The Man from Planet X

"The WEIRDEST Visitor the Earth has ever seen!"

1951 1h 10m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 85

Science FictionThrillerHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

While watching for a planet that may collide with earth, scientists stationed in Scotland are approached by a visitor from outer space.

“The WEIRDEST Visitor the Earth has ever seen!”

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Cast

Robert Clarke
John Lawrence
Margaret Field
Enid Elliot
Raymond Bond
Prof. Elliot
William Schallert
Dr. Mears
Roy Engel
Tommy the Constable
David Ormont
Inspector Porter
Gilbert Fallman
Dr. Robert Blane
Pat Goldin
The Man from Planet X

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
Writers: Aubrey Wisberg, Jack Pollexfen
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 70-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

75 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, shot by John L. Russell. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Charles Koff. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Fred R. Feitshans Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robert Clarke and Margaret Field and Raymond Bond carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Edgar G. Ulmer directs. John L. Russell behind the camera. Charles Koff scores. Fred R. Feitshans Jr. cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 70-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $0.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
375 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, shot by John L. Russell. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Charles Koff. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Fred R. Feitshans Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Robert Clarke and Margaret Field and Raymond Bond carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "The WEIRDEST Visitor the Earth has ever seen!".
10IMDB entry: tt0043778 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Only 85 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
12Classified under 10 themes, including "mind control", "scotland", "telepathy", "alien".

The technical file

Cinematography: John L. Russell
Original score: Charles Koff
Editing: Fred R. Feitshans Jr.
Runtime: 70 min · 1h 10m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $41,000
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Man from Planet X (1951)

Also by

Edgar G. Ulmer

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-05-24
★ 7/10
Knowledge would only bring more fear in a world already filled with it. A planet is orbiting dangerously close to planet Earth and a mysterious spaceship has landed on the Scottish Moors... Friend or Foe? Breaking it down you find that The Man from Planet X is a standard sci-fi movie that would often be bettered the longer the 1950s boom of sci-fi films continued. However, this is in no way a bad thing given the guile and craft that went into making it a picture of worth. Edgar G. Ulmer and his crew are armed with a $100 budget (exageration of course, but you understand I'm sure) and almost make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Working with old sets that were used on Joan of Arc (1948), the pic is a lesson in low budget film making of note. Ulmer brings a plethora of fog and mists to cloak the sets, while he shoots his cast in low lights and shadows to ensure his sci-fi tale never has a chance to be found out as a cheapie. As it happens the story is decent enough. Alien visitor from a dying planet needs something, but what? He can't communicate vocally and of course the humans meeting the visitor have different agendas. There's some suspense, a little bit of nutty science, and even some sexual flirtations. All in all a good solid sci-fi picture, one that showcases the unheralded skills of its director. And not even a papier-mâché headed alien can under value that fact. 7/10

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