Amazon.com

Astronomer and all-around scientific hero Jeff Morrow (he of the stone face, Cro-Magnon brow, and heavy voice of dire intonation) discovers a new celestial body that suddenly changes course and slams into the Pacific Ocean off the Mexican coast. Meanwhile a mysterious white light takes over the body of lab director John Emery, who becomes the eyes and ears of the UFO when it emerges days later as a skyscraper-sized robot. Morrow and his crew--including his beauty-with-brains girlfriend, Barbara Lawrence; wisecracking sidekick, George O'Hanlan; and computer, SUSIE, which whirs and blinks but offers little real help--leap to the rescue, but not before the Mexican air force takes on the giant in a scene reminiscent of King Kong. Director Kurt Neumann, best known for the original The Fly, gives this low-budget sci-fi thriller an impressive scope, sending the striking, austerely designed giant robot (a walking battery with piledriver legs) marching across a B&W widescreen frame like a relentless tank and punctuating the drama with an impressively chilling A-bomb blast. Though hardly a classic, this is one of the more interesting alien invasion movies of the paranoid 1950s. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (25)

A delicious alternative for standard 50s SF
"Down here we have half the atomic secret... we convert matter into energy... up THERE, they have the other half... they convert energy in matter!" So intones John Emery as a half-alien possessed, dying scientist in KRONOS. You can read about the plot and actors in the other reviews (esp. George "Jetson" O'Hanlon), so I thought I'd just throw in some noteworthy points about this movie -
1. The cinematography is great - you have some shots worthy of Conrad Hall's work on Outer Limits.
2. Irving Block and Jack Rabin - two of the creative minds behind Forbidden Planet - did a lot of the production and model work and they did a lot on limited money.
3. The monster - a giant electrical energy-sucking battery that pulverizes everything with its motive power units - has to be seen to be enjoyed.
4. You really, really get the feeling that this thing is alien in purpose and thinking. This is not some guy in a rubber suit standing in for the communist threat.

Terrific widescreen DVD of underrated 50s SF thriller
Far more intelligent and absorbing than your typical giant-rampaging-monster-on-the-loose flick, Kronos is one of my top picks for 'most underappreciated science fiction film,' possessing one of the more ingenious SF concepts of the 1950s (see also Monolith Monsters), as well as one of the decade's coolest, ahead-of-its-time alien invaders. The cast includes familiar genre stalwarts Jeff Morrow (Creature Walks Among Us, The Giant Claw), John Emery (Rocketship X-M, The Mad Magician), and Morris Ankrum (zillions of B-westerns and SF flicks), with Barbara Lawrence (Oklahoma!) as the lady scientist/love interest. The moody B&W cinematography is by Karl Struss (Island of Lost Souls, The Great Dictator, Mesa of Lost Women), and the curiously Angry Red Planet-like score is by Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter (too many genre credits to list). Competently directed by B-film veteran Kurt Neumann (The Fly, She Devil), the film unfolds like a mystery, building slowly at first, adding a few plot twists, then really kicking in with the appearance of the colossal metallic "energy collector", subsequent scenes of devastation, and final assault on Los Angeles. The always-imaginative if chronically underfunded Jack Rabin-Irving Block-Louis DeWitt effects team (World Without End, War of the Satellites, Atomic Submarine) gets a major assist from 20th Century Fox budget dollars this time out and it shows, particularly in the design and execution of the monolithic robot itself and the scenes of mass destruction, effectively realized through the clever orchestration of miniatures, animation, mattes, stock footage, and spacey sound effects. The script may not always hold up to intense scrutiny (why don't the aliens just send their device to suck energy directly from stars?), the science is more comic-book than Isaac Asimov, and it's almost impossible not to think "George Jetson" every time George O'Hanlon (GJ's voice on TV) opens his mouth; but if this was in Technicolor it would be revered today as one of the SF greats (just compare this to the extremely overrated "classic" This Island Earth some time).
The Image DVD presents the film in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and while the source print exhibits some light speckling throughout, the brightness, contrast, tonal values, sharpness, and detail are uniformly excellent. A middling-quality trailer and 16 chapter stops are the only extras, but this is still a must-have for any serious collector of 50s science fiction, especially at the recently-reduced price. I'll probably be sorry I said it but, in the right hands (James Cameron? Darren Aronofsky?), a modern remake of this could kill!

KRONOS: A Should-be 50's Sci-Fi Classic!
Being a fairly new collector of 50's Sci-Fi, I just finished watching "KRONOS: Ravager of Planets" and it was excellent! Starring Jeff Morrow of "This Island Earth" fame and written by Irvin Block (Forbidden Planet), KRONOS has above-average effects for it's genre and the story is very good. The giant alien machine/robot from outer space, known only as "KRONOS", is a fresh idea thrown into the mix of 50's classic invaders-from-space type films. If you enjoy collecting classic b&w 50's Sci-Fi, then KRONOS is an excellent addition to your DVD library. I only wish the DVD special features contained more. The Theatrical Trailer, Scene Selection and Feature Movie are the only options on the DVD. Anyway, it's still an enjoyable and fun classic Sci-Fi flick. Get one for yourself today!

Kronos: A Short Film In Feature Length Clothing
Sorry, nostalgia alone isn't enough to save this turkey of a movie. Yes, the basic premise is interesting and original, but it lacked development. In fact, it apparently lacked an editor! KRONOS is a prime example of a "padded" film. It is 80 minutes long and stretched thin to fit. Unfortunately a lot of B movies from the 50s suffered from the same problem.

An example:
A helicopter with two researchers takes off. We see lots of footage of the helicopter in the air. Then we see a coastline. Then the copter. Then the coastline again. Then the researchers in the cockpit looking around. Then the ocean and more coastline. The researchers point to something. The copter turns. We see rocks in the ocean. The copter turns again. The researchers finally figure there's nothing to see. The copter turns around again and heads for home.
So the filmmakers have burned up a good 4 minutes of the movie with a sequence that 1) doesn't have a point, and 2) doesn't resolve anything or add to the movie, and 3) makes you grateful for the fast forward feature of your remote control. Unfortunately there are many such sequences in this film.

I won't even get into the cheesy special effects - let's just say they're good for a chuckle. Also had to laugh at the scientist who is "possessed" by the alien life force...is it me or does this guy look like a psychotic Walt Disney?

Watching (and fast forwarding through) the film, I had a nagging thought that the makers of KRONOS could have pared the film down to half its running time and shown it as part of a double bill with some other edited-down flick from the same era. Would have been a vast improvement.
PS - another reviewer mentioned that an interesting remake could be culled from the concept of KRONOS. Actually, that may be true! The underlying idea is pretty interesting, hence the two star rating.

Crush! Kill! Destroy!!!!
A titanic robot from outer space invades earth, attempting to absorb all of our electrical energy. The press names it KRONOS after the mythical titan. Seemingly unstoppable, this juggernaut stomps it's way across Mexico, squashing all in it's path! Airplanes are pulled into it and explode like the models they are! All weapons are useless, as even the dreaded A-bomb only serves to make Kronos stronger! Can it be defeated before depleting us of all electricity? Can super-egghead Jeff Morrow and his team of labcoats find the answer in time? Or, will Kronos flatten us under it's mighty piston legs?? An absolute must-see flick for any true 50s sci-fi addict like myself... ... Read more

Amazon.com

A dashing scientist's foolhardy experiment with matter transferenceleads his wife to seriously consider investing in No-pest strips in this deservedly classic melding of the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres. The marvelous Vincent Price (as the good guy for a change!) leads an admirably straight-faced cast through this taut tale of man intruding on God's domain, presented in reverse flashback order. (Somewhat surprisingly, paid-by-the-pound novelist James Clavell was responsible for the atypically lean screenplay.) This well-paced, blackly humorous yarn can't hold a muck-encrusted candle to director David Cronenberg's ultra-visceral 1986 reimagining, but still contains some remarkably daring imagery for the time period. Squirmy, shuddery fun that still carries an icky jolt, particularly during its justifiably famous final scene. --Andrew Wright ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Hellllp Meeee!
The film opens on the scene of a man who has been crushed in a machine and his wife said she is the one who pushed the lever, but something does not fit and her brother in law (Vincent Price) doesn't think she did it. This launches us into into a re-telling of how the women's scientist husband was obsessed with a matter dis-integrater he was working on. Something goes wrong with his work and he winds up with a fly head and hand. Now his wife is quickly trying to find the fly with her husbands head so that they can put him back together. This is better than the majority of science fiction during the 50's because the story tries to focus on the invention instead of falling into the old mad scientist routine. The film also shows the scientist as a tragic victim instead of as rampaging monster (which is what happened in way too many 50's films). The special effects are good enough and the acting is solid.

The original sci-fi/horror classic....."help me! help me!"
What makes "The Fly" a classic of Horror/Science Fiction is not when we finally see that Andre Delambre (David Hedison) has the head of a fly, but when we see the screaming face of his wife Helen (Patricia Owens) multiplied by the insect's multi-faceted eye. But even that scene is nothing compared to when Francois Delambre (Vincent Price) and Inspector Charas (Herbert Marshall), discover a fly with the head and arm of a human, trapped in a spider's web and screaming "Help me!" over and over again in a high pitched voice of terror. Francois had been helping Andre with his teleportation experiments, which were going well until Andre used himself as the test subject and never noticed there was a fly in the chamber with him. David Cronenberg remade this film to show how this would have "really" happened, but this is one of those films where most of us willingly suspend our disbelief and go along for the ride. The story is told in flashback as a distraught Helen, accused of having crushed her husband's head and arm in a press, frantically insists no one in house hurt a fly--especially if it has a white head. With a script by James Clavell based on the story by George Langelaan (it appeared in Playboy with the artwork of a white page on which there was one small fly), this 1958 film was directed by Kurt Neumann. Do not even talk to me about the sequel, "The Return of the Fly," which shows how laughable such a story can be when the writing and acting is second-rate. If you want a double-feature, do this and the original version of "The Thing," one week and their remakes the next.

THE FLY, THE ORIGINAL FLY.
1958's "The Fly" is the main inspiration of the 1986 version, the version that most of the people know. Not as flashy as the 1986 David Cronenberg's version, but the original "Fly" remains very intriguing. "The Fly" is more a mystery film than a thriller.

More storytelling oriented, "The Fly" is a very interesting movie, it's really hard to ignore the power of the film, because the "monster" has human feelings and human fears. You can't help but feel sorry for this unlucky scientist and his family

And yes, the final scene is very disturbing, after almost 50 years, still is a very shocking image.

The Fly: Sight + Sound = Despair
One of the best horror films of any age is the 1958 version of THE FLY. What director Kurt Neumann has created is a film that includes the shock moments required of any horror movie, but to these moments he adds a disturbing montage of sight and sound that grab at the reader to yank him into the minds of the actors so that the viewer can see and hear the horror up close. Only the best science fiction movies can do this.
The movie begins in a flashback when Francois Delambre (Vincent Price) discovers that his sister-in-law Helen (Patricia Owen) has been accused of murdering her husband Andre (David Hedison) by squashing his head in a compressor. Her story forms the basis of the film. She insists that she is neither insane nor a cold-blooded murderer. Helen tells Francois that her scientist-husband Andre had been experimenting with a matter transportation device as in STAR TREK, but in this case, he had inadvertently allowed a housefly to enter the transportation chamber with himself. The result of the experiment was a man with the head and arm of a fly and a fly with the head and arm of a man. Scriptwriter James Clavell of SHOGUN fame had apparently never heard of a pattern buffer that could allow for simultaneous transport of dissimilar DNA hosts. What makes THE FLY click is Andre's reaction to his new form and Helen's acceptance of that reaction. At first, Andre is grief stricken, and tries to hide his condition from her. He places a scarf over his head and keeps his fly-claw in his pocket. There is no need for any fancy special effects here. The simple use of a scarf is all that is required to generate suspense. Later, when it is time to eat, Helen brings soup which he loudly slurps. This soup scene is one of a series of images that are all the more horrible for their morphed simplicity. The viewer can nearly literally taste what life is like for a man/fly hybrid. Andre communicates to Helen by using his human arm to scrawl messages, leaving her puzzled and anguished over her inability to help. She determines to see the face under the scarf and rips it off. This scene is one of the two indelible unions of sight and sound that cause viewers to remember THE FLY as some surreal mixture of a paradoxical link of disgust with an unwillingness to turn away their heads. As she sees Andre's head, the camera shifts perspective to Andre, who sees her as only a fly can: as a infinity of kaleidoscopic images of a screaming woman with each of an infinity of mouths howling an infinity of pain. Once she can gather herself together, she tries to help by recapturing the fly with Andre's head. Since a fly's lifespan is quite limited, the only hope she has to regain her husband is to find that fly, an unlikely prospect at best. In despair, he asks her to kill him with that compressor. She does so, and the movie reverts to the present with Francois discussing the case with Inspector Charas (Herbert Marshall). Each is sure that Helen has gone quietly mad, thus legally preventing her from trial. As Francois and Charas exit the house, the movie's second unforgettable grafting of sight to sound occurs when they see that a strange-looking fly has become entangled in a spider's web, and the spider, looking as large and ferocious as the monster in TARANTULA, looms ever closer. The camera zooms on the fly which has Andre's head attached. The viewer can see his eyes bug out as the spider approaches. He shouts a squeaky HELP ME over and over, but Francois is too slow to react. The spider kills the fly just before Francois kills the spider with a large rock.
The horror of THE FLY does not diminish with repeated viewings nor can the later remakes and sequels detract from its suggestion that the most ordinary things in nature can change into something so terrible as to cause the audience to squirm in its seat and think that the weirdness on the screen is not so far fetched at all.

Intelligent Sci Fi thriller that packs a punch
I hate it when reviewers state that these types of films "still hold up quite well" or worse still "are quite dated". Dated compared to what? They weren't being made with 2002 audiences in mind and any film is "dated" after the year it is released. These types of Sci Fi efforts dont need to be viewed according to how films are made now. Simply appreciate them for the imagination they show in their special effects and story telling.

There is certainly alot to appreciate and enjoy in 1958's classic "The Fly". It is a film which I think is amazing in the story it tells which is both horrifying and very sad and at times very touching. The production as a whole is lush with beautiful Fox colour and a cast of fine, restrained performers who deliver thoughtful performances and who have an obvious respect for the material they are working with.

Heading the cast is one of my favourite actors Vincent Price playing Francois Delambre in a restrained performance which I feel is one of his finest. David (Al) Hedison who later found fame on the "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" TV Series in the early sixities plays his brother Andre, a brilliant scientist and delves into the area of matter transfer with horrifying results. He makes the fatal mistake of using himself as a Guinea Pig in his experiments with the result that his own matter becomes entangled with that of a fly unwittingly involved in the transfer experiment. The result is one of the very best special effects efforts to come out of the 1950's in that Andre acquires the head and arm of the fly and his head and arm is transferred to that of the fly. It is a horrific look which still scares me to this day so effective is it in its depiction. The unveiling scene where Andre's wife Helene (played very effectively by Patricia Owens) pulls the black sheet off Andre's head is still one of the classic scenes in Science Fiction drama as her horrified reaction is multipled on screen as she screams in discovering the terrible truth of what has happened to her husband.

Andre's descent into desperation and madness as the fly's characteristics take him over are tragically done. His efforts to eat a meal from under his black sheet, his out of control "Fly" arm taking on a life of its own, and his frantic efforts to try to communicate with others using a type writer are graphically portrayed and are very disturbing. Never though is he really viewed as some sort of deranged monster out to harm anyone, rather an unfortunate individual who was careless in his experiments for one split second. When he scrawls on the blackboard that he still loves Helene while trying to control the horrible fly claw, for one moment an essentially horrific story takes on that of a great love story and our sympathy is totally with Andre in his dilemma.

Patricia Owens also deserves special mention for her performance in "The Fly" as well. Hers could have been a thankless love interest role however she infuses her character with real strength and the scenes of her and her son Philippe trying desperately to catch the fly with the human head in the house and garden are real edge of the seat suspense.

"The Fly" is intelligently written, very smoothly produced and has a good balance between story/character development and the essential horror tale. It is without a doubt one of the very best of the Sci Fi efforts to come out of the 1950's along with the original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", "Them" and "It Came From Outer Space". Enjoy it as intelligent drama that doesn't strick for sensation in every frame. I get new things to appreciate from it with every screening. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Horroriffic!!!!!!!!
I saw this movie only once .... once again being on AMC'S Monster Fest 2000 ... its a good hokey Wartime horror film classic i think Universal shouldve made it though!!!!! bjut its still very atmospheric and a bit of a twist .. bela returns for his 3rd vampiric film after 8 years of absence after the twisted film The Mark of the Vampire where he wasnt a vampire at all ... lol but still a good chiller .... ok back to the Return of the Vampire.... like i said only 69 minutes of playing time but still a good movie ITS WORTH EARNING!!!

My Name Is Drac... Er, Tesla!
Bela Lugosi is Armand Tesla, an amazingly Dracula-like vampire, in this fangy fable. Assisted by his werewolf helper Andreas Obry (Matt Willis), Tesla goes on a reign of terror, only to be stopped by a spike through the heart. Years later, during WWII, we find Andreas reformed of his lycanthropic ways, and working for Lady Jane, the very woman who had helped put an end to Tesla. Well, the nazi's bomb England, unearthing Tesla. Two civil defense guys find his body and one of them pulls the spike out of Tesla's chest! Soon, The bloodsucking begins! Tesla regains his hold on Andreas and hatches his plot for revenge. Tesla now has a vendetta against Lady Jane. He has decided to destroy her by taking control of those she loves. Can Lady Jane stop him before it's too late? You can tell that Bela enjoyed playing this role. He IS Dracula in this movie, no matter what his name is. The acting is pretty good all around, including the wolfman, even if his make-up job is a tad goofy. Worth owning...

BEWARE THE NIGHT FOR THE VAMPIRE STALKS
Any true monster movie fan would have this film on their movie shelf. One of the best Dracula movies ever made in the 1940's.
In this movie there is never a dull moment. Like the eerie cemetery in the beggening to the dark allies of London wher Dracula and his companion,the wolfman, dispose of their victims.
And in the end there is a message to the viewers,I won't give it away. But this film is worth it. Starring Bela Lugosi, Freida Inescort, Nina Foch, Miles Mander and Matt Willis as the werewolf.

SO IT AIN'T VAL LEWTON....
I can't carp about this little 40's spooker with LUGOSI playing Dracula again (finally) even if it IS low-budget and has a funny-looking werewolf/assistant. It's still a curio and features a wartime setting as well as the lovely Nina Foch (in an early role) as a potential victim. It's goofy and weird and not all that bad, really. At least it was a major studio that released it and not one of those hideous poverty row junkfests that were churned out by the truckload around the same time. The class shows through with the acting,camera-work and story coherence. It could have been much worse but it's not and it sits proudly with my other DVDS as an old fashioned reminder of what going to the movies used to be about and how thankful I am that some of these old chestnuts are still around to be appreciated.

"It ain't even safe to be dead, anymore!"
The definitive movie vampire, Bela Lugosi, stars in this entertaining Columbia production. Although mired in a downward career spiral of poverty row clunkers, Bela, ahem, rises to the occasion. Among the familiar vampire cliches, we find a unique character in Andreas (Matt Willis), the wolf man familiar that serves the vampire. This guy looks like Lon Chaney, Jr. in full makeup, but he does not go around howling at the full moon. Instead, he shows great restraint and is quite articulate as he speaks rather than growls. His fiendish appearance tells of the soul's evil and the vampire's spell. After a prologue, that shows the vampire's 1918 horror and dispatch, Andreas escapes the dark side with help from a kindly lady scientist (Frieda Inescort). He falls back into dreadful habits after a WWII bombing raid unearths Bela. The scenes in the London cemetery inflicted with bomb damage are surreal images of foggy darkness and the children of the night. The script suffers from some B picture limitations, but not enough to matter. Lugosi's character, Armand Tesla, is merely Dracula, winking at legal copyright infringements. He catches Nina Foch in his alluring web of unholy desire. The climax in the bombed-out church is done well, and covers a multitude of unlikely plot developments. Character actor and former Mack Sennett star, Billy Bevan, plays Horace, the comic civil defense worker who utters the above immortal dialogue. Some viewers may recognize Bevan as the hapless Whitby policeman, Albert, in Universal's "Dracula's Daughter." Atmospheric sets and a veteran cast add to the enjoyment. Great fun for genre fans and collectors. ;-) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good of kind
Was not as good as I remembered as a kid. I was told this was the movie where Piper Laurie wiggled thru the bars. But if it was, it was cut out of this print.

tony is a babe
Far out Tony Curtis is a babe. I'm so obssessed with him that I wish I was alive at the time of this movie ... Read more

Description

Story of rivalry between circus performers over the affection of the girl they both love.Romantic melodrama involving Anne Baxter with violent Cochran. When high diver Bettger takes her on as a protegee complications seem to arise. Filmed entirely in Germany. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Love is a trap for success
The story of a young German woman who gets entangled in an American Carnival touring Germany after WW2. Men are attracted to her, to help her, to love her, to use her. She has a great courage that enables her to move swiftly from the kitchen to the top of the carnival by becoming a star in a diving act. She is good, very good, and resolute to succeed. But she cannot manage her relations with men properly and leads them to death in the strangest conditions. She can only run away, with another man of course, away from the successive dramas. Love cannot be the tool of success nor of ambition.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

glossy melodrama
CARNIVAL STORY is a glossy melodrama that is saved by the always-superb Anne Baxter (ALL ABOUT EVE) and gorgeous camera-work.

Willie (Anne Baxter) is a young pickpocket who happens along to an American carnival that has pulled into Germany for an extended visit. The effusive huckster Joe (Steve Cochran) gets her a job in the kitchen tent, but soon she catches the eye and affections of high-diver Frank (Lyle Bettger), who trains her as his assistant in his act, and later marries her.

Joe, unable to get Willie out of his system, attempts to blackmail her for sexual favors, until her indiscretions lead to inevitable tragedy.

CARNIVAL STORY was filmed entirely on location in Germany, using a mainly-German crew and extras. It was directed by Kurt Neumann, best-known to cult sci-fi fans as the director of the original THE FLY.

Also starring Helene Stanley, George Nader and Jay C. Flippen.

Tawdry,trashy tale of circus life
An American carnival,failing to draw the crowds Stateside,decides to tour Germany in a bid to restore its fortunes.
The carnival ramrod,played by Steve Cochran,is robbed by a destitute young German woman,Willi,played most unconvincingly by Anne Baxter.Instead of handing her over to the police he offers her a job with the carnival as a kitchen skivvy and the two begin an affair that runs into complications when the carnival's star attraction ,a high diver ,takes her under his wing and makes her part of the act,and subsequently marries her.
The stage is then set for illicit romance,suspicious deaths and near fatal injuries before the final confrontation on a ferris wheel brings proceedings to a merciful ending

The major problem for me was that never for one second did Baxter persuade me that she was capable of entrancing not just her male colleagues but a freelance photographer(a wooden George Nader)let alone become a star circus performer in her own right,something which takes years of dedication and practice,not a few days instruction.The void which this leaves at the centre of the movie undermines its credibility
Cochran and Bettger,who plays the high diver are fine here,and there is a sturdy cameo from the ever reliable Frank Faylen
Garish colour and flat direction further drag things down.The colour is horrible as well-really harsh and garish.

If you want circus movies track down "Trapeze",or "The Greatest Show On Earth" for ones that get it right.

Behind-the-scenes in the Big Top
Low-budget bur admirable effort about the tawdry life and small times behind the big top. Anne Baxter stars as Willie, a sexy waif down on her luck whose fortunes then change--but not necessarily for the better--when she meets up with a violent Casanova by the name of Joe Hammond. The smoldering Steve Cochran plays Hammond, the opportunitistic ladies' man who likes to treat his women rough. Their beginning starts off well enough when Willie is understandably grateful to Hammind for giving her a job with the circus--even if it's just a lowly one washing dishes and doing general domestic duties--and they get embroiled in a torried, lust-driven affair. Complications arise when she soon tires of their tawdry relationship and wants him to take her seriously--there's no question fo her quitting him even though she knows he's rotten through and through since she can't get enough of his brutal lusty ways. Further complicating matters is when a decent young man named Frank Collino (Lyle Bettger), who's a major draw as a star high-diver, takes her on as his partner and certainly takes her seriously--serious enough to fall in love and marry her. Ah! If only Willie could combine the desirable qualities of both men into one--the respectful and sincere love of Frank with Joe's devastating sensuality--but sadly this cannot be and she succumbs to Joe again, with fatal results for Frank and trying ones for her which change her from a tarnished yet naive and good-hearted woman to a calculating and mercenary one. Even after falling for Frank's close friend--also a good young man--she still can't shake off Joe's hold on her. But inevitably one day she breaks free from his destructive spell and the results are over-the-top to say the least--no pun intended.

interesting carnival story
Liked well enough to order a second copy as my first one was a different company and color inferior. All of cast give fine preformance on a story of carnival life. Anne Baxter is down and out and Steve Cochran ,the bad guy carnival employee offers Baxter job with carnival. Anne runs into one problem after another ,but overcomes them all by the end of the film. The story never drags and holds your interest and gives you a glimpse of the seedier side of carnival life. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Before the mid-1950s, science fiction was mostly confined to kid-stuff serials such as Buck Rogers; the things they portrayed were consideredpure fantasy, pie in the sky. By 1950, however, things had changed. World War IIhad brought the German V-2 rocket (the template for many a '50s sci-fi rocketship), television, and of course, the bomb. Sabrejets and MiGs were doing battleover Korea, and science fiction had become fact. Rocketship X-M (the X-Mstanding for Expedition: Moon), though primitive and cheap, has a place in film history as being the movie that initiated the '50s science fiction boom. A crew of four men and one woman embark for the moon, but when all are knocked unconscious, the rocket goes into a drift and they wind up on Mars instead. On the pinkish Mars, they encounter a race of extremely ticked-off cavemen who don't want them there and kill off three of their number. Certainly the effects are quaint (the astronauts and ground control communicate via surplus WWII radio equipment), the story a little ridiculous, and the acting stiff--but this was the first serious science fiction movie and was the inspiration for countless films that followed. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (16)

WE'RE OFF COURSE
This film opens with a countdown and just keeps going after lift off. Short on science fact, but long on style and ideas, this is one of the better early "first into space" movies. It has a Jules Verne feel, a German work ethic pace, and keeps the surprises and the clique's coming - two of which were staples in these early type of movies: the sudden metor storm between the Earth and Moon and the "we're off course" stunt where the ship makes a U-Turn and heads for Mars or Venus (in this case it's Mars). But despite this, this is an entertaining film with a good cast and a surprise ending that is almost unheard of these days. ROCKETSHIP X-M is not for everybody, but if you are a collector and a sci-fi fan, than this is an excellent addition to any library.

Expedition: Moon
Yep this movie is as fun and forward looking as they say. What I found fascination from the beginning was the equipment. The short-wave radio barely reached to space. The gages were an altimeter and an air speed indicator (what air?) and I liked the airplane throttles for the rocket speed. A 1000-LB fuel tank need moving so Major William Corrigan says "I used to throw a 1000 LB steer over my shoulder every morning" Colonel Floyd Graham replies "Are you sure that wasn't a bull?"

The first manned rocket (looks like a V2 shape), is pointed at the moon. Through a series of mishaps and miscalculations, it ends up on Mars. Once on mars that looks like Red Rock Canyon, Mojave, California, USA and Death Valley, California, USA, the crew discover a secret that is vital for Earth to know.

Do they make it back? Find out:

Try this:

Click on "visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)"

Click on "video clip(s)"

the first episode ever.
Perhaps most irritating is the Lloyd Bridges line to the token female astronaut when she comments sarcastically about women simply staying home and raising babies: "Isn't that enough?" I think the most remarkable thing about this terrible film is its stereotypes. Yes, the film was made many years ago, and I don't mean to say that these were not present in great films of the era or fault the filmmakers for this, I'm simply saying that it's an interesting cultural nugget. The man from Texas is deeply offended when someone says that Texas looks like a mere speck from space (come on, I'm from Texas, but it would). The woman who chooses career - and a male-dominated scientific career at that - over home and family is portrayed as cold (and overly emotional when her correct calculations are discarded) until she finally realizes that she simply needs a man to hold her. Further, how silly is it that there is an intensely planned trip to the moon and then oops! We're on Mars instead. You "can pretty much sense the string" elevating the objects that are supposed to be floating when gravity starts to go on the fritz (see "Things which are Funny Floating"). However, a much more tolerable version of this film was indeed done by that guy and his two robots. It was the first episode (#201) in the cable era of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and well worth it if you can find a copy.

Were we watching the same movie?
I have a serious bone to pick with all of you who gave this film such high ratings. I ordered it on the strength of the glowing reviews I found on Amazon, so I think you guys owe me a refund. The acting occasionally rises to the level of so-so, but the plot and dialog are absolutely ridiculous. And the science! Lordy, lordy, where do I start? Spaceships that make 90 degree turns? The "darkness of space" ... what about that big, glowing thing at the center of the solar system? A minor error in astrogation, and two hours later you end up at Mars instead of the Moon?? (Was Sheila Jackson Lee the technical consultant?)
And -- I swear this is true -- when they did those 90-degree turns, they had all the actors pushing on the inside of the rocketship.

Maybe -- MAYBE -- this thing is worth watching from a historical standpoint, as some kind of turning point from schlock to serious sci fi movies, but that's all. My overall rating is: "Embarassing!" For everyone involved, from the writer to the actors. Where is that guy and his two robots when you need them???

If you want a pivotal sci fi film, with serious science and ground-breaking special effects, get Robert Heinlein's "Destination Moon." And then go on to classics like "Forbidden Planet" and "The Time Machine." But skip this dog biscuit.

Did much to inspire the space movie craze of the 1950s
Rocketship X-M was really one of the first good science fiction films of the 1950s, and its influence can be seen in the slew of space movies released throughout that decade. In some ways, it is the quintessential science fiction film of the era; it sends a crew of four men and one woman into space for the first time, and these characters actually get a chance to express their own personalities during the journey. While the science of the film misses the mark in a number of ways, the filmmakers did not rely on alien "monsters" to help the story along. The movie has a message, and its plausibility and rather unhappy conclusion bring that message home to viewers. The film also reflects to some degree the culture of the time in terms of gender, sporting a number of chauvinistic lines sure to rankle many modern viewers.

Our intrepid crew for this secret first manned spaceship launch consists of ship designer Dr. Exum (John Emery), navigator Floyd Graham (Lloyd Bridges), engineer Major William Corrigan (Noah "Rockford's Dad" Beery, Jr.), some less important guy played by Hugh O'Brian, and brilliant female chemist Dr. Lisa Van Horn (Osa Massen). When Floyd isn't navigating, he's putting the moves on the cold and aloof Lisa. Things go swimmingly at first (with the ship, not with Lloyd's advances), but then a problem with the fuel mixture (sure - blame the woman) causes the engines to die. When Dr. Van Horn defends her computations, she is treated to a few chauvinistic remarks about acting like a woman; the great and mighty men figure things out on their own, and before you know it everyone is knocked unconscious and the Rocketship X-M (which was supposed to land on the moon) finds itself flung out into deep space. As luck would have it, though, they wake up to find themselves within reach of Mars and take advantage of the opportunity to land there. This is a Lippert film, so you knew there would have to be many scenes of people climbing hills and mountains somewhere in it. Well, the crew members make a few discoveries about the state of past and current life on the red planet and try to make it back home to spread the word to the people of earth - it's your basic nuclear was is bad kind of advice. The ending is not a happy one by any means, but it does serve to further man's (or at least science fiction script writers') determination to explore outer space.

There's nothing fancy at all about this movie, yet it really does deliver the type of message a science fiction film should carry. Along with the science, weak as it turned out to be in places, and a "scientific moral" to the story, we actually get to see characterization come to life before our very eyes (especially in terms of Floyd and Lisa). I think this 1950 film deserves to be called a classic in its field, and it still has much to offer all fans of science fiction. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Cute Crime Comedy!!
This is a very cute crime comedy that's very well worth watching.Check it out!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

STCOK SHOTS ALONG THE MOHAWK
As Ron Wood mentionned in it's review, most action sequences in MOHAWK comme from John Ford's DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK. This 1939 film provided stock shots for many other movies. In 1944, one shot of Mohawk warriors setting Fonda's place afire in DRUMS was used in BUFFALO BILL. Battle scenes around the fort were then used in MOHAWK. Almost the same scenes were used again in the pilot episode of the DANIEL BOONE TV series starring Fess Parker in the mid-60s.

As far as stock shots are concerned, BUFFALO BILL seems to be the absolute winner, at least in the western genre. Stock shots of the battle scene (War Bonnet Creek) were used by Fox in numerous productions. PONY SOLDIER with Tyrone Power (begining of the movie). SIEGE AT FEATHER RIVER (end of the movie, which was produced by Panoramic which provided FOX with B pictures). THE TIME TUNNEL TV series (Episode : Little Big Horn) also used the battle to pass as Custer's famous last stand.
Another depiction of that battle, from THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON starring Errol Flynn, was used in BUGLES IN THE AFTERNOON starring Ray Milland. Though THEY DIED was black and white, and BUGLES Technicolor, the stock shot did fit because it was being watch through binoculars by Ray Milland and modified from black and white to sepia.

If anyone knows of other stock shots in westerns, I'd be glad to read about that.

Mohawk
This is a rather interesting movie in that it uses a lot of distant scenic and action shots from John Ford's Drums Along The Mohawk. This is most noticeable, because all of a sudden while viewing the film, the production values are suddenly increased and the cinematography becomes almost ravishing instead of run of the mill that the "new" portions of the film just can't match.
As an aside, I remember seeing Drums Along The Mohawk twice when I was a kid in the 1940s in a small town where I grew up and it was in black and white; only when I saw it on VHS in the 1980s did I see the true Technicolor format. And then I was knocked out again when I saw portions of it appear in Mohawk, a film I missed at the theatres and only caught on DVD about a year ago.

Does anyone know of any other films that utilized parts of older films as part of their format to save on production costs? I'd like to hear from anyone on this. I know this happens, especially in World War II films with documentary battle footage, but haven't noticed the use of regular production footage in newer movies, unless they referred to the earlier film as a link in a series.

Early American artist finds romance trying to keep peace.
Scott Brady and Rita Gam are not especially believable as a colonial era artist and his native American love interest, but the unusual time period, and energy of the production make "Mowhawk" fun. Evil white men try to incite the Indians to war, while the high-integrity artist works to maintain peace as he does portraits of various characters. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Love is a trap for success
The story of a young German woman who gets entangled in an American Carnival touring Germany after WW2. Men are attracted to her, to help her, to love her, to use her. She has a great courage that enables her to move swiftly from the kitchen to the top of the carnival by becoming a star in a diving act. She is good, very good, and resolute to succeed. But she cannot manage her relations with men properly and leads them to death in the strangest conditions. She can only run away, with another man of course, away from the successive dramas. Love cannot be the tool of success nor of ambition.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

glossy melodrama
CARNIVAL STORY is a glossy melodrama that is saved by the always-superb Anne Baxter (ALL ABOUT EVE) and gorgeous camera-work.

Willie (Anne Baxter) is a young pickpocket who happens along to an American carnival that has pulled into Germany for an extended visit. The effusive huckster Joe (Steve Cochran) gets her a job in the kitchen tent, but soon she catches the eye and affections of high-diver Frank (Lyle Bettger), who trains her as his assistant in his act, and later marries her.

Joe, unable to get Willie out of his system, attempts to blackmail her for sexual favors, until her indiscretions lead to inevitable tragedy.

CARNIVAL STORY was filmed entirely on location in Germany, using a mainly-German crew and extras. It was directed by Kurt Neumann, best-known to cult sci-fi fans as the director of the original THE FLY.

Also starring Helene Stanley, George Nader and Jay C. Flippen.

Tawdry,trashy tale of circus life
An American carnival,failing to draw the crowds Stateside,decides to tour Germany in a bid to restore its fortunes.
The carnival ramrod,played by Steve Cochran,is robbed by a destitute young German woman,Willi,played most unconvincingly by Anne Baxter.Instead of handing her over to the police he offers her a job with the carnival as a kitchen skivvy and the two begin an affair that runs into complications when the carnival's star attraction ,a high diver ,takes her under his wing and makes her part of the act,and subsequently marries her.
The stage is then set for illicit romance,suspicious deaths and near fatal injuries before the final confrontation on a ferris wheel brings proceedings to a merciful ending

The major problem for me was that never for one second did Baxter persuade me that she was capable of entrancing not just her male colleagues but a freelance photographer(a wooden George Nader)let alone become a star circus performer in her own right,something which takes years of dedication and practice,not a few days instruction.The void which this leaves at the centre of the movie undermines its credibility
Cochran and Bettger,who plays the high diver are fine here,and there is a sturdy cameo from the ever reliable Frank Faylen
Garish colour and flat direction further drag things down.The colour is horrible as well-really harsh and garish.

If you want circus movies track down "Trapeze",or "The Greatest Show On Earth" for ones that get it right.

Behind-the-scenes in the Big Top
Low-budget bur admirable effort about the tawdry life and small times behind the big top. Anne Baxter stars as Willie, a sexy waif down on her luck whose fortunes then change--but not necessarily for the better--when she meets up with a violent Casanova by the name of Joe Hammond. The smoldering Steve Cochran plays Hammond, the opportunitistic ladies' man who likes to treat his women rough. Their beginning starts off well enough when Willie is understandably grateful to Hammind for giving her a job with the circus--even if it's just a lowly one washing dishes and doing general domestic duties--and they get embroiled in a torried, lust-driven affair. Complications arise when she soon tires of their tawdry relationship and wants him to take her seriously--there's no question fo her quitting him even though she knows he's rotten through and through since she can't get enough of his brutal lusty ways. Further complicating matters is when a decent young man named Frank Collino (Lyle Bettger), who's a major draw as a star high-diver, takes her on as his partner and certainly takes her seriously--serious enough to fall in love and marry her. Ah! If only Willie could combine the desirable qualities of both men into one--the respectful and sincere love of Frank with Joe's devastating sensuality--but sadly this cannot be and she succumbs to Joe again, with fatal results for Frank and trying ones for her which change her from a tarnished yet naive and good-hearted woman to a calculating and mercenary one. Even after falling for Frank's close friend--also a good young man--she still can't shake off Joe's hold on her. But inevitably one day she breaks free from his destructive spell and the results are over-the-top to say the least--no pun intended.

interesting carnival story
Liked well enough to order a second copy as my first one was a different company and color inferior. All of cast give fine preformance on a story of carnival life. Anne Baxter is down and out and Steve Cochran ,the bad guy carnival employee offers Baxter job with carnival. Anne runs into one problem after another ,but overcomes them all by the end of the film. The story never drags and holds your interest and gives you a glimpse of the seedier side of carnival life. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

STCOK SHOTS ALONG THE MOHAWK
As Ron Wood mentionned in it's review, most action sequences in MOHAWK comme from John Ford's DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK. This 1939 film provided stock shots for many other movies. In 1944, one shot of Mohawk warriors setting Fonda's place afire in DRUMS was used in BUFFALO BILL. Battle scenes around the fort were then used in MOHAWK. Almost the same scenes were used again in the pilot episode of the DANIEL BOONE TV series starring Fess Parker in the mid-60s.

As far as stock shots are concerned, BUFFALO BILL seems to be the absolute winner, at least in the western genre. Stock shots of the battle scene (War Bonnet Creek) were used by Fox in numerous productions. PONY SOLDIER with Tyrone Power (begining of the movie). SIEGE AT FEATHER RIVER (end of the movie, which was produced by Panoramic which provided FOX with B pictures). THE TIME TUNNEL TV series (Episode : Little Big Horn) also used the battle to pass as Custer's famous last stand.
Another depiction of that battle, from THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON starring Errol Flynn, was used in BUGLES IN THE AFTERNOON starring Ray Milland. Though THEY DIED was black and white, and BUGLES Technicolor, the stock shot did fit because it was being watch through binoculars by Ray Milland and modified from black and white to sepia.

If anyone knows of other stock shots in westerns, I'd be glad to read about that.

Mohawk
This is a rather interesting movie in that it uses a lot of distant scenic and action shots from John Ford's Drums Along The Mohawk. This is most noticeable, because all of a sudden while viewing the film, the production values are suddenly increased and the cinematography becomes almost ravishing instead of run of the mill that the "new" portions of the film just can't match.
As an aside, I remember seeing Drums Along The Mohawk twice when I was a kid in the 1940s in a small town where I grew up and it was in black and white; only when I saw it on VHS in the 1980s did I see the true Technicolor format. And then I was knocked out again when I saw portions of it appear in Mohawk, a film I missed at the theatres and only caught on DVD about a year ago.

Does anyone know of any other films that utilized parts of older films as part of their format to save on production costs? I'd like to hear from anyone on this. I know this happens, especially in World War II films with documentary battle footage, but haven't noticed the use of regular production footage in newer movies, unless they referred to the earlier film as a link in a series.

Early American artist finds romance trying to keep peace.
Scott Brady and Rita Gam are not especially believable as a colonial era artist and his native American love interest, but the unusual time period, and energy of the production make "Mowhawk" fun. Evil white men try to incite the Indians to war, while the high-integrity artist works to maintain peace as he does portraits of various characters. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Love is a trap for success
The story of a young German woman who gets entangled in an American Carnival touring Germany after WW2. Men are attracted to her, to help her, to love her, to use her. She has a great courage that enables her to move swiftly from the kitchen to the top of the carnival by becoming a star in a diving act. She is good, very good, and resolute to succeed. But she cannot manage her relations with men properly and leads them to death in the strangest conditions. She can only run away, with another man of course, away from the successive dramas. Love cannot be the tool of success nor of ambition.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

glossy melodrama
CARNIVAL STORY is a glossy melodrama that is saved by the always-superb Anne Baxter (ALL ABOUT EVE) and gorgeous camera-work.

Willie (Anne Baxter) is a young pickpocket who happens along to an American carnival that has pulled into Germany for an extended visit. The effusive huckster Joe (Steve Cochran) gets her a job in the kitchen tent, but soon she catches the eye and affections of high-diver Frank (Lyle Bettger), who trains her as his assistant in his act, and later marries her.

Joe, unable to get Willie out of his system, attempts to blackmail her for sexual favors, until her indiscretions lead to inevitable tragedy.

CARNIVAL STORY was filmed entirely on location in Germany, using a mainly-German crew and extras. It was directed by Kurt Neumann, best-known to cult sci-fi fans as the director of the original THE FLY.

Also starring Helene Stanley, George Nader and Jay C. Flippen.

Tawdry,trashy tale of circus life
An American carnival,failing to draw the crowds Stateside,decides to tour Germany in a bid to restore its fortunes.
The carnival ramrod,played by Steve Cochran,is robbed by a destitute young German woman,Willi,played most unconvincingly by Anne Baxter.Instead of handing her over to the police he offers her a job with the carnival as a kitchen skivvy and the two begin an affair that runs into complications when the carnival's star attraction ,a high diver ,takes her under his wing and makes her part of the act,and subsequently marries her.
The stage is then set for illicit romance,suspicious deaths and near fatal injuries before the final confrontation on a ferris wheel brings proceedings to a merciful ending

The major problem for me was that never for one second did Baxter persuade me that she was capable of entrancing not just her male colleagues but a freelance photographer(a wooden George Nader)let alone become a star circus performer in her own right,something which takes years of dedication and practice,not a few days instruction.The void which this leaves at the centre of the movie undermines its credibility
Cochran and Bettger,who plays the high diver are fine here,and there is a sturdy cameo from the ever reliable Frank Faylen
Garish colour and flat direction further drag things down.The colour is horrible as well-really harsh and garish.

If you want circus movies track down "Trapeze",or "The Greatest Show On Earth" for ones that get it right.

Behind-the-scenes in the Big Top
Low-budget bur admirable effort about the tawdry life and small times behind the big top. Anne Baxter stars as Willie, a sexy waif down on her luck whose fortunes then change--but not necessarily for the better--when she meets up with a violent Casanova by the name of Joe Hammond. The smoldering Steve Cochran plays Hammond, the opportunitistic ladies' man who likes to treat his women rough. Their beginning starts off well enough when Willie is understandably grateful to Hammind for giving her a job with the circus--even if it's just a lowly one washing dishes and doing general domestic duties--and they get embroiled in a torried, lust-driven affair. Complications arise when she soon tires of their tawdry relationship and wants him to take her seriously--there's no question fo her quitting him even though she knows he's rotten through and through since she can't get enough of his brutal lusty ways. Further complicating matters is when a decent young man named Frank Collino (Lyle Bettger), who's a major draw as a star high-diver, takes her on as his partner and certainly takes her seriously--serious enough to fall in love and marry her. Ah! If only Willie could combine the desirable qualities of both men into one--the respectful and sincere love of Frank with Joe's devastating sensuality--but sadly this cannot be and she succumbs to Joe again, with fatal results for Frank and trying ones for her which change her from a tarnished yet naive and good-hearted woman to a calculating and mercenary one. Even after falling for Frank's close friend--also a good young man--she still can't shake off Joe's hold on her. But inevitably one day she breaks free from his destructive spell and the results are over-the-top to say the least--no pun intended.

interesting carnival story
Liked well enough to order a second copy as my first one was a different company and color inferior. All of cast give fine preformance on a story of carnival life. Anne Baxter is down and out and Steve Cochran ,the bad guy carnival employee offers Baxter job with carnival. Anne runs into one problem after another ,but overcomes them all by the end of the film. The story never drags and holds your interest and gives you a glimpse of the seedier side of carnival life. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

STCOK SHOTS ALONG THE MOHAWK
As Ron Wood mentionned in it's review, most action sequences in MOHAWK comme from John Ford's DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK. This 1939 film provided stock shots for many other movies. In 1944, one shot of Mohawk warriors setting Fonda's place afire in DRUMS was used in BUFFALO BILL. Battle scenes around the fort were then used in MOHAWK. Almost the same scenes were used again in the pilot episode of the DANIEL BOONE TV series starring Fess Parker in the mid-60s.

As far as stock shots are concerned, BUFFALO BILL seems to be the absolute winner, at least in the western genre. Stock shots of the battle scene (War Bonnet Creek) were used by Fox in numerous productions. PONY SOLDIER with Tyrone Power (begining of the movie). SIEGE AT FEATHER RIVER (end of the movie, which was produced by Panoramic which provided FOX with B pictures). THE TIME TUNNEL TV series (Episode : Little Big Horn) also used the battle to pass as Custer's famous last stand.
Another depiction of that battle, from THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON starring Errol Flynn, was used in BUGLES IN THE AFTERNOON starring Ray Milland. Though THEY DIED was black and white, and BUGLES Technicolor, the stock shot did fit because it was being watch through binoculars by Ray Milland and modified from black and white to sepia.

If anyone knows of other stock shots in westerns, I'd be glad to read about that.

Mohawk
This is a rather interesting movie in that it uses a lot of distant scenic and action shots from John Ford's Drums Along The Mohawk. This is most noticeable, because all of a sudden while viewing the film, the production values are suddenly increased and the cinematography becomes almost ravishing instead of run of the mill that the "new" portions of the film just can't match.
As an aside, I remember seeing Drums Along The Mohawk twice when I was a kid in the 1940s in a small town where I grew up and it was in black and white; only when I saw it on VHS in the 1980s did I see the true Technicolor format. And then I was knocked out again when I saw portions of it appear in Mohawk, a film I missed at the theatres and only caught on DVD about a year ago.

Does anyone know of any other films that utilized parts of older films as part of their format to save on production costs? I'd like to hear from anyone on this. I know this happens, especially in World War II films with documentary battle footage, but haven't noticed the use of regular production footage in newer movies, unless they referred to the earlier film as a link in a series.

Early American artist finds romance trying to keep peace.
Scott Brady and Rita Gam are not especially believable as a colonial era artist and his native American love interest, but the unusual time period, and energy of the production make "Mowhawk" fun. Evil white men try to incite the Indians to war, while the high-integrity artist works to maintain peace as he does portraits of various characters. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

STCOK SHOTS ALONG THE MOHAWK
As Ron Wood mentionned in it's review, most action sequences in MOHAWK comme from John Ford's DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK. This 1939 film provided stock shots for many other movies. In 1944, one shot of Mohawk warriors setting Fonda's place afire in DRUMS was used in BUFFALO BILL. Battle scenes around the fort were then used in MOHAWK. Almost the same scenes were used again in the pilot episode of the DANIEL BOONE TV series starring Fess Parker in the mid-60s.

As far as stock shots are concerned, BUFFALO BILL seems to be the absolute winner, at least in the western genre. Stock shots of the battle scene (War Bonnet Creek) were used by Fox in numerous productions. PONY SOLDIER with Tyrone Power (begining of the movie). SIEGE AT FEATHER RIVER (end of the movie, which was produced by Panoramic which provided FOX with B pictures). THE TIME TUNNEL TV series (Episode : Little Big Horn) also used the battle to pass as Custer's famous last stand.
Another depiction of that battle, from THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON starring Errol Flynn, was used in BUGLES IN THE AFTERNOON starring Ray Milland. Though THEY DIED was black and white, and BUGLES Technicolor, the stock shot did fit because it was being watch through binoculars by Ray Milland and modified from black and white to sepia.

If anyone knows of other stock shots in westerns, I'd be glad to read about that.

Mohawk
This is a rather interesting movie in that it uses a lot of distant scenic and action shots from John Ford's Drums Along The Mohawk. This is most noticeable, because all of a sudden while viewing the film, the production values are suddenly increased and the cinematography becomes almost ravishing instead of run of the mill that the "new" portions of the film just can't match.
As an aside, I remember seeing Drums Along The Mohawk twice when I was a kid in the 1940s in a small town where I grew up and it was in black and white; only when I saw it on VHS in the 1980s did I see the true Technicolor format. And then I was knocked out again when I saw portions of it appear in Mohawk, a film I missed at the theatres and only caught on DVD about a year ago.

Does anyone know of any other films that utilized parts of older films as part of their format to save on production costs? I'd like to hear from anyone on this. I know this happens, especially in World War II films with documentary battle footage, but haven't noticed the use of regular production footage in newer movies, unless they referred to the earlier film as a link in a series.

Early American artist finds romance trying to keep peace.
Scott Brady and Rita Gam are not especially believable as a colonial era artist and his native American love interest, but the unusual time period, and energy of the production make "Mowhawk" fun. Evil white men try to incite the Indians to war, while the high-integrity artist works to maintain peace as he does portraits of various characters. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

STCOK SHOTS ALONG THE MOHAWK
As Ron Wood mentionned in it's review, most action sequences in MOHAWK comme from John Ford's DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK. This 1939 film provided stock shots for many other movies. In 1944, one shot of Mohawk warriors setting Fonda's place afire in DRUMS was used in BUFFALO BILL. Battle scenes around the fort were then used in MOHAWK. Almost the same scenes were used again in the pilot episode of the DANIEL BOONE TV series starring Fess Parker in the mid-60s.

As far as stock shots are concerned, BUFFALO BILL seems to be the absolute winner, at least in the western genre. Stock shots of the battle scene (War Bonnet Creek) were used by Fox in numerous productions. PONY SOLDIER with Tyrone Power (begining of the movie). SIEGE AT FEATHER RIVER (end of the movie, which was produced by Panoramic which provided FOX with B pictures). THE TIME TUNNEL TV series (Episode : Little Big Horn) also used the battle to pass as Custer's famous last stand.
Another depiction of that battle, from THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON starring Errol Flynn, was used in BUGLES IN THE AFTERNOON starring Ray Milland. Though THEY DIED was black and white, and BUGLES Technicolor, the stock shot did fit because it was being watch through binoculars by Ray Milland and modified from black and white to sepia.

If anyone knows of other stock shots in westerns, I'd be glad to read about that.

Mohawk
This is a rather interesting movie in that it uses a lot of distant scenic and action shots from John Ford's Drums Along The Mohawk. This is most noticeable, because all of a sudden while viewing the film, the production values are suddenly increased and the cinematography becomes almost ravishing instead of run of the mill that the "new" portions of the film just can't match.
As an aside, I remember seeing Drums Along The Mohawk twice when I was a kid in the 1940s in a small town where I grew up and it was in black and white; only when I saw it on VHS in the 1980s did I see the true Technicolor format. And then I was knocked out again when I saw portions of it appear in Mohawk, a film I missed at the theatres and only caught on DVD about a year ago.

Does anyone know of any other films that utilized parts of older films as part of their format to save on production costs? I'd like to hear from anyone on this. I know this happens, especially in World War II films with documentary battle footage, but haven't noticed the use of regular production footage in newer movies, unless they referred to the earlier film as a link in a series.

Early American artist finds romance trying to keep peace.
Scott Brady and Rita Gam are not especially believable as a colonial era artist and his native American love interest, but the unusual time period, and energy of the production make "Mowhawk" fun. Evil white men try to incite the Indians to war, while the high-integrity artist works to maintain peace as he does portraits of various characters. ... Read more