story could there be that visited all of the planets? Doesn't sound like a good idea.
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 12:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cap Starlight I must agree with you there. (By the way, WELCOME to our discussion group of Sci-Fi Fanatics!)

Bonestalls' illustrations were great for it's time but a story about complete solar investigation was far beyond the accepted capacity of our knowledge at its' time.

I still think that as much as it tried to show "The Conquest of Space" it resorted to a very pedestrian cop out of a story. The results should have been epic...but fell flat!

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