ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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Odd choice for the title in view of the fact that this is not a sequel but a remake of "The Terror" (1928), about the inventor of a new, improved X-ray machine who escapes from an asylum and goes after his enemies with a vengeance. Loosely based on an Edgar Wallace mystery. Starring Mary Astor, Lyle Talbot, Frank McHugh, J. Carroll Naish, and Frank Reicher ("King Kong"). Directed by Howard Bretherton.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Rick]

I'm the rare duck who has actually seen this. I caught it at the Library of Congress in 2013.

Now here's the problem: I carefully took notes while watching it, so that I could write it up later. That's the good news. The bad news...I never wrote it up. So now I look at the notes and can make very little of them. Oh, I can read them, but they don't conjure any memories of the movie. "Science fictional x-ray device...insane asylum...storm..." So. Hey. Sounds spooky, huh?

I vaguely remember being generally unimpressed, but I don't think I thought it was particularly good or particularly lousy, because I think I'd remember a strong opinion.

I was glad, certainly, to have finally seen it, but it left little mark on me and I fear the next time I make it to D.C. I'll just have to go see it again.
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Man need not kneel before the angels,
Nor lie in death forever,
But for the weakness of his feeble will.

[Bud Brewster]

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Well, dog gone it, I wish could post a link to a site that would let us all watch it, or at least a Youtube link to a trailer — but alas, I can't. Heck, I couldn't even find any publicity stills to post here!

All I can do is offer this one-and-only trivia item from IMDB — which might not be good news, but it's certainly interest.
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This film has been preserved by the Library of Congress. In February 1956, Jack Warner sold the rights to all of his pre-December 1949 films (including Return of the Terror) to Associated Artists Productions (which merged with United Artists Television in 1958, and later was subsequently acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in early 1986 as part of a failed takeover of MGM/UA by Ted Turner. But, as of 2015, Return of the Terror has never been shown on TCM nor released to home video, a sign that there may be legal problems afoot. Meantime, The Terror (1928) is still lost.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)