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| Spaceways (1953) | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 1 2012, 10:12 AM (397 Views) | |
| Laughing Gravy | Jan 1 2012, 10:12 AM Post #1 |
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![]() I've been re-reading Wayne Kinsey's wonderful book Hammer Films: The Bray Studio Years; per what I said over HERE, in the early '50s they had a fairly sweet deal going with Bob Lippert. As part of that deal, Hammer got the right to distribute Rocketship X-M (a 1950 Lloyd Bridges low-budget space film) in Britain, and did very well with it. Hence the decision to make their OWN spaceflight epic; the result was Spaceways, for which Lippert obtained the services of the great American film star... uh.... Howard Duff. Producer Michael Carreras later called it "lunacy" to do a space travel feature on an ultra-low budget and on only one soundstage (all Hammer had in those days) and I assure you, NOTHING in this film reflects what you've just seen on that nifty poster up there. Duff is an American scientist working in England on setting up a Space Station; his bored wife cheats on him with another scientists, not knowing the other guy's a foreign spy. Their illicit affair is outed, and when they both suddenly vanish from the top-security base shortly after one of Duff's test flights, he's accused of killing them and shooting their bodies into the stratosphere. Drama ensues, but Howie's consoled by ultra-hottie Eva Bartok, as a VERY sexy mathematician who speaks very poor English but who cares, LOOK at her. I see how SHE got through security clearance on the project. Minor oddball 1950s space travel film, notable for being another early Hammer effort directed by future superstar Terence Fisher, who could've really used a monster in this picture. |
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| LaneCarson | Jan 1 2012, 10:18 PM Post #2 |
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Yes - the film doesn't really live up to the radio serial (on which it was based) but Howard "Sam Spade" Duff is a plus Sci-Fi from the Brits had a certain style in the 50s ... check out Quatermass & Dean Jagger's X: The Unknown (1956) as low budget but well scripted examples .... Trev |
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6:37 AM Jul 11