BudBrewster
Captain
Although it's low-rated severely by most critics, this one is a lot less boring than many other movies made during the 1950s. It's so rich in the beloved elements of the sci-fi films from the fifties that it's almost like an ambitious spoof of the genre – complete with creepy Theremin music, borrowed sound effects from "Forbidden Planet", and characters who want to claim Mars in the name of Brooklyn.
The ship's control room is rich in electronic gizmos – and the computer is labeled “Burroughs” in big letters across the top (as in "Edgar Rice").
One of the spaceship crewmembers passes the time en route by reading "Super Fantastic Science Fiction Stories” (which is exactly the kind of story this is).
Sci-fi alumni Les Tremayne is among the cast. Mr. Tremayne appeared as a general in “War of the Worlds” (1953), a newspaper reporter in “The Monolith Monsters” (1957), and as a major character in “The Monster of Piedras Blancas” (1959). He also did voice-over work as the opening narrator in “Fordbidden Planet” and as one of the narrators in “Unidentified Flying Objects: The True Story of Flying Saucers”.
A sci-fi fan couldn’t ask for a better resume’ than that.
The Angry Red Planet depicted Mars more imaginatively (though less realistically) than other films such as "Rocketship X M", using matt paintings of strange vegetation and weird landscapes (instead of dull desert shots in Arizona). But beware of "Cinemagic", those red-tinted color-negative shots which were intended to give the Martian landscape an unearthly quality. The effect is overdone for most viewer's taste.
Despite a good cast, the acting is substandard. The fault lies primarily in the screenplay and direction -- both of which can be blamed on Ib Melchior ("The Time Travelers") and co-producer Sid Pink.
There are entirely too many "talking head" close-ups. The dialogue is dull and sometimes illogical. In several places the story simply leaps over events which should have been shown – even if only briefly. As a result, the plot seems disjointed. Pink and Melchior also wrote the screenplay for the Danish film "Reptilicus" (which is apparently Latin for "ridiculous puppet dragon").
On the positive side, the Martian bat-rat-spider-crab is a pretty memorable monster. This unique creature was created using a preliminary version of the “rod puppets” which LucasFilm’s “Industrial Light and Magic” perfected decades later for Return of the Jedi.
Concern the film’s production design, honorable mention should be given to following personnel:
Ned Shiells - construction coordinator (as Ned Shielle)
Mel Sternlight - property master
Alex Toth - storyboard artist (as Alexander Toth)
Arthur Wasson - property master (as Art Wasson)
These were the people responsible for the strange and original Martain landscape, as well as the Martian city seen in only two brief shots. The city’s design is gorgeous, a perfect example the futuristic designs so popular in the 1950s.
