Conquest of Space (1955)

[polymorphikos]

I'm trying to remember the title of an old sf movie from the fifties where a bunch of American astronauts on a toroid space-station above Earth fly to Mars in a rocket, encounter technical difficulties and an earthquake, are almost stranded, and then fly home.The film seemed memorable to me because it was a straight-up hard sf tale without monsters or communists.

Any help would be deeply appreciated.

[Foxbat]

I think this might be Rocketship X-M (1958 starring Lloyd Bridges).

The plot is slightly different to what you describe - they are flying to the moon, encounter problems and end up on Mars. After much hard work they manage to make their way home. No monsters - just straight forward sf.

Interestingly, this film has a memorable sexist moment: one of the crew (female) cracks under the strain and starts ranting and raving. Eventually, she pulls herself together and apologises.

"That's OK," says big tough Llyod. He shrugs his shoulders, "You're a woman."

I don't think they'd get away with that now

Edit: I believe they also encounter the remnants of an ancient civilisation on the planet.

[Morning Star]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

"That's OK," says big tough Llyod. He shrugs his shoulders, "You're a woman."

I don't think they'd get away with that now

Is it not funny? I mean, that was an era where violence and nudity onscreen was considered tabboo...now, where all we see is disgusting gore and explicit sex, those sort of comments are the tabboo!

[Circus Cranium]

Interesting point Morning Star!


My most memorable line is from Lost in Space, the TV series. "You know what they say, the men are stronger and smarter, but the women make the best coffee."

I remember being horrified by that at five years old.

[Foxbat]

Is it not funny? I mean, that was an era where violence and nudity onscreen was considered tabboo...now, where all we see is disgusting gore and explicit sex, those sort of comments are the tabboo!

Which is exactly why I mention it

[The Master™]

Also sounds a little like a film called Destination: Mars... only trouble is, i can't find anything about the movie... hmmmmm...

[Foxbat]

There is a film called Destination: Moon (based on a Heinlein story).
I don't think they end up on Mars in this but I wonder if this is the one you're thinking of?

[polymorphikos]

I don't think it had a woman in it, though I may be mistaken. I'm also pretty sure it was an intended trip to Mars. Honestly, though, couldn't say, so thank you very much and a blessing and curse upon saturday-afternoon TV matinees.

[Metryq]

Conquest of Space (1955)

Pretty darned tacky, but maybe it didn't seem so in 1955. The son of the mission leader is told he'll go along on the trip to Mars, and the guy starts whining like a baby, "But I don't wanna go!" Lots of froot-loopy ideas that may have seemed scientific and informed in 1955, such as living entirely on pills instead of solid food. Then the mission commander goes off on a religious tangent at exactly the wrong time. "Man wasn't meant to fly," or some such nonsense. The climax where the crew must use the main engine to melt the permafrost and level the ship before taking off is an MST3K bulls-eye.

This film was probably an attempt to follow in the footsteps of Destination: Moon (1950), but ended up being silly and histrionic.