ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

Kim Darby plays a teacher who takes a job in a thinly populated rural area and becomes concerned about the strange behavior of her students. Eventually she discovers that they possess telekenisis and the ability to fly.

The "people" turn out to be peaceful aliens who pose no threat to mankind. They're stranded on Earth and they're content to live a simple farm-community life, isolated from mankind.

Not an overly exciting story, but it succeeds in being moody and atmospheric. Director John Korty gets good performances from co-stars William Shatner (as a doctor) and Dan O'Herlihy, Diane Varsi, and Lauri Walters.

Script by James M. Miller from the novel by Zenna Henderson. Frances Ford Coppola is credited as executive producer.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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If you'd like to see Kim Darby (from the TOS episode Miri) wearing a blond wig, and William Shatner (from some space show, I forget which one) showing his "True Grit", take a look at this YouTube video of The People.




______________________ The People (1972)


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

[Custer]

Zenna Henderson wrote quite a few stories about "The People" — and her novelette "Pottage," first seen in the September 1955 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and subsequently in a few anthologies, was what was adapted here, according to Wikipedia.

[Bud Brewster]

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Wikipedia also provides a fine plot summary with spoilers (I think). It's worth reading.
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This science fiction film tells the story of Melodye Amerson (Kim Darby), a young teacher who goes to a remote area to work with a group of individuals who have isolated themselves from civilization and maintained an independent community, vaguely similar to the Amish or a religious commune.

Melodye is unnerved by the secretive behavior of her students, and the fact that all fun, games, and activities she proposes are forbidden to them. Valancy (Diane Varsi), an elder in the community, advises Melodye to stay, because she senses that things are about to change in the valley, and Melodye herself is a part of that change.

Melodye soon discovers that the secluded and "backwards" residents are actually aliens with mild paranormal powers. A natural disaster destroyed their planet, and they are hoping to establish a life on Earth.

Landing in the late 1800s, initially they shared their secret with local residents, but they found themselves condemned as witches. Many were killed, and the survivors forbade their children ever to use their abilities, even with extreme discretion. Young adults like Valancy (and even some of the older people) have been pushing for an end to these restrictions.
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Apparently the conflict that drives the story is the debate among the aliens as to whether or not mankind is ready to accept them.

It's a very interesting concept, because even though today's society would no longer think the aliens were witches, we all know they would probably be confined to a secure facility where scientists could study their paranormal abilities.

Meanwhile, word of their existence would leak out to hostile foreign governments, and they would be determined to kidnap the aliens for their own research, or kill them to prevent the U.S. from benefiting from it.

I should watch the YouTube video to find out I'm right.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[tmlindsey]

[Gord Green]

Hey Wasn't there an episode of SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE with the same plot??
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There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

[Bud Brewster]

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Oh, oh — there's a great idea for a story!

The government recruits hundreds of witched on broomsticks to fly over enemy countries and throw fireballs down on them!

The enemy's surface-air-missiles can't hit them because they don't have "exhaust heat" like jets do. Besides, the witches use spells to turn the missiles into balloon animals!

All this army's officers are wizards, and the foot soldiers are goblins.

The dragons with wings are the "fighter planes", and the ones without wings are the "artillery".

The weapons are all magical, with powerful spells and magic wands blasting away at the enemy while they charged across the muddy battlefield which is crisscrossed by trenches and barbed wife, boldly facing the barrage of machine gun bullets blasting away at them!

The dragon-fighters would soar by overhead, spraying the screaming enemy troops in their own trenches with fire, turning their blazing bodies into charred remains!

When the savage goblin-warriors reach the enemy trenches and dive down among the troops, the screams of the poor soldiers agonized deaths would fill the air and send the terrified survivors scrambling out and racing along the ground, hoping to escape the agony of their slain comrades!

Wow. Can I write great imaginary scene or what?

Witchcraft Wars!

Coming soon to a theater near you!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)