Conquest of Space

Description

CONQUEST OF SPACE introduces a group of men brought together to construct an innovative robot to explore the depths of Mars. Located on a space wheel 500 miles above the Earth, commander Samuel Merritt (Walter Brooke) and his men (including Eric Fleming and Benson Fong) struggle to complete the mission when aggression within the group begins to surface.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific special effects overshadow the story.......2007-03-26

CONQUEST OF SPACE was the fourth and final of producer George Pal's space operas of the fifties (preceeded by Destination Moon, When Worlds Collide and The War of the Worlds (Special Collector's Edition)). The film reunited Pal with WAR director Byron Haskin. As a lifelong fan of these types of films, I've never understood why CONQUEST is rarely mentioned in the literature or discussions among other fans. Perhaps the film wasn't well received at the time, as radiation-fueled giant insects, etc. were a mainstay of mid-fifties sci-fi. And, in much the vein of DESTINATION MOON, the film is an earnest attempt to depict Mankind's future in space.

CONQUEST OF SPACE [Spoilers ahead] deals with the first manned flight to Mars, which is launched from an Earth-orbiting space station simply called "The Wheel." But even as the human race boldly forges ahead into the future, human weaknesses remain. The general in charge of the mission goes a bit nuts, endangering the crew. It seems he has gotten religion, and decides that Man ought not to be leaving Paradise for the blasphemous attempt to explore other worlds. It falls to the general's son, also a member of the crew, to save everyone from his zealous father.

The most striking aspect of James O'Hanlon's script (from a book by rocket pioneer Willy Ley and astronomical artist Chesley Bonestell) is how the film's attitude toward religion differs from Pal's previous films. In both WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE and WAR OF THE WORLDS, Man's faith in God basically either saves the day, or gives us hope for tomorrow. In CONQUEST, the general's beliefs threaten not only to destroy the crew, but jeopardize the future of space travel. At one point, the general describes their situation thusly: "Our destination is Mars. . .or Hell."

The real star of the film, though, is its amazing special effects. I know other people have pointed out the similarities between CONQUEST and Stanley Kubrick's 2001 - A Space Odyssey. And whether either ever admitted it publicly, you'll never convince me that Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke didn't see this movie prior to writing 2001. Anyway, the composite shots of the always-spinning Wheel and various ships, spacemen, etc. are first-rate. Also impressive are the bird's eye (uh..."Wheel's eye", I guess) views of rockets being launched from Earth. Many modern viewers seem to have little patience for pre-CGI effects; but I think CONQUEST's space scenes are probably the best of any fifites science fiction film.

And while it's true some of the dialogue dates the film, it doesn't completely ruin the experience. The lone Japanese crew member's lengthy justification for volunteering for the mission--in which he apologizes for World War II and offers a ludicrous explanation regarding his countrymen's reduced size--is especially grating in these politically-correct times. And no early space-exploration film would be complete without the obligatory comic-relief character, who, unfortunately, is neither very comic or relieving in any way.

Even if you're a fan of 1950's sci-fi, it's possible you may have missed this rarely-seen film. In the final analysis, it doesn't quite measure up to the other three George Pal films mentioned above. But it certainly deserves more notice than it has been given.

Notes from an old technohobbiest.......2007-02-04

I just got finished watching Conquest of Space while eating my one meal of the day. I've got to tell you, it brought back old memories of the fifties and sixties movies where you have a lot of soldiers and no women.

It is a fun movie. There is no doubt who the bad guys are and who the good guys are--there were no bad guys. No, there are no aliens or anything like what we usually see now adays--nary a one. Instead this movie takes a shot at space exploration in the same vein as the Robert A. Heinlein did in his earlier works, hard science (at least for the day).

The acting is there, I found really no short comings. An attempt at special effects was made using some logic and physics, and the idea of the movie (going to mars) was/is a great idea.

I think Heinlein would have busted a gut at the inaccuracies in the movie but I'm sure he would have liked it. I feel he would have given it a three star rating and maybe one more star for the acting. So I give it five because I'm not as sharp as Heinlein and am a little more easily swayed.

Finally, I feel all of you who watch and collect these older science fiction movies will have to get this one--so few of our science fiction movies were done with a serious outlook--those of you who have to have naked women and exploding heads in a movie need not apply.

So, to the cast and crew, writer/director of this movie...and all movies like it, and Robert A. Heinlein-for all you did, for all you do-this Buds for you.

Conquest conquests!.......2006-12-30

This film used to play all the time on tv when I was young, and I even saw it in a movie theatre. I was quite pleased to get a good copy to replace the beat up non-letterboxed videotape I had. This film was an obvious influence on Kubrick for 2001, though not one book on Stanley or 2001 has ever mentioned this. The plots in both films are quite similar, down to a death in space, a crewmember going mad, and the space station. I think this speaks more to film critics ignorance of pop culture than anything else. For some reason, this film gets short shrift even in books on sf or George Pal, and personally, I think it's one of his best films. Lovely sound track too.

Not First Rate.......2006-08-21

George Pal made some good science fiction movies in the 50s. This is not one of them. It is merely watchable.

The story is of an international mission to Mars sent to try and get information about exploiting the resources of that planet. The mission that gest sent was intended to be a moon mission but had its objective changed at the last minute.

The crew is led by a visionary general who helped to make space travel a reality. He is a no nonsense type of CO who wants everything to be just perfect. That includes his son who is assigned to the mission even though he does not want to be there.

The problem with the mission besides primitive technology is that the general goes mad on the way to Mars. He jeopardizes the mission and the lives of his crew. It is left to the son to salvage things.

Most elements are very predictable. The effects were good for the 50s but are laughable now. The show was worth watching for fans of the genre just to see how much has changed but I have no desire to ever watch it again.

One of the original space operas.......2006-08-11

This some what dated film is a classic from its time. It makes a good follow up to "Destination Moon" The special effect are truly good for its time. The story is fun although somewhat formulaic in content. The movie tries to show a future of the people at the time. Big new technology like visual telecommunication are shown. Now this is no great thing, but look at it from the perspective of fifty years ago. That the wonder of this film, the future as it might have been.

Flash Gordon - The Peril from Planet Mongo

Average customer rating:

Inane fun
FLASH
Science and heros against threats to the Earth
"King of Serials on DVD...VCI Entertainment ~ Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)"
Worth a few laughs

Flash Gordon - The Peril from Planet Mongo
Starring: Buster Crabbe , Carol Hughes , Charles Middleton , Anne Gwynne , and Frank Shannon
Director: Ford Beebe , and Ray Taylor
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005Y6YQ
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Amazon.com

A strange purple dust is killing off the population of Earth, leaving a telltale purple smudge on the foreheads of its victims! Together, Flash Gordon, Dale Arden, and Dr. Zarkov trace the plague to the planet Mongo and archfiend Ming the Merciless! There's hope for the Earth, though, when the intrepid team discovers Polarite, the antidote to the pandemic, found only in the barren, cold reaches of Frigia. This collection of Flash Gordon serials finds Buster Crabbe teamed up with a different Dale Arden, but facing the usual array of strange creatures and spellbinding thrills. It's worth noting that Mongo looks a lot like Sherwood Forest, with its natives toting bows and arrows and wearing Robin Hood outfits. These installments of the series are unusually inventive, such as the scenes when Flash and company travel to the frozen wastelands of Frigia. The encounters with the Rock People and the "walking bombs" are also rather bizarre, even by today's standards. There's even a topical note to the story line, with a madman bent on genocide; the real-life people of Earth would face just such a threat a few short years later. It's the slam-bang pace and two-fisted action of Flash Gordon's adventures that kept audiences spellbound in the '30s, though, and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe certainly gave them their money's worth. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov return to Mongo on a special mission at the request of Barin, their friend from Arboria. His kingdom is being threatened by Emperor Ming's heat projectiles. Once on Mongo, Flash is able to extinguish the heat projectiles by using one of Dr. Zarkov's contra-thermal units. But Ming the Merciless has plans far more devastating for Arboria and even threatens to send a rocketship full of explosives to Earth. Soon Flash is faced with trying to save both Arboria and Earth! It looks like it's curtains for all decent humans everywhere. Climb aboard and join Flash, Dale and Dr. Zarkov in the struggle to preserve justice and freedom in our universe! This is a feature-length edited version of Chapters 7-12 of the 1940 serial "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe."

Customer Reviews:

Inane fun.......2007-09-03

The most obvious question posed by this serial is how the actors ever got through filming a single scene without breaking up with laughter. And yet they manage to look very, very serious.

Let's start with the rocket ships, the sine qua non of this science fiction sub-category. They look like fat Faygo bottles with exhaust pipes that have sparklers in them and send out puffs of smoke. They chug along at, oh, ten or fifteen miles per hour, it would appear, and yet they go from one planet to another in no time flat. And before they land they circle like a dog finding a place to lie. If that is not enough, they can turn at sharp angles with ease. There is no such thing as weightlessness or lack of oxygen. Moreover, it is possible to open a door, while in space, and go from one rocket to another without freezing or gasping. In short, there is nothing realistic, nothing that conforms to any of the laws of physics. Either the movie makers didn't know about the physics--or decided to ignore reality. Or perhaps viewers today know too much about the hazards of space and how long it takes to get from here to there.

Next, we have the costumes. Most of the time, the good guys wear Robin Hood caps topped with rakish feathers. They also wear tights and what appear to be leather jackets or doublets with strange stud-work and designs. The bad guys from Mongo wear steel helmets with visors; a rod sticks up about 12 inches from the top of the helmet, and there is a feather at the tip. The rest of their costumes appear to be comic opera military uniforms. Many of the characters have long capes that almost touch the floor and frequently get in the way of piloting a rocket ship. Perhaps the siliest outfit is worn by Ming the Merciless. He has high heeled boots, tights, a floor length cape and a cloche, and on occasion there are long white plumes trailing atop his head. The stone men wear silly headgears that make their heads look like chunks of weather rock.

There are many fistfights in each episode, a staple of all serials, and no one ever gets a cut lip, a black eye or a skinned knuckle. Add to this the fact that the good guys smite the bad guys right in their steel helmets with visors and don't even say ouch. Of course, Ming himself never gets into the fray, chief villains never do, but the women have a couple of fights with each other, but they don't appear to put much heart into it.

The plot is that Ming plans to conquer the universe, and Flash et al. must stop him. The latter get into all sorts of predicaments that seem to spell disaster, but they always get out of them somehow. Suffice it to say that it all turns out OK for our side.

The dialogue is wooden and frequently amusing without intended to be. The sets and filming loci and pretty good, except for the rocket ships, as noted. The women are attractive and submissive, just the way they should be, in 1940. The characters are all one-dimensional as was the fashion: Ming is evil from top to bottom, and Flash is goodness and light.

Despite all this, the serial is a great deal of fun to watch. There is the nostalgia factor, of course, but viewing this as an adult, some 67 years after it was made, generally causes more laughter than angst for the characters.

FLASH.......2007-07-23

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS, SIMPLY BECOUSE IT HAD THE CLIFFHANGERS. THE PICTURE AND SOUND WAS UP TO TO PAR ALSO. I HIGHLY RECOMEND IT.

Science and heros against threats to the Earth.......2007-03-16

This is one of the serials that inspired star wars ( with really bad special effects).
A recent News article asks:
"Could crazy technology save the planet?"
There's the man-made "volcano" that shoots gigatons of sulfur high into the air. The space "sun shade" made of trillions of little reflectors between Earth and sun, slightly lowering the planet's temperature. The forest of ugly artificial "trees" that suck carbon dioxide out of the air. And the "Geritol solution" in which iron dust is dumped into the ocean.
More genetically altered super fast growing trees that will grow with a minimum of water would be very nice for deserts everywhere.
What Flash Gordon does is give us hope that science can help;
that our actions can make a difference!
This series of adventures is the last of these Buster Crabbe is getting old and fat and
Dale Arden is played by a different although very pretty actress ( Instead of Jean Rogers Carol Hughes),
but the same spirit of saving the world is there.

"King of Serials on DVD...VCI Entertainment ~ Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)".......2005-10-07

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940) (Dolby digitally remastered), adapted from Alex Raymond's comic strip with 12 Chapters of this "Special Collector's Edition" vintage serial episodes loaded with sci-fi special effects and action sequences...story line has Flash, Dale and Dr. Zarkov traipsing off to Ming's favorite planet Mongo...can the trio stop Ming from shooting the ever popular "Death Rays" at their home planet Earth...will Flash survive the fiery pit, an avalanche and the over zealous robots, will they explode to human touch....watch for the exciting aerial battles as Ming and his warships make short work of the opposition all except Flash and his comrades...can the mysterious plague known as the "Purple Death" (aka Purple Dust) make short work of all the inhabitants of the planet Earth...what devilment is Ming the Merciless up to with spreading this dust into the atmosphere...double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...as Flash Gordon fills the giant screen with excitement...don't miss a single spine-thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.

Under director's Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor, producer Henry MacRae, screenplay by Alex Raymond (comic strip), George H.Plympton, Basil Dickey and Barry Shipman, music score by Franz Waxman ("Bride of Frankenstin"-1935), Franz Liszt, Charles Previn, Frank Skinner, Ralph Freed, Sam Perry, Heinz Roemheld, special effects Ed Keyes, ...the cast include Buster Crabbe ("Flash" Gordon), Carol Hughes (Dale Arden), Anne Gwynne (Sonja), Charles Middleton (Emperor Ming the Merciless), Frank Shannon (Dr. Zarkov), John Hamilton (Prof. Gordon), Herbert Rawlinson (Dr. Frohmann), Tom Chatterton (Prof. Arden), Shirley Deane (Princess Aura), Lee Powell (Capt. Roka), Roland Drew (Prince Barin), Don Rowan (Capt. Torch), Earl Dwire (Jenda), Roy Barcroft (Ming soldier/Ming adjutant/Arborian sentry ), Lane Chandler (Ming soldier/Ming adjutant), Donald Curtis (Ronal), Eddie Parker (Arborian Prison Guard-stuntman), Tom Steele (Ming Pilot)...must make mention Eddie Parker (stunt double for Buster Crabbe).......special behind the scenes note that actor Buster Crabbe graduated from the University of Southern California and won the 400 meter freestyle in which he medaled in the 1932 Olympics, went to work for Paramount in "King of the Jungle" (1933), next role was "Tarzan the Fearless (1933), Crabbe returned to Paramount Pictures was featured in Zane Grey Westerns which were well received, then came the roles that made him a household word "Flash Gordon" and "Buck Rogers" at Universal Picture Serials (1936-1940), meanwhile PRC Studios was looking for a leading hero "Billy the Kid" and "Billy Carson" in the 1940's B-Western series and ran its course for six years, later made several televison appearances and appeared in a series "Captain Gallant and the Foreign Legion" (1955-1957).....meanwhile back to the feature as Universal Pictures always at the top of their game and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc One)
1. The Purple Death
2. Freezing Torture
3. Walking Bombs
4. The Destroying Ray

SPECIAL FEATHERS: (Disc One)
SERIAL TRAILERS:
1. Republic Pictures presents "HI-YO Silver" (Lee Powell)
2. "And Then There Were None" (Louis Hayward)
3. "Gorgoyles" (Cornel Wilde)
4. "The Southern" (Zachary Scott)

BIOS: (Disc One)
1. Buster Crabbe (aka Clarence Linden Crabbe)
Birth Date: 2/07/1908 - Oakland, CA
Died: 4/23/1983 - Scottsdale, Arizona

PHOTO GALLERY (Disc One)
(stills from "Flash Gordon", autographed pictures signed for Bill Blair, picture of Ester Williams, Johnny Wessmuller and Buster)

INTERVIEWS: (Disc One)
1. Xth Olympiad (young Buster Crabbe wins the Gold Medal for the 400 meter freestyle in 1932)
2. Buster Crabbe (interview Circa from 1970).
3. Bisoldol Television Commercial
4. Buster Crabbe (interview #1 from 9/30/1970)

CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc Two)
5. The Palace of Terror
6. Flaming death
7. The Land of the Dead
8. The Fiery Abyss

SPECIAL FEATURES: (Disc Two)
INTERVIEWS:
1. Buster Crabbe (interview #2 from 9/30/1970)
2. Hormel Chile Television Commercial with Buster Crabbe.

CHAPTER TITLES (Disc Three)
9. The Pool of Peril
10.The Death Mist
11.Stark Treachery
12.Doom of the Dictator

SPECIAL FEATURES: (Disc Three)
INTERVIEWS:
1. Buster Crabbe (interview #1 from 1975).
2. Magic Mold Bodyshirt (commercial with losing weight with this magic shirt)
3. Buster Crabbe (interview #2 from 1975)

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...check out another release from VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Buck Rogers" (1939) (Dolby digitally remastered), adapted from Edgar Wallace novel with 12 Chapters of vintage serial as the story unfolds Buck Rogers and his young friend Buddy Wade crash land in a trans-polar dirigible flight on an Earth mountain top...what is this strange gas of suspended animations...have the years passed so quickly with Buck and Buddy now 500 years into the future...who now rules the planet Earth with such tyrannical despot, all this and much more in the following chapters...while you're at it why not pick up a copy from VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere" (1951) (digitally remastered), 15 Chapters.finally for the first time on video the really great Columbia Serial that broke the mold...we have everything a serial fan would want...the tinted sequences by Cinecolor and unique inventions that were unlike any other serial out there in the '50s.....get out there as they're going fast, this is the best of "Sci-Fi Serials" you've been waiting for.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s, '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 237 mins on 3 DVD's ~ VCI Entertainment 8240 ~ (5/28/2000)

Worth a few laughs.......2005-06-16

Bad acting, shallow characters, ridiculous costumes (whatever they could dig up from Robin Hood), cheap sets (the spacecraft only have one seat!), and ludicrous special effects add up to a camp classic.

I can't stand sitting thru more than 2 episodes at once (there are twelve total).

These episodes were originally intended to be viewed as serials at theaters in "Matinee" format... you would see one new 20 minute episode a week, with a cliffhanger at the end of each one - the problem is, when you can see the episodes "back to back", the cliffhanger resolutions can be seen as the true ripoffs that they were, as they never quite match up with the impossible-to-escape cliffhanger shown from the week before (the writers figure that after a week's time you'll have forgetten what they showed you the week before).

At least the "evil" Sonja is pretty hot... and Ming makes a pretty good "bad guy".

Average customer rating:

Destination Space

Manufacturer: RetroFLICKS
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A7K0RQ

Product Description

Harry Townes and John Agar command a space station that is devastated by a meteor just before a rocket launch. Townes subsequently faces a Senate investigation, in which he urges the government to keep faith in the project. When another planned launch nearly turns disastrous, it may spell the end of the mission once and for all... Destination Space was developed by Paramount to pitch a TV series to CBS. Alford Ronkel, who penned the screenplay for George Pal's Destination Moon, wrote the teleplay. Joseph Penvey, who's long and successful career included many popular TV series (the original Star Trek, Fantasy Island, and The Rockford Files, to name a few), was tapped for directorial duties. In an era in which TV pilots were often produced quickly, with canvas sets and minimal preparation, Destination Space featured good production values, with full sets and impressive special effects (many of which were borrowed from George Pal's Conquest of Space). Despite all the talent and expense, this space-age drama did not capture CBS's imagination.

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