293:"Mr. Smith" reveals to Graham that he is an alien from another world (withholding its name). Later, Graham explains to Dupont, Murray, and Cartwright that "Mr. Smith" is actually an alien emissary from a "Planet X", while also informing them that Laird has gone mad and plans to continue his dangerous experiments. "Mr. Smith" explains that his mission is to warn humanity of the likelihood that Earth's orbit will be destabilized if the magnetic experiments will continue. They are already a threat to "Planet X", having caused the crash on Earth of one of their flying saucers. "Mr. Smith" is asked to help stop Dr. Laird, but being an emissary, he is at first reluctant. However, now faced with a continued threat, he agrees. They quickly leave and go back to stop Dr. Laird, who has already started up his equipment. "Mr. Smith" in the meantime has summoned his flying saucer using a hand-held device, positioning it directly above the laboratory. It fires down multiple rays that obliterate the building. With the coming disaster averted, the alien says his goodbyes to Graham and Dupont and walks to the landed saucer. It quickly becomes just an oval of light ascending into the night sky.
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carry such loads. An accident occurs and injures another assistant, after which a request for a replacement sent to the
Ministry of Defence brings Brigadier Cartwright down to investigate. He is accompanied by a woman computer expert, Michele Dupont, who helps to solve Laird's power problem, but not the larger risks inherent in his experiments.
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In the midst of this growing threat to the world's safety, a mysterious "Mr. Smith" arrives in the village. He is well-spoken, with little knowledge of ordinary life, but a great deal of knowledge about magnetic fields, while offering strong opinions about the dangerous experiments that Dr. Laird is
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In the south of
England, at an isolated laboratory near a small village, physicist Dr. Laird is assisted by American scientist Gilbert Graham. They are performing a series of advanced and dangerous experiments with magnetic fields, while using massive amounts of power in equipment never designed to
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s dire warnings, the forest adjacent to the village is soon swarming with gigantic insects and other mutated monsters. Graham's and Dupont's best efforts fail to stop Dr. Laird, and so they alert the authorities to investigate and send in the military. Later, when leaving the laboratory, Dupont is
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Cartwright is impressed when an interrupted experiment transforms several pieces of steel, not in the test chamber, into useless lumps of powder. His report convinces the Deputy
Defence Minister Gerald Wilson to make Laird's project a top priority. He sends down a full security team, led by
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from outer space. Strange things begin to happen, including a freak storm, blasts of cosmic radiation that penetrates the Earth's normally protective magnetic shield, and insects and spiders mutating into giant flesh-eating monsters.
281:. A sudden burst of cosmic radiation from deep space causes brain damage in one local man, turning him into a homicidal maniac, while also causing the insect life to mutate in the area around the village and laboratory.
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counter-espionage expert Jimmy Murray. It soon becomes clear, however, that enemy agents are the least of the dangers around Laird's project: The hyper-magnetic fields that he has generated have been affecting the
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conducting. Murray is positive that he is a spy, but Graham and Dupont decide that there is less threat from him than from the obstinate Dr. Laird, who plans on continuing his risky work. Even with "Mr. Smith"
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threatened by the encroaching monsters and becomes trapped in the web of a giant spider. The army arrives in time and is able to destroy all the mutations, saving her life.
277:, causing unnatural weather patterns, threatening ships at sea hundreds of miles away, and also weakening the magnetic shield that protects the surface of the Earth from
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The film was first released on VHS tape in the U.S. by
Englewood Video, as part of their "Science Fiction Gold" series. Times Forgotten later released the film on DVD.
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On its original theatrical release, it was notably unsuccessful at the box office. In the United States the film was distributed by
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who had a deal with a series of drive-in movie theaters and some traditional movie houses in
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Keep
Watching the Skies: American Science Fiction Films of the Fifties: 21st Century Edition
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391:" do nothing to enhance or advance the copious genre of science fiction."
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about science, was adapted by Paul Ryder and Joe Ambor from the 1957
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A monomaniacal scientist creates ultra-sensitive, disruptive
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at Moria - Science
Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
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528:"Screen: Science-Fiction Bill at Local Theatres"
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812:Films shot at British National Studios
792:Films based on science fiction novels
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787:British science fiction horror films
526:Nason, Richard W. (1 January 1959).
553:Distributors Corporation of America
396:Distributors Corporation of America
222:Distributors Corporation of America
132:Distributors Corporation of America
777:1950s science fiction horror films
350:Patricia Sinclair as Helen Forsyth
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371:In his January 1, 1959 review in
16:1958 British film by Gilbert Gunn
506:Keep Watching The Skies Volume 2
485:Keep Watching The Skies Volume 2
464:Keep Watching The Skies Volume 2
832:Films scored by Robert Sharples
822:Films directed by Gilbert Gunn
1:
807:Films based on British novels
782:British black-and-white films
725:The Strange World of Planet X
647:The Strange World of Planet X
639:The Strange World of Planet X
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612:The Strange World of Planet X
601:The Strange World of Planet X
180:The Strange World of Planet X
24:The Strange World of Planet X
817:1950s English-language films
508:. McFarland & Co., Inc.
487:. McFarland & Co., Inc.
466:. McFarland & Co., Inc.
189:in the United States) is an
633:In-depth review of the film
412:Central Savannah River Area
243:unidentified flying objects
204:and John Bash, directed by
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329:as Brigadier Cartwright
258:novel of the same name
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367:Release and reception
249:The film, meant as a
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802:Mad scientist films
797:Giant monster films
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144:4 March 1958 (U.K.)
709:The Good Beginning
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347:as Inspector Burns
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561:Bibliography
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537:. Retrieved
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323:as Dr. Laird
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206:Gilbert Gunn
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152:Running time
49:Gilbert Gunn
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279:cosmic rays
198:horror film
99:Josef Ambor
65:Produced by
60:Josef Ambor
58:Paul Ryder
45:Directed by
772:1958 films
766:Categories
539:1 December
516:. Page 736
495:. Page 736
474:. Page 736
450:References
442:Home media
321:Alec Mango
309:Gaby André
275:ionosphere
218:Eros Films
214:Gaby André
156:75 minutes
127:Eros Films
85:Gaby André
55:Written by
581:(1986)).
183:(a.k.a.
105:Edited by
72:John Bash
39:box cover
617:AllMovie
579:Volume 2
577:(1982),
575:Volume 1
317:as Smith
255:Rene Ray
169:Language
113:Music by
77:Starring
626:at the
387:" and "
172:English
161:Country
752:(1961)
744:(1959)
736:(1958)
728:(1958)
720:(1956)
712:(1953)
704:(1953)
585:
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410:, the
134:(U.S.)
129:(U.K.)
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228:with
224:as a
35:U.S.
606:IMDb
583:ISBN
541:2019
510:ISBN
489:ISBN
468:ISBN
434:and
297:Cast
264:Plot
212:and
650:at
615:at
604:at
37:VHS
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