# Favorite 50's SF/Monster flicks **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253 "2005-05-10T17:25:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/41 "2005-05-12T17:29:56Z")
**want2know** – you’re right. My memory played false with me. It is indeed The Lost Missile: > **[The Lost Missile (1958) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051881/)** > > The Lost Missile: Directed by Lester Wm. Berke, William Berke. With Robert Loggia, Ellen Parker, Phillip Pine, Larry Kerr. A strange missile from outer space circles the Earth at low altitudes, destroying everything in its path. Here’s another bad one: **Riders to the Stars** – another wonder from Curt Siodmak, aided and abetted by Ivan Tors. Our missiles keep burning up when trying to leave the atmosphere, but it’s known that meteorites can survive re-entry. Therefore, they figure, meteorites _must have_ some special coating that keeps them from burning up. But the ones that land don’t have this – it gets blown off them or something during impact. The only way to find out what this is , decide the powers-that-be , is to _catch a falling meteorite in flight_, then analyze it. They build special planes with scoops on the front, and send pilots up after meteorites. They finally succeed, and they analyze the meteorite to build successful spaceships. This is dumb on so many levels that it’s hard to begin to pick it apart. So I won’t. Just stupid, and never seen on TV (or anywhee else). > **[Riders to the Stars (1954) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046240/)** > > Riders to the Stars: Directed by Richard Carlson, Herbert L. Strock. With William Lundigan, Herbert Marshall, Richard Carlson, Martha Hyer. Three men are assigned by the Office of Scientific Investigation to man rocket ships to outer space and... ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/42 "2005-05-13T04:39:22Z")
> [@Miss Mapp](#): > > Oh, he’s definitely up there. But, according to another one of my favorite B-movie review sites, there is one even goofier: [The 20 Goofiest Movie Monsters](http://www.schlocktoberfest.com/archives/nowff/foy_20goofiestn.html) > > It’s a matter of opinion, of course, but Guilala, the Japanese plucked-chicken monster, has to be seen. And there are some photos of other famous '50’s sci-fi monsters on that page. Great link, **Miss Mapp**! Really took me back!Personally, I think “The Creeping Terror” should be much higher (or lower, depending on your POV), and “The Brainiac” takes the cake for human-sized monsters. Let me say again, it does my heart good to talk to other fans of this genre. I only wish I’d discovered the SDMB sooner. I am HOOKED! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/43 "2005-05-13T04:47:27Z")
“Them !” was always one of my favorites , as one I think was called “Dinosaurus” , I can only remember bits and pieces of it , but I was a little girl obsessed with dinosaurs , and I loved this one . “The Valley of Gwangi” is another favorite , but it was a 60’s movie , and not B/W , so it doesn’t qualify . I am proud to say I have been stalking Straight Dope for months , and this is my first post ! 😛 Anna ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/44 "2005-05-13T05:11:45Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > “Them !” was always one of my favorites , as one I think was called “Dinosaurus” , I can only remember bits and pieces of it , but I was a little girl obsessed with dinosaurs , and I loved this one . “The Valley of Gwangi” is another favorite , but it was a 60’s movie , and not B/W , so it doesn’t qualify . > > I am proud to say I have been stalking Straight Dope for months , and this is my first post ! 😛 > > Anna Don’t worry, it only hurts for the first few keystrokes! 😛 Seriously, though, check out the prehistoric monster flicks mentioned in the previous posts (Giant Behemoth is my favorite) if dinosaurs are your thing. Remember, the Japanese made Godzilla after seeing Beast From 20,000 Fathoms! ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/45 "2005-05-13T05:39:01Z")
Were you a [Monster Kid](http://gammillustrations.bizland.com/monsterkid/)? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/46 "2005-05-13T10:14:15Z")
> [@want2know](#): > > Great link, **Miss Mapp**! Really took me back!Personally, I think “The Creeping Terror” should be much higher (or lower, depending on your POV), and “The Brainiac” takes the cake for human-sized monsters. Let me say again, it does my heart good to talk to other fans of this genre. I only wish I’d discovered the SDMB sooner. I am HOOKED! 😃 THE BRAINIAC was gonna be my contribution! I actually was delighted when I found that in a DVD 3-on-1 disc Cheapy Horror films! The movie was actually creepy when I was a wee lad. Still fun! A real classic, B&W but early 1960s- was the Mario Bava directed, Barbara Steele starring BLACK SUNDAY (aka MASK OF THE DEMON aka MASK OF SATAN). Jinkies! ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/47 "2005-05-13T10:18:59Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > Were you a [Monster Kid](http://gammillustrations.bizland.com/monsterkid/)? THANK YOU FOR POSTING THAT! I have now immediately subscribed! YES, YES, YES I WAS! ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/48 "2005-05-13T10:32:37Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > 8.) **The Killer Shrews** – giant shrews, played by dogs dressed up in fake shrew heads and pieces of carpeting I have to see this film just for that description alone 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/49 "2005-05-13T11:51:49Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > I am proud to say I have been stalking Straight Dope for months , and this is my first post ! 😛 > > Anna Hmmm…if you like dinosaurs & giant ants, I suppose you won’t mind…_The Initiation Squid_! Welcome to the Board. Close your eyes, smile, find the Happy Place Inside Your Head, and prepare to be…initiated! BTW–did anybody bring the Goat? ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/50 "2005-05-13T17:43:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Riders to the Stars** – another wonder from Curt Siodmak, aided and abetted by Ivan Tors. Our missiles keep burning up when trying to leave the atmosphere, but it’s known that meteorites can survive re-entry. Therefore, they figure, meteorites _must have_ some special coating that keeps them from burning up. But the ones that land don’t have this – it gets blown off them or something during impact. > > The only way to find out what this is , decide the powers-that-be , is to _catch a falling meteorite in flight_, then analyze it. They build special planes with scoops on the front, and send pilots up after meteorites. They finally succeed, and they analyze the meteorite to build successful spaceships. > > This is dumb on so many levels that it’s hard to begin to pick it apart. So I won’t. Just stupid, and never seen on TV (or anywhee else). > > [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046240/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046240/) wait, are you saying that it was so dumb that it’s never shown anymore, or that it’s so dumb that it was NEVER shown on TV? because i’m pretty certain that _i_ saw it as part of my monster-loving childhood. the surviving pilot crashed his plane but survived to gaze, with the rest of the rescuing scientific team, at the several little meteors displayed in the opened capture bin in the plane’s wreckage. right? (for some reason, my memory shows them as being kinda sparkle-y, to boot. wierd. oh, and **Pushkin**? believe it. that movie was almost physically _painful_ to watch. the mole/dogs are so bad-obvious, you may fall off your sofa laughing. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/51 "2005-05-13T18:17:33Z")
I’m saying that it’s not shown on TV anymore. I, too, saw this on TV in my wasted youth. I suspect that it would be so boring to modern watchers, and the science is so full-tilt whacko, that there’s no audience for this anymore. Curiously enough, I saw _two_ copies of the novelization by Siodmak this past summer. I shoulda picked one up. **Dinosaurus** is another gen from my wasted yourh, but it was early 1960s, and in color, so I never included it. I originally saw it at a Drive-in in a thunderstorm, which is an interesting situation. Some of the animation is great (and showed up yeatrs later on TV series like “It’s About Time”), but they had so small a budget that they eked out their special effects with non-animated puppetry of the models (watch for the scene of the T. Rex “rampaging” through the forest. It’s clear that someone is holding him from underneath like a muppet.). but the coolest thing is the climactic fight between the good guy and the T. Rex. The good guy is using a steam shovel to fight the dinosaur, much as Ripley fought the Alien Queen in **Aliens**. I’ll bet Cameron saw this film as a kid. I’ve got a copy of this on VHS, but I haven’t seen it on DVD yet. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253/52 "2005-05-13T22:17:36Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Hmmm…if you like dinosaurs & giant ants, I suppose you won’t mind…_The Initiation Squid_! Just so long as we use a prime, farm-fresh **prairie squid!** 😉[http://www.fridayjones.com/firstsquid.html](http://www.fridayjones.com/firstsquid.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-50s-sf-monster-flicks/303253.md?page=2)