Queen of Outer Space
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''Queen of Outer Space'' is a 1958 American science fiction feature film shot in
DeLuxe Color DeLuxe Color or Deluxe color or Color by DeLuxe is Deluxe Laboratories brand of color process for motion pictures. DeLuxe Color is Eastmancolor-based, with certain adaptations for improved compositing for printing (similar to Technicolor's "sele ...
and
CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
. Produced by Ben Schwalb and directed by Edward Bernds, it stars
Zsa Zsa Gabor Zsa Zsa Gabor (, ; born Sári Gábor ; February 6, 1917 – December 18, 2016) was a Hungarian Americans, Hungarian-American socialite and actress. Her sisters were actresses Eva Gabor, Eva and Magda Gabor. Gabor competed in the 1933 Mis ...
,
Eric Fleming Eric Fleming (born Edward Heddy Jr.; July 4, 1925 – September 28, 1966) was an American actor known primarily for his role as Gil Favor in the CBS television series '' Rawhide''. Early life Fleming was born as Edward Heddy Jr. in Santa Paul ...
, and
Laurie Mitchell Laurie Mitchell (born Mickey Koren; July 14, 1928 – September 20, 2018) was an American actress and model. Mitchell was perhaps best known for her role as Queen Yllana, the ruler of Venus, in Edward Bernds's 1958 science-fiction film ''Quee ...
. The screenplay by
Charles Beaumont Charles Beaumont (January 2, 1929 – February 21, 1967) was an American author of speculative fiction, including short stories in the horror and science fiction subgenres.Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, "Beaumont, Charles" in David Pringle, ed., ''S ...
, about a revolt against a cruel Venusian queen, is based on an idea supplied by
Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplay ...
and originally titled ''Queen of the Universe''. Upon its release, the film was promoted by Allied Artists and distributed to some locations as a
double feature The double feature is a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatres would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown. Opera use Opera ho ...
with ''
Frankenstein 1970 ''Frankenstein 1970'' is a 1958 science fiction/horror film, shot in black and white CinemaScope, starring Boris Karloff and featuring Don "Red" Barry. The independent film was directed by Howard W. Koch, written by Richard Landau and George Wort ...
'' starring
Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...


Plot

In the year 1985, Captain Patterson (
Eric Fleming Eric Fleming (born Edward Heddy Jr.; July 4, 1925 – September 28, 1966) was an American actor known primarily for his role as Gil Favor in the CBS television series '' Rawhide''. Early life Fleming was born as Edward Heddy Jr. in Santa Paul ...
) and his spaceship crew (
Dave Willock David Willock (August 13, 1909 – November 12, 1990) was an American character actor. He appeared in 181 films and television series from 1939 to 1979. Biography Born in 1909, Willock began his professional career in vaudeville in 1931, teaming ...
,
Patrick Waltz Jack Richard Waltz (December 6, 1924 – August 13, 1972) was an American film and television actor. He was credited in his first film as Philip Shawn. Waltz was born in Akron, Ohio, the younger of two sons born to Frank and Lucy Leona (nee Dug ...
, and Paul Birch) take their rocketship to an Earth space station. En route, the space station is destroyed by an interstellar energy beam, which also damages their rocketship. The crewman crash land on
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
and are quickly captured. They learn the planet is under the dictatorship of the cruel Queen Yllana (
Laurie Mitchell Laurie Mitchell (born Mickey Koren; July 14, 1928 – September 20, 2018) was an American actress and model. Mitchell was perhaps best known for her role as Queen Yllana, the ruler of Venus, in Edward Bernds's 1958 science-fiction film ''Quee ...
), a masked woman who has most men killed, keeping only male mathematicians and scientists on a prison colony moon orbiting Venus. In the queen's palace, the astronauts are aided by a beautiful courtier named Talleah (
Zsa Zsa Gabor Zsa Zsa Gabor (, ; born Sári Gábor ; February 6, 1917 – December 18, 2016) was a Hungarian Americans, Hungarian-American socialite and actress. Her sisters were actresses Eva Gabor, Eva and Magda Gabor. Gabor competed in the 1933 Mis ...
) and her Venusian friends ( Lisa Davis,
Barbara Darrow Barbara Darrow (November 18, 1931 - August 26, 2018) was an American motion picture and television actress. Early years Darrow was born in Hollywood, California, to George H. Wittlinger, a motion-picture landscape artist, and Alice Simpson Wit ...
, and
Marilyn Buferd Marilyn Buferd (January 30, 1925 – March 27, 1990) was an American film and television actress as well as the winner of both the Miss California and Miss America pageants of 1946. During the latter half of the 1940s and throughout the 1950s, sh ...
). The women long for the love and attention of men again and plot to overthrow the evil queen to reestablish the "old order". Once Patterson is alone with the masked queen in her bedchamber, he has the opportunity to remove the mask, revealing her horribly disfigured face. This was caused by radiation burns received during a war between Venus and the men of another planet "10 Earth years ago". Later, in a fury, the queen decides she must destroy Earth in order to protect her world and preserve her power. In the presence of her armed guards, Talleah and the crewmen can only watch as she aims the energy-beam "disintegrator" at Earth. Just after Yllana activates the weapon, Talleah's allies arrive and a struggle begins. The disintegrator immediately begins to malfunction and finally explodes, killing Queen Yllana. Talleah becomes the new leader of Venus. At a subsequent ceremony, she announces that Patterson's rocketship has been repaired and that he and his crew can now return to Earth. Talleah's technicians have also repaired the "electronic televiewer", which allows space command on Earth to contact Patterson. Command orders him not to attempt a return but to remain on Venus for at least a year, until an Earth relief expedition can arrive. Although the crew could return home in their repaired spaceship, they are elated to follow orders and stay. They begin celebrating with the Venusians in a flurry of hugs and passionate kisses.


Cast

*
Zsa Zsa Gabor Zsa Zsa Gabor (, ; born Sári Gábor ; February 6, 1917 – December 18, 2016) was a Hungarian Americans, Hungarian-American socialite and actress. Her sisters were actresses Eva Gabor, Eva and Magda Gabor. Gabor competed in the 1933 Mis ...
as Talleah *
Eric Fleming Eric Fleming (born Edward Heddy Jr.; July 4, 1925 – September 28, 1966) was an American actor known primarily for his role as Gil Favor in the CBS television series '' Rawhide''. Early life Fleming was born as Edward Heddy Jr. in Santa Paul ...
as Captain Neal Patterson *
Dave Willock David Willock (August 13, 1909 – November 12, 1990) was an American character actor. He appeared in 181 films and television series from 1939 to 1979. Biography Born in 1909, Willock began his professional career in vaudeville in 1931, teaming ...
as Lt. Mike Cruze *
Laurie Mitchell Laurie Mitchell (born Mickey Koren; July 14, 1928 – September 20, 2018) was an American actress and model. Mitchell was perhaps best known for her role as Queen Yllana, the ruler of Venus, in Edward Bernds's 1958 science-fiction film ''Quee ...
as Queen Yllana * Lisa Davis as Motiya * Paul Birch as Professor Konrad *
Patrick Waltz Jack Richard Waltz (December 6, 1924 – August 13, 1972) was an American film and television actor. He was credited in his first film as Philip Shawn. Waltz was born in Akron, Ohio, the younger of two sons born to Frank and Lucy Leona (nee Dug ...
as Lt. Larry Turner *
Barbara Darrow Barbara Darrow (November 18, 1931 - August 26, 2018) was an American motion picture and television actress. Early years Darrow was born in Hollywood, California, to George H. Wittlinger, a motion-picture landscape artist, and Alice Simpson Wit ...
as Kaeel *
Marilyn Buferd Marilyn Buferd (January 30, 1925 – March 27, 1990) was an American film and television actress as well as the winner of both the Miss California and Miss America pageants of 1946. During the latter half of the 1940s and throughout the 1950s, sh ...
as Odeena * Mary Ford as Venusian * Marya Stevens as Venusian * Laura Mason as Venusian *
Lynn Cartwright Lynn Cartwright (born Doralyn E. Cartwright; February 27, 1927 – January 2, 2004) was an American character actress known for her performance as the older version of Geena Davis' character, Dottie Hinson, in the 1992 film ''A League of Th ...
as Venusian * Kathy Marlowe as Venusian * Coleen Drake as Venusian Also included in the cast are Guy Prescott as Colonel Ramsey (uncredited), Gerry Gaylor as the base commander, Ralph Gamble as the officer in the anteroom (uncredited), and
Joi Lansing Joi Lansing (born Joy Rae Brown, April 6, 1929 – August 7, 1972) was an American model, film and television actress, and nightclub singer. She was noted for her pin-up photos and roles in B-movies, as well as a prominent role in the famous o ...
as an astronaut's girlfriend (uncredited). The Venusians are played by Tania Velia, Norma Young, Marjorie Durant, Brandy Bryan, Ruth Lewis, June McCall, and Marilyn Buferd, who was a former Miss America (1946). This was Buferd's final role in her decade-plus film career.


Production

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...
and
the Bowery Boys The Bowery Boys are fictional New York City characters, portrayed by a company of New York actors, who were the subject of 48 feature films released by Monogram Pictures and its successor Allied Artists Pictures Corporation from 1946 through 195 ...
director
Edward Bernds Edward Bernds (July 12, 1905May 20, 2000) was an American screenwriter and director, born in Chicago, Illinois. Career While in his junior year in Lake View High School, he and several friends formed a small radio clique and obtained amateur li ...
recalled that, after producer
Walter Wanger Walter Wanger (born Walter Feuchtwanger; July 11, 1894 – November 18, 1968) was an American film producer active from the 1910s, his career concluding with the turbulent production of '' Cleopatra,'' his last film, in 1963. He began at Para ...
was released from prison for shooting agent
Jennings Lang Jennings is a surname of early medieval English origin (also the Anglicised version of the Irish surnames Mac Sheóinín or MacJonin). Notable people with the surname include: *Jennings (Swedish noble family) A–G *Adam Jennings (born 1982), A ...
in the groin for having an affair with his wife
Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She came from a show-business family, one of three acting sisters. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more t ...
, Wanger could only find work at the low-rent Allied Artists (formerly
Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...
). In 1952, Wanger brought a ten-page idea for a screenplay by
Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplay ...
called ''Queen of the Universe'' that was a satirical look at a planet run by women. Several years later, with the idea of science fiction films being more common, Allied Artists revived the project with Wanger replaced on the film by Ben Schwalb, who was then producing the Bowery Boys films. Screenwriter
Charles Beaumont Charles Beaumont (January 2, 1929 – February 21, 1967) was an American author of speculative fiction, including short stories in the horror and science fiction subgenres.Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, "Beaumont, Charles" in David Pringle, ed., ''S ...
did not think there was much in the Hecht screenplay, but Schwalb suggested spoofing the idea and had former Three Stooges screenwriter Ellwood Ullman touch up Beaumont's screenplay. Allied Artists retitled the film ''Queen of Outer Space'' as they thought the original title sounded more like a beauty pageant. The central plot of a planet ruled by women was recycled from other science fiction features of the era, including ''
Abbott and Costello Go to Mars ''Abbott and Costello Go to Mars'' is a 1953 American science fiction comedy film starring the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and directed by Charles Lamont. It was produced by Howard Christie and made by Universal-International. Des ...
'' (1953), ''
Cat-Women of the Moon ''Cat-Women of the Moon'' is an independently made 1953 American black-and-white three-dimensional science-fiction film, produced by Jack Rabin and Al Zimbalist, directed by Arthur Hilton, that stars Sonny Tufts, Victor Jory, and Marie Windsor. T ...
'' (1953), and Britain's ''
Fire Maidens from Outer Space ''Fire Maidens from Outer Space'' (US: ''Fire Maidens of Outer Space'') is a 1956 British independent black-and-white science fiction feature film. It was written, produced and directed by American filmmaker Cy Roth as a collaboration between ...
'' (1955). ''Queen of Outer Space'' also recycled many props, costumes, and other elements used in earlier films of the 1950s, most prominently the
C-57D The United Planets Cruiser ''C-57D'' is a fictional starship featured in MGM's 1956 science fiction film ''Forbidden Planet''. The design used for the starship is a flying saucer, inspired by the spate of UFO sightings during the 1950s, and whi ...
crewmen's uniforms, rayguns, and Altaira's wardrobe from ''
Forbidden Planet ''Forbidden Planet'' is a 1956 American science fiction film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, and directed by Fred M. Wilcox (director), Fred M. Wilcox from a script by Cyril Hume that was based on an original film story ...
'' (1956); models, sets, and
special effects Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual wor ...
from Bernds' '' World Without End'' (1956);
stock footage Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures, and file footage is film or video footage that can be used again in other films. Stock footage is beneficial to filmmakers as it saves shooting new material. A single piece of stock ...
of an
Atlas missile The SM-65 Atlas was the first operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the United States and the first member of the Atlas rocket family. It was built for the U.S. Air Force by the Convair Division of General Dyna ...
taking off; and a model rocketship built for '' Flight to Mars'' (1951). The model was also used by the Bowery Boys in ''
Paris Playboys ''Paris Playboys'' is a 1954 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on March 7, 1954 by Allied Artists and is the thirty-third film in the series. Plot After Sach is mistaken by Fre ...
'' (1954), which was co-written by Bernds and Ullman. It is noteworthy, too, that the queen's guards wore uniforms that foreshadow (and may have even influenced) those worn on the later ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' television series, coming in the same three
Starfleet Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduc ...
colors; red, blue, and gold. In her 1991 autobiography ''One Lifetime is Not Enough'', Gabor recounts a memorable line of her dialogue in the film and cites the production costs for creating the highly tailored fashions worn by her character:


Reception

In 1958, the film received generally positive reviews from critics in major newspapers and in
trade publications A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for thi ...
. Most reviewers, including Charles Stinson of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', approached the film in their assessments as an amusing, mildly erotic
parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
or spoof, not as a true science fiction offering or even a faintly serious space adventure. In his November 13 review, Stinson characterizes the feature as "cheery frivolity" with "well-constructed cheesecake", all of which is visually punctuated by "luscious DeLuxe color".Stinson, Charles (1958). "Zsa Zsa Gags It Up as 'Queen of Space'", ''Los Angeles Times'', November 13, 1958, p. B12.
ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...
Historical Newspapers.
He even compliments Gabor's performance: Marjory Adams, writing for ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'', also recognized the Gabor vehicle as a "merry spoof of science fiction" that no one either on the screen or in theater audiences takes seriously, especially with regard to the actors' lines. "The dialogue", notes Adams, "is of the sort which might be written by a high school freshman", adding "the only unexpected twist is sa Zsaisn't the queen".Adams, Marjory (1958). "ZSA ZSA OUT OF THIS WORLD: She Saves Rocket Squadron", ''The Boston Globe'', October 25, 1958, p. 24. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', for decades a leading trade publication in covering the United States' entertainment industry, simply deemed ''Queen of Outer Space'' as "a good-natured attempt to put some honest sex into science-fiction". In
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in 1958, Mike Helleur, a reviewer for
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
's ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'', compares the film's portrayal of life on Venus to "living backstage at the
Folies Bergère The Folies Bergère () is a cabaret music hall, located in Paris, France. Located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement, the Folies Bergère was built as an opera house by the architect Plumeret. It opened on 2 May 1869 as the Folies Trév ...
", complete with light entertainment and rather scantily clad young women, who in this case take a "slapstick romp" through a Venusian queen's palace.Helleur, Mike (1958). "It's Entertainment", ''The Globe and Mail'' (Toronto, Canada), September 10, 1958, p. 11. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. One of several oddities that Helleur notices in the film is Gabor's singular identity among all the planet's inhabitants met by the Earthlings: "She is...the only girl in Outer Space with a Hungarian accent". As of 2019,
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
gives the film an approval rating of 18% based on reviews from 11 critics.


"Morally objectionable"

The trade publication ''
Motion Picture Daily ''Motion Picture Daily'' was an American daily magazine focusing on the film industry. It was published by Quigley Publishing Company, which also published the ''Motion Picture Herald''. The magazine was formed by the merging of three existing Qui ...
'' reported in 1958 that the
National Legion of Decency The National Legion of Decency, also known as the Catholic Legion of Decency, was a Catholic group founded in 1934 by Archbishop of Cincinnati, John T. McNicholas, as an organization dedicated to identifying objectionable content in motion pictu ...
objected to the content of ''Queen of Outer Space''. In its October 3 issue, less than a month after the film's release, the magazine provides a few examples of the Legion's classification system for judging a Hollywood production's level of "decency":


See also

*
List of American films of 1958 A list of American films released in 1958. The musical romantic comedy film '' Gigi'' won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. A-B C-F G-K L-R S-Z See also * 1958 in the United States References External links 1958 filmsat the Inte ...
*
List of films featuring space stations There is a body of films that feature space stations. Science fiction films have featured both real-life space stations such as the International Space Station and ''Mir'' as well as fictional ones such as the Death Star and the Satellite of Love. ...


References


External links

* * * * * {{Edward Bernds 1958 films 1950s science fiction films American science fiction films American space adventure films Venus in film Films about astronauts Films about extraterrestrial life Films set in 1985 Films set in the future Films directed by Edward Bernds Allied Artists films CinemaScope films Films with screenplays by Charles Beaumont Obscenity controversies in film 1950s English-language films 1950s American films