The Space Children (1958)

User Rating:

2.2/10   

Director:

Jack Arnold

Writers:

Tom Filer (story)
Bernard C. Schoenfeld (screenplay)

Release Date:

June 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Slowly...and with horror the parents realized THEIR CHILDREN WERE THE SLAVES OF 'THE THING' FROM OUTER SPACE!

Plot:

An alien intelligence aborts the launching of a rocket with the help of a bunch of children.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Children | MST3K | Anti War

Cast

Michel Ray	...	Bud Brewster
Adam Williams	...	Dave Brewster
Peggy Webber	...	Anne Brewster
Johnny Washbrook	...	Tim Gamble
Jackie Coogan	...	Hank Johnson
Richard Shannon	...	Lieutenant Colonel Alan Manley
Raymond Bailey	...	Dr. Wahrman
Sandy Descher	...	Eadie Johnson
Larry Pennell	...	Major Thomas
Peter Baldwin	...	Security Officer James
Ty Hardin	...	Sentry (as Ty Hungerford)
Russell Johnson	...	Joe Gamble (as Russell D. Johnson)
David Bair	...	Saul Wahrman
Johnny Crawford	...	Ken Brewster
Eilene Janssen	...	Phyllis Manley

Runtime:

69 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The interior of the Brewster trailer - Unit #3 - is the set that had been built for the MGM movie The Long, Long Trailer (1953). The exterior of the trailer however is not the same New Moon model.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Whenever the 'lightning' effect occurs as the holy blob uses his power, the shadows of both objects and people show up on the 'sky' and background elements revealing them to be back-drops in a studio.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Space Children (#10.6)" (1998)

Great Nostalgia Value

Last year I watched TCMs documentary WATCH THE SKIES. Seeing the clips from this movie, I vaguely remembered seeing it but wasn't quite sure. Since Steven Spielberg gushed about it I thought I would search for a copy. I finally found a copy and watched it with my twin brother and a childhood friend of mine. Having seen it, I realize that I did see this movie. My brother and friend also remembered it and we agree that it was probably in the very early sixties. I was at most six years old at the time. When your six you don't concern yourself with the BIG MESSAGE. What I really liked was monsters and aliens. This movie does not feature any exciting encounters with either. I guess the reason I liked it at the time was because kids were the main stars of the picture. They really don't do much, in fact nobody really does much in this picture, but that really doesn't matter. Seeing it again as an adult, I am tempted to roast this movie for it's lack of production values, obvious low budget, lack of action and highly unrealistic storyline. I agree with another reviewer, what is an unemployed drunk doing at a top secret missile facility. Why are children allowed to run all over the place? But why bother? It doesn't really matter. There is a message here no matter how clumsily conveyed. The movie has good nostalgia value and that is probably the real reason I like it.