War of the Satellites (1958)

An unseen energy field in space repeatedly destroys manned spacecraft from the United Nations Sigma Project space program.

A small missile-like object lands on Earth, which contains a message proclaiming to be from the Masters of the Spiral Nebula Ghana, aliens displeased by Earth’s repeated attempts to explore space. Calling humans a “disease”, the aliens declare that they will set up a quarantine to protect the universe.

A craft is fitted with an experimental solar device to hopefully subvert the energy field, but unbeknownst to the program, the head of Sigma, Dr Van Ponder (Richard Devon), has been replaced by an alien duplicate bent on stopping human efforts in space exploration once and for all.

Rushed into cinemas in an effort to cash in on the launch of the soviet satellite Sputnik while the topic of space satellites was still hot in the news headlines, this 65-minute quickie is a better-than-average Roger Corman flick.

Corman regular Dick Miller co-stars as astronomer Dave Boyer (from the Bronx, it seems) with the beautiful Susan Cabot as researcher Sybil Carrington.

The film was released in July 1958 as a double feature with Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Dave Boyer
Dick Miller
Sybil Carrington
Susan Cabot
Dr Pol Van Ponder
Richard Devon
Dr Howard Lazar
Eric Sinclair
Jason ibn Akad
Michael Fox
Cole Hotchkiss
Robert Shayne
John Compo
Jered Barclay (as Jerry Barclay)
Assistant Astrogator
Tony Miller
Mr LeMoine
Bruno VeSota
Jay
Jay Sayer
Mitzi
Mitzi McCall
President
Roy Gordon
Crewman
John Brinkley
Crewman with Gun
Beach Dickerson
Reporter
James Knight

Director
Roger Corman

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