Morris Ankrum

Ray Milland plays Dr. James Xavier a brilliant scientist who understands that the human eye only perceives a tenth of the entire visual spectrum. Through his experiments he develops an eye drop that allows a monkey to see through hard material and his gal-pal Dr. Diane Fairfax (Diana Van der Vlis) is astounded at the discovery. Xavier turns to his friend Dr. Sam Brant (Harold J. Stone) to aid him in administering the drug on himself to record the details first hand, but Brant doesnt want to because too much is still unknown about the drug. Xavier goes forward with his plans and discovers a wealth of new visual abilities he didnt posses before. His ability to see through material prevents a miss-diagnosed surgery but puts him at odds with the attending physician at his hospital. Brant tries to prevent Xavier from continuing the drug because of the physical damage to his system. In the midst of an argument Xavier accidentally causes the death of Brant and Diane convinces Xavier to flee until he can pull himself together and explain what happened. Xavier drops out of sight until Diane tracks him down and discovers that by continually using the vision drug Xavier has developed a sensitivity that has caused shocking changes in the doctors persona. As the police close in and crosses paths with a religious preacher the doctor takes some actions that have drastic aftereffects.

The movie opens with title and credits shown over a rainstorm in a high mountain forest and a 16th century axe imbedded in an old log. We are in the small mountain village of Pine Ridge (Big Bear, California). A station wagon drives into town. Young Charlie Brown (Gary Crutcher) tells the townsfolk that the sheriff will be bringing the body into town. There have been other incidents involving livestock. His sister, Ann Brown (Jolene Brand) nods in agreement. The incidents seem to be localized to Devil's Crag. Sheriff Parker (Bob Steele) pulls up in a pickup truck. Parker explains that "The coroner's report shows Banks died of a brutal beating at the hands of a person or persons unknown." The Café Owner (Oliver Blake) pulls back the tarp covering the body. Ann, and other others, recoil in revulsion. Some of the townsfolk think the goings on are supernatural. A man reminds Ann of the legend of the curse. Another tells Ann to talk to some of the Indians that still populate the town. A well inebriated Indian Joe (Billy Dix) sitting on the stoop of the bait and tackle shop giggles and warns, "All white men die." He then laughs maniacally. The Sheriff asks Joe is he knows anything about the death of Banks. Joe is annoyed that the white men think he's crazy. Joe reluctantly leaves town, but first warns the sheriff, "People who walk on Indian grave die." The sheriff puts Devil's Crag off limits. He plans to ask everyone where they were the night before. One of the men suggests he start with Wayne Brooks as he had another run in with Banks and was run off the Banks' property with a shotgun. Wayne Brooks (Ed Kemmer) wanders into town after three days in the woods. Charlie and Ann tell him about the death of Harold Banks. Wayne walks over to talk to the sheriff. Sheriff Parker asks Wayne about the murder and his whereabouts. Wayne tells him he was up in the mountains collecting rock specimens. Wayne admits to crossing the Banks property a week before. A Jeep pulls up into town. Driving the vehicle is Dr. Frederick Cleveland (Morris Ankrum). His daughter, Janet Cleveland (Sally Fraser), sitting in the passenger seat complains, "Pine Ridge. But Dad, this is just a wide spot in the road." Their destination is the Lagonita Lodge. With no proof, the sheriff reluctantly allows Wayne to leave, but tells him not to leave town. Janet and Wayne enter the store. The sheriff notices two tent poles sticking out of the back of the Jeep and asks Dr. Cleveland for his driver's license. He reminds Cleveland about a warning flag needed on the poles. Dr. Cleveland explains he will be staying up in the mountains and that he is an archeologist. Wayne helps Janet with her bags of supplies. Wayne recognizes Professor Cleveland and admits he attended some of his lectures at the University. He introduces himself to the professor. Parker warns Cleveland to be on his guard, then pointedly tells him to be careful with his associations, nodding towards Wayne. Cleveland tells Wayne he will be around for a week or more. Wayne volunteers to help as he knows the area. Wayne invites the Clevelands to dinner at the Lodge, and Janet quickly accepts. Wayne and Cleveland are sitting at their table in the Lodge. Charlie comes over to take their order. They discuss the sheriff and their clash of personalities. He tells the professor about the livestock mutilations and the ancient curse. Wayne admits he has uncovered a few artifacts and Cleveland asks to see them. Cleveland explains, "This might save me a great deal of time and effort." Cleveland tells Wayne, "I'm looking for a giant, but one that has been dead for over 500 years." Cleveland is working on a book about a Spanish conquistador. To complete his book he wants to know what happened to the Diablo Giant and his band of renegades. Vargas was the name of a lieutenant that deserted and headed inland in search of Indian Gold. Janet joins the men at the table. Dinner arrives and Wayne and Janet make a date to see a picture later. Wayne shows Janet and her father his small field lab. He shows the professor the Indian relics including arrowheads. Janet is frightened by a lizard she saw in a box on the table. Wayne explains that the creature was thought to be extinct. He found the lizard sealed inside a rock in a state of suspended animation. Janet and Wayne exit the lab to see the picture. They leave Cleveland to examine the artifacts. Indian Joe spies on the professor through the window. Wayne and Janet return from their date. Professor Cleveland asks them to come in to see something. Cleveland pushes a couple of pieces of rock together that form a cross, an Indian relic of Christianity. It is an important lead and Cleveland wants to know where it was found. Wayne volunteers to take Cleveland to the spot where it was found. They agree to meet at the lodge for breakfast then start after that. Wayne tells them they will be going to Devil's Crag. The café Proprietor serves a cup of coffee to the sheriff. Parker looks out the window and sees the Cleveland's Jeep drive by. Sheriff Parker gets in his car and drives off after the Jeep. He follows them into the mountains. The Jeep stops near a pile of boulders. Janet sees a face in a clump of bushes. She alerts Wayne and her father. Parker pulls up in his car and tells Wayne he has disobeyed orders: 1) to stay in town, and 2) Devil's Crag is out of bounds to everyone. Cleveland shows Sheriff Parker a permit he has to do his research. Cleveland assures Parker that he will assume responsibility for Wayne and they are armed and able to see to their own safety. The sheriff leaves and Wayne and Cleveland set up camp. The next morning Janet exits her tent. A fire is already burning. She pours herself a cup of coffee as her father wanders back into camp. He tells Janet he and Wayne have been up for hours. Wayne is exploring and notices a broken branch. Indian Joe sees Wayne from behind a boulder. He is armed with a rifle and takes a shot at Wayne. Joe explains he was shooting at a rabbit, and Joe assures him that he never misses what he aims at. Wayne assures Joe he isn't looking for Indian artifacts, but traces of a Spanish soldier. Joe assures Wayne they are friends, but warns him that this is an evil place. Back in camp, Cleveland asks about the shot he heard. Wayne assures him it was just a hunter. Wayne tells Cleveland that a recent storm has changed the landscape. Next on the agenda is Devil's Crag. Wayne shows Cleveland, on a map, where he found the cross. They intend to use a metal detector to search for Spanish artifacts. They leave Janet to tidy up the camp. Wayne and Cleveland take turns searching the area with the metal detector. Janet drops by with coffee and asks about progress. Janet reminds her father he's been on his quest for three years with no luck. Janet plays with the metal detector and asks how it works and tries her luck. By a fallen tree, Janet sits down to rest and reapply a little makeup. Janet and Wayne start walking back, but Wayne returns to the log to get Janet's compact she dropped. The detector registers metal. Wayne calls Cleveland over to the site. They dig down and find a Conquistador helmet and chest armor. They also find a sword and axe. A full suit of armor is also found containing the skull of a human. Janet congratulates her father on the find. Cleveland wants to get the armor and relics to the museum. He admits that he is disappointed there were no traces of Vargas. A storm is brewing. Wayne thinks he knows where a lightning strike hit. It is the same rock formation where Wayne found the lizard. Wayne finds the Diablo Giants Axe, but he is unable to pull it free and leaves to join Janet and Cleveland. Beneath the log a human hand clenches and moves. Under the leaf litter human eyes open and look around. The Diablo Giant/Vargas (Buddy Baer) comes to life. Thunder crashes and lightning lights up the scene as Vargas stands and looks around. The next day, Wayne, Cleveland and his daughter return to the area where Wayne found the axe handle, but it is gone. They look around the area and find a medallion and a breast plate. Janet asks, "Oh no, you don't think he could still be alive?" Wayne thinks it is possible, but the professor thinks it is impossible. They find more armor pieces and place them on a post. Charlie wanders into camp and exclaims, "Holy Mackerel." Wayne tells Charlie not to tell anyone of the find, not even Ann. That evening, Cleveland works on his notes near the fire, while Wayne and Janet go for a walk. Vargas is prowling around and sees the pair admiring the view of the lake. Wayne kisses Janet. Janet hears something and complains of feeling jumpy. She admits to feeling uneasy about disturbing the graves. She asks about Ann and is assured she is only a friend of Wayne's. They walk back to camp and turn in for the night. Janet checks her gun and places it under her pillow. Vargas retrieves his armor and gold medallion and puts them on. He sees Janet undressing, in shadow, in her tent and approaches. The clumsy giant knocks over a can which startles Janet. She fires her gun which startles Vargas and he leaves the camp quickly. Cleveland and Wayne run to her tent. She says she heard footsteps, and Wayne notices the giant's armor is missing. Cleveland notices a huge footprint. Charlie is concerned about leaving his sister home alone. Ann convinces her brother to go to work at the lodge as they need the money. After Charlie drives off, Ann takes a bucket to fetch water from the well. Vargas spots Ann and confronts the girl. She screams. Back in camp, Cleveland notes that the armor of the giant was better preserved than the others. He concludes that there is something in the soil that acts as a preservative, perhaps tannic acid. He speculates that Vargas was not dead, but unconscious when the Indians buried him and that he was held in suspended animation by the substance in the soil. The electrical storm and a bolt of lightning reanimated Vargas. Parker shows up in camp. He is there to arrest Wayne and handcuffs him. The charge is the murder of Ann Brown. Wayne explains he hasn't seen Ann in over a week. The sheriff produces the medallion as proof and takes him away. Wayne explains that someone stole the artifacts and that the same person is responsible for the murder. Wayne convinces the sheriff to visit the cabin of Indian Joe. The cabin appears empty, but up on the wall is the bloodied body of Joe. Cleveland makes a plaster cast of the large footprint. Cleveland moans, and Janet leaves her tent to investigate. She call to her father and walks around looking. She finds her father at the feet of the giant. It approaches her, but she runs away screaming. Cleveland comes to. Janet tries to escape in the Jeep but it floods and she faints at the sight of the giant standing next to her. He pulls her out of the Jeep. A short time later, Cleveland gets in the Jeep and drives away. Wayne and the sheriff drive into town. They spot a large crowd milling about and looking none too friendly. Cleveland drives up to report the giant has Janet. Wayne and Cleveland take the sheriff's car and drive back to the mountains. The sheriff follows in the abandoned Jeep. Wayne and Cleveland arrive at camp first. Cleveland chops the chain of the handcuffs off so Wayne can grab a gun and run into the woods. The sheriff and his men fan out and aid in the search after Cleveland explains things. Vargas carries Janet over his shoulder. He pushes a giant tree towards Wayne, which misses. Vargas carries Janet, then puts her down in a clearing when he hears Wayne approaching. Vargas grabs an axe, and Janet warns Wayne in time to avoid being struck. Shots fired by the sheriff scares the giant away into the forest. Wayne, Janet and the sheriff walk back into camp and greet a very relieved father. The sheriff apologizes to Wayne. They shake hands. Charlie guards the camp. The posse spotted the giant at Box Ledge. The men take flares and track their quarry. Wayne suggests they douse their flares, as the giant will be able to see them. Vargas picks up a rock and kills one of the men. They shoot at the rock throwing giant. A well thrown flare lights up the target and they shoot the giant, but his armor protects him. The sheriff suggests a retreat until morning to care for the wounded. Janet and Charlie meet the men returning to camp. Charlie feels guilty about leaving his sister alone. Charlie, against orders, grabs a rifle and heads off on a little revenge. He finds one of the guards, Bill, dead. He signals with rifle shots. Wayne and Sheriff Parker go look for Charlie. They find Charlie injured, but he did hit Vargas three times. He is able to tell Wayne the giant is heading for the Old Mill. Wayne walks up to the mill as snow begins to fall. He kicks the door in and cautiously explores the interior. Vargas is inside and misses Wayne with his axe. Wayne escapes out a window. Once they are both outside, Wayne hits Vargas with a tree branch. He hits the giant again and again. Cleveland, Janet and the sheriff arrive at the mill. The giant tries to make a run for it over a walkway over the dam. Wayne and the giant struggle and Vargas loses his footing and falls through the handrail and down the waterfall into the river below. Cleveland asks the sheriff to help him recover the body. Sheriff Parker explains to the professor that it is impossible. The river empties into a volcanic lake that is nearly bottomless. They conclude without the body no one will believe their story. We close with a scene of Janet and Wayne kissing.

Title and credits roll over the eponymous faceless man, a stony relic of the destruction of the city of Pompeii in 79 A.D. He is reclining on a marble slab in a museum. The opening shot is a scene of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. with narration, "79 years after the birth of Christ, the city of Pompeii ceased to exist. Destroyed by a mountain of seething hell known as Vesuvius. On a quiet August afternoon, almost 2000 years ago, the volcano erupted, the Earth shook, day became night, birds fell dead from the sky, fish died as the oceans boiled, and the people of Pompeii perished under an avalanche of volcanic ash and stone, burned, suffocated, crushed." At the Pompeii dig a laborer is working in a trench. Dirt moves above him and a gold jewelry box falls into the trench below. A stony hand pushes its way out of the ground. The same day a team uncovers the body. It is destined for the Museo di Pompeii in Naples. A car drives up to the museum (Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles). Dr. Paul Mallon (Richard Anderson) walks up the steps and is greeted by Dr. Carlo Fiorillo (Luis Van Rooten) at the door. Dr. Fiorillo tells Paul of the discovery at the dig. He suspects it may still harbor life. The body is being transported to the museum. On the way the stony figure reaches out from its wooden packing crate. Dr. Fiorillo asks Paul to do some tests when it arrives. Next to arrive at the museum are Maria Fiorillo (Adele Mara) and Dr. Enricco Ricci (Gar Moore). Maria is the daughter of Dr. Fiorillo. Enricco tells Maria he wishes her father had called someone other than Paul to assist. Maria had been an item with Paul earlier, and Enricco is jealous. In the display room, Dr. Fiorillo tells his daughter, Paul and Enricco about the simultaneous discovery of the gold jewel box and its contents with that of the stony figure. The bronze medallion was sent to Dr. Emanuel, a specialist in ancient languages. The inscription on the medallion was in Etruscan. In the truck, the stony body frees itself from the crate. It attacks and kills the driver, Tony (uncredited). The phone rings. Dr. Fiorillo is informed that the truck crashed and Tony, the driver, was killed. They drive out to the scene of the accident. Dr. Fiorillo and Enricco examine the stony body for damage as Tony's body is loaded into an ambulance. Paul and Maria examine the damaged truck. They are asked not to touch anything by the investigating police officer. Dr. Emanuel (Felix Locher) drives up to the accident scene. Walking over to see Dr. Emanuel, Paul informs Maria that he is engaged to be married. Maria was unaware of this and asks her name. Paul tells Maria his fiancée is an artist and her name is Tina Enright. Dr. Emanuel tells Dr. Fiorillo that he has translated the inscription on the medallion, but wants to discuss his findings in private, not in front of the police. At the museum, Emanuel explains the meaning of the inscription, and that one death will not be all. The inscription by Quintillus Aurelius contains a curse warning anyone who, "Stands between me and what is mine shall perish." Paul and Maria voice their skepticism. The stony body of Quintillus (Bob Bryant) is wheeled in by Enricco Ricci. A preliminary examination by Paul shows blood on one of the hands. Paul tells Dr. Emanuel that he doesn't believe in the curse, that it killed Tony, or that it is alive. Paul pays a visit to his fiancée, Tina Enright (Elaine Edwards) at her apartment. Tina has been painting. A dream she had the night before was the inspiration for the bound figure of a Roman slave. She dreamed of the excavation and the driver's death. Tina demands to see the stony body since Paul has to return to the museum to answer some more questions by the police. The contents of the jewel box are now displayed next to the body of Quintillus in the museum. Police Inspector Renaldi (Jan Arvan) is present and questions Dr. Fiorillo, Maria and Enricco. He informs the scientists that Tony was murdered, but that the stony body on display is not a suspect. Paul and Tina arrive at the museum. Tina stares at the body with a mixture of fright and fascination. Rinaldi suspects the trench digger may be involved and is worth questioning. Tina tells her story to Dr. Fiorillo and the others. Tina asks Dr. Fiorillo permission to sketch the stony remains, but is told no, not until Paul finishes his examination. Tina is home in bed and having nightmares of Quintillus. She dresses and, disobeying orders, enters the museum after hours. She sits in the display room and begins her sketching. Quintillus moves slowly. At first Tina does not notice his subtle movements, but she is increasingly uneasy in his presence. A guard continues his after-hours rounds. Quintillus sits up, then hops down off his marble slab, and walks towards Tina. She screams, which gets the attention of the guard. She faints as the guard enters the room. He fires his revolver at Quintillus with no effect. Quintillus strikes the guard, knocking him into and breaking the display case holding the jewel collection. Quintillus walks to the broken case and retrieves a brooch. He pins it on Tina's chest. The commotion stirs Dr. Fiorillo and his daughter from their beds. They have sleeping quarters at the museum. They enter the room and find both bodies. The guard is dead, but Tina is alive and in shock. Dr. Fiorillo finds a book that shows a picture of a Roman matron wearing a similar brooch. Paul still expresses his skepticism. Dr. Fiorillo tells Paul to take Tina home. Paul and Maria take Tina home and put her to bed. They return to the museum. In the display room, Paul, Maria, and Dr. Fiorillo try an experiment. Dr. Fiorillo places the brooch on the floor near Quintillus. They watch in fascination as Quintillus comes to life, leave his slab, and retrieve the brooch. It walks towards the scientists. Paul picks up an axe and strikes Quintillus, but the blows have no effect on it. The stony figure pushes Paul to the floor, breaks through the display room doors, and walks out of the museum. Paul suspects Quintillus is on his way to Tina's apartment. They notice the police to go to Tina's apartment. Tina is at home sleeping fitfully. The police arrive at Tina's apartment. Instinct draws Quintillus to Tina's apartment. Dr. Fiorillo, Maria, and Paul arrive at Tina's apartment, but remain outside. Quintillus arrives and breaks in. He makes his way to Tina's rooms. Tina is awake and hears the door breaking. She screams when she sees Quintillus. She runs along the corridors and manages to get trapped in the basement of her own building. Quintillus is right behind her, but before he can grab her he collapses to the floor and goes stiff. Tina confesses to Paul she had another dream that Quintillus was after her. Dr. Emanuel arrives at the museum the next day. He is carrying two books. The museum is closed and locked, but Dr. Fiorillo lets him inside. Quintillus is now bound with canvas straps. Dr. Emanuel has a theory about how Quintillus is able to live and move. Emanuel asks Paul to review two books on Egyptian alchemy before he performs his next series of tests on the body of Quintillus. Dr. Fiorillo warns Tina that something Emanuel has found she may find disturbing. Tina remembers Quintillus pinning the brooch on her. Dr. Emanuel asks Tina to come to his home to talk, but he wants to stop on the way and visit the Cove of the Blind Fisherman. He is interested in her reaction to the location. This was the exit route for those fleeing the volcano in 79 A.D. They walk to the water's edge, and Tina starts to recollect a 2000 year old memory. They get back in Emanuel's car and drive away. Paul and Dr. Fiorillo are working in the lab. They discover a chemical used in mummification by the Egyptians. They speculate Quintillus was saturated in the chemical and the heat of the volcanic explosion may be the cause of his life force. At his home, Dr. Emanuel has hypnotized Tina and through regression has recorded her comments. He plays the tape for Paul. Tina recounts her past life as the daughter of a Roman Senator. She senses doom and the curse placed on her family by the slave Quintillus Aurelius. Quintillus threatened to escape and take Lucilla Helena as his wife. Then the volcano erupts and her house is destroyed. Dr. Emanuel shows Paul a bust of a female figure. It looks exactly like Tina, but is one of a well-documented daughter of a Roman aristocrat. Paul is still incredulous of the story, but he tells Dr. Fiorillo he intends to move Tina from Italy tonight. Dr. Emanuel speculates that Tina will only be free when the curse is broken. Paul drives over to Tina's apartment. When he arrives he finds her gone, but the painting of Quintillus has been altered. It now shows a knife cutting the bonds. At the museum, Tina is there holding a knife. She has cut the canvas bonds on Quintillus. Enricco is in the display room, but he doesn't see Tina. He responds to a noise, then sees Quintillus walk towards him. He fires his gun at the stone figure, but to no avail. Quintillus strangles him with his stony hands. Paul arrives, sees the commotion, and tries to assist. He is thrown to the floor. Quintillus picks Tina up in his arms and walks out of the museum. Dr. Fiorillo and Maria drive up and notice the front door open. They find Paul and Enricco on the floor. Paul is still unconscious, but will be fine. Enricco requires hospitalization. Paul wakes and tells Renaldi, Dr. Fiorillo and Maria that Tina was present in the museum. Dr. Fiorillo proposes that radiation in the ground kept Quintillus alive, and X-rays gave him mobility. Renaldi orders his police force to search Naples for Quintillus and Tina. Quintillus is carrying Tina to the sea, and in his mind safety from the erupting volcano. The hospital calls and lets Maria know that Enricco will recover. A shepherd sees Quintillus and reports the sighting to the police. Police units are dispatched to the Cove of the Blind Fisherman. They arrive and try to save Tina but are concerned about firing their weapons. They are concerned a bullet will strike Tina. When Quintillus puts Tina down on the beach, they fire, but bullets have no effect on the stony creature. Quintillus directs his rage at two officers, then picks Tina back up in his arms, and walks into the surf. The corrosive sea water acts like acid and his body begins to dissolve into powder. Paul jumps into the surf and rescues Tina. He carries her up onto the beach. Tina comes out of her trance and asks why they are at the beach. She does not remember anything. The narrator (uncredited Morris Ankrum) tells us, "The strange narrative of Quintillus Aurelius ended her in the quiet waters of the Bay of Naples. The story is finished, and perhaps Quintillus Aurelius has found the true Lucilla Helena where mortal men don't walk and time is eternal." We close with a shot of the body of Quintillus on his marble slab in the museum.

A stolen Indian treasure is cursed until returned. Years later, insurance man Breen Mathews seeks the heir to return the fortune. In Topaz, he finds Louisa and battles corrupt locals wanting the treasure. Don Pablo Salazar steals a fortune in jewels from an Indian tribe and an Aztec medicine man puts a curse on the jewels until they are returned. Years later an American insurance man, Breen Mathews (Willard Parker) promises to deliver the Salazar fortune to the rightful heir after Luis Salazar, son of Don Pablo, is killed. Breen heads for Topaz, where he hopes to find the surviving heir, Teresa. He finds instead, Louisa, daughter of Teresa, and is forced to fight a crooked group of townspeople, who are after the Salazar fortune, cursed or otherwise. Included in the group are Judge Cole (Billy House), known as "the Hanging Judge" and Barnum (Barton MacLane), local saloon owner. After defeating all the crooks, Breen is told by Louisa that she, the last of the Salazars, is going to return the treasure to its rightful owners, and lift the curse. —Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>

Opening scene We see a montage of UFO sightings including Air force pilots, farmers and civilians. After collecting and examining these reports the military decides they are a threat and orders a shoot on sight order Then Dr. Russell Marvin (Hugh Marlow) and his recently married wife Dr. Carol Marvin (Joan Taylor) are driving through the desert to a rocket testing ground - Project Skyhook, when they are buzzed by a UFO. Although they don't realize it at the time, a recorder used to dictate research notes has picked up and recorded the UFO encounter. General John Hanley (Morris Ankrun) arrives at the rocket range and begins trying to postpone the launch. However Marvin and other scientists advise it is too late to abort the launch. During this conversation we discover that Carol Marvin is his daughter, and although pleased for the couple was unaware of their recent marriage. Rocket 11 launches without incident That evening over dinner the General discusses with the Marvins the failure of the previous 10 rockets launched in the program. Dr. Marvin surmises that UFOs might have shot the rockets down; he then reveals the recording he made during his encounter with the UFO. As dinner is finishing the three of them see glowing lights in the sky, Carol explains they are fog lights, and no one knows what they are. A few seconds later the wreckage of rocket 11 enters the atmosphere and burns up. Against everyone's better judgment, it is decided to launch rocket 12. During preparations for the launch a UFO is seen buzzing the rocket range before landing in the middle of the facility. Three suited occupants emerge and are fired upon by soldiers. The aliens retaliate, as one of their group is killed. Returning to their ship with their fallen comrade the aliens take off and begin to systematically destroy the rocket test area, kidnapping General Hanley in the process Trapped below ground by fires started during the attack, the Marvins begin to consider rescue unlikely. With their air running out, they decide to make a recording of the events that led up to the alien attack. The tape recorder they are using starts to lose power slowing the playback down. Rewinding the tape the Marvins realize the noise they heard was greatly sped up message from the aliens asking them to meet at the rocket installation. Dr. Marvin understands that a terrible mistake has occurred and fears what might come of it. To their surprise the Marvins are rescued and race to Washington to reveal what they have learned. The authorities expressly forbid Dr. Marvin from making contact with the aliens. Ignoring this, Marvin does contact them and gets new instructions for a meeting place: a beach on the California coast. Carol and Major Huglin (Donald Curtis) discover his plan and try to stop him, racing to the rendezvous point, where the aliens have already landed. Marvin ignores them and approaches the ship. A voice explains it is safe to enter, which they do. Once inside the ship a disembodied voice explains the aliens' mission. They come from a dying star and need to find a new place to live. They demand that Earth surrenders and let them control of the planet. The aliens then admit they have Carol's father onboard and have sucked all memories out of his brain, reducing him to a zombie-like state. Finally, they give Earth an ultimatum of two lunar months to surrender or they will attack with their fleet. Once this is understood, the humans are released, except General Hanley. Back in Washington, the group is debriefed over events on the ship. Further debate breaks out over exactly how to handle the situation. Dr. Marvin explains given his interactions with the aliens he might have an idea for a weapon that could stop the attack. The military embraces the idea of a weapon that uses sound to disorientate UFOs causing them to crash. With only sixty days to the attack the military begins talking to other nations to help speed up and build enough weapons to fend off the attack. Weeks pass and the development is better than expected. During a final test of the weapon a spy drone sent by the aliens is spotted. During a final test of the weapon, an alien spy drone is spotted observing the area, the scientists destroy the drone, but fear the aliens now have valuable information regarding the weapon and its location. The scientists evacuate but during the final stages of the process an alien ship arrives. Seeing an opportunity the weapon is deployed against the ship. The ray works and the aliens are driven off, but not before one of them is killed and left behind. Opening the alien's suit reveals a highly atrophied corpse, it is thought that the aliens are quiet fragile and need the suits to survive. In a matter of minutes the corpse rots and disappears to nothing. Before any more can be done the UFO returns and destroys the installation where the weapon had been housed. As the UFO leaves after the successful attack, two bodies are seen falling from the craft. One of them is Carol's dead father, General Hanley The next day further examination of the suit reveals a communication device, with which the military is able to interpret the attack plan of the aliens. It also appears to be able to amplify both sight and hearing. Examining how the attack succeeded the day before, a disadvantage is discovered in that the ray only has a range of 1500 yards. The aliens interrupt the discussion with a worldwide broadcast threatening to manipulate the sun in such a way as to cause severe meteorological convulsions in eight days . The aliens insist that all the world leaders should meet in Washington to discuss surrender terms The military believes rather than discussing anything the aliens intend to destroy Washington. As predicted, the solar eruption takes place. It is further realized that there are only nine days to prepare, and those preparations are going to suffer due to worsening weather conditions. We now see a montage of the increasing disruption by the weather. This causes delays evacuating civilians, and there is still 60% of the population still in the city when sirens begin to sound indicating the attack has begun. The aliens brush past a combined aircraft and artillery attack and three crafts begin to assemble over Washington. Dr. Marvin fires the sound weapon and downs one of the alien craft. Artillery batteries open fire again to distract the remaining ships as Dr. Marvin repositions his weapon to attempt a further attack. The aliens respond by opening fire on various buildings around the White House and Capitol building. Dr Marvin races with their team to re-deploy and defend the White House. A second ray unit is destroyed and the aliens land. Local soldiers attempt to slow down the invaders as the second machine deployed. The two remaining ships are brought down in quick order. On the other side of Washington more ray units deploy and yet another ship is brought down crashing into the Washington monument. A running battle breaks out around the Supreme Court trapping the Marvins amid the wreckage. An emergency broadcast announces that more saucers are landing in front of the Capitol building. A battle intensifies as more ships appear and the aliens leave their craft in one final assault. This is beaten back with a combination of ray machines and infantry. Suddenly everything goes quiet and slowly the realization comes that the battle is over and the aliens have been repelled. Some time has passed and we now find the Marvins relaxing on a beach. Mrs. Marvin reads a newspaper article that her husband has been placed in charge of rebuilding Project Skyhook and that the United Nations is going to award him a gold medal. The two go for a swim in the ocean as the final credits roll.

Rear Adm. John M. Hoskins (Sterling Hayden) fights to stay on after losing a leg on an aircraft carrier in World War II. Biopic of Rear Adm. John M. Hoskins, U.S. Navy. During World War II, Capt. John Madison Hoskins of the U.S. Navy returns home for a short leave after spending two years at sea. In 1942, he is given command of the USS Hornet (CV-8). Unfortunately, news reaches him that the Hornet has recently been sunk by the Japanese. Without a ship, Hoskins is temporarily reassigned as an instructor at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. In 1944, Hoskins is finally sent to the front lines. He's given command of the USS Princeton (CVL-23) involved in the ongoing Philippines campaign. When Hoskins arrives to replace the current captain of the Princeton, as part of the routine rotation of skippers practiced by the Navy, he is told to assist the Princeton's captain rather than take over command of the ship. The reason being that the Princeton's skipper, Capt. William Buracker, is already briefed on the ongoing operation and it would take too much time for the Navy to bring Hoskins up to speed. However, Hoskins agrees to serve on the ship as prospective commanding officer under Buracker's command. During the battle operations, the Princeton is crippled by a Japanese dive-bomber. The resulting fire sets off explosions in the fuel and ammunition stores. Capt. Hoskins assists the crew in battling the raging fires but a huge explosion wounds him and severs his right foot. The Princeton is abandoned and sinks. Hoskins recovers at a naval hospital in Philadelphia where the new Princeton is being build. He is determined to learn to walk with a prosthetic foot and stay on in active duty. During the following months, Capt. Hoskins fights the Navy panel convened to retire him. He persuades the panel to allow him to remain on active duty but faces the prospect of being assigned to a permanent desk job. Nevertheless, Hoskins remains in the service and is totally surprised to learn that he is given command of the newly built USS Princeton (CV-37). Out of love and admiration, many servicemen and friends call him 'Uncle John' or 'Peg-Leg'. After the war, Hoskins is promoted to rear admiral and transferred to San Diego where he advocates the use of the new jet fighters on aircraft carriers. Despite the Navy's reluctance, Hoskins demonstrates to the Navy brass that jets can safely be used on the decks of the carriers. As a result, the Navy gives him command of the carrier division for aircraft operation at sea and he joins Admiral Struble's 7th Fleet. When the Korean War breaks out, Hoskins's idea of using jets on aircraft carriers proves to be valuable and efficient. In 1951, he's given the choice of two other important assignments but he declines. Looking forward to retirement, Hoskins requests and is assigned to the Military Air Transport Service where he coordinates logistics by air transport for all branches of service. —nufs68

During the Mexican Rebellion of 1866, an unsavory group of American adventurers are hired by the forces of Emporer Maximilian to escort a countess to Vera Cruz. After the American Civil War, mercenaries travel to Mexico to fight in their revolution for money. The former soldier and gentleman Benjamin Trane meets the gunman and killer Joe Erin and his men, and together they are hired by the Emperor Maximillian and the Marquis Henri de Labordere to escort the Countess Marie Duvarre to the harbor of Vera Cruz. Ben and Erin find that the stagecoach is transporting three million U.S. dollars in gold hidden below the seat, and they scheme to steal it. Along their journey, betrayals and incidents happen changing their initial intentions. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Mexico, 1866: After the American Civil War, Benjamin Trane, a former soldier of the US Southern States, and Joe Erin, a bandit, try their luck in Mexico, where the partisans of Benito Juárez and the supporters of Emperor Maximilian I are waging war. Both sides try to recruit the two adventurers. The Marquis Henri de Labordère, who represents the emperor, wins the men over and gives them a mission: they are to escort Countess Duvarre and her carriage to Vera Cruz. But they soon realize that there is a specific reason for this mission: while spending the night in a monastery, Ben and Joe discover that Countess Duvarre's carriage is transporting gold worth three million dollars. This gold is to be used to hire troops in Europe to keep Emperor Maximilian on the throne. However, the countess has other plans for the gold. She offers Ben and Joe a share in her plan and a share of the gold afterwards. Shortly before Vera Cruz, in Las Palmas, the countess meets with a captain who is to take her out of the country with the gold, but without Ben and Joe. But the Marquis beats her to it: he captures her and leaves the city with his soldiers and the gold. Ben, Joe, and the rest of the gang immediately give chase. At a bridge, the Juaristas attack the carriage. However, since the gold is no longer in the carriage, the gang now joins the partisans. —Arte Ben Trane and Joe Erin, two rival soldiers of fortune who team to fight for the highest bidder. The two men come to loggerheads when Trane's sweetheart Nina begs them to fight on the side of the rebels, while the wealthy Marquis de Labodere implores them to offer their services to Emperor Maximillian. Though they still haven't taken sides, Trane and Erin agree to escort the aristocratic Countess Marie Duvarre through hostile territory to Vera Cruz. It soon develops that the Countess is transporting a gold shipment to the Emperor's armies. Hardly the most patriotic of souls, she offers to split the gold with Trane and Erin, but they steal it for themselves instead. It takes a while (and several bloody armed confrontations) before the two protagonists do the right thing. Two nineteenth century soldiers of fortune, one survivor of the Civil War with a soft spot for sick horses and social justice, the other a charming and greedy trigger-happy killer, search for their next dollar down in Mexico at a time when the country is torn between Emperor Maxmillian and the nationalist peasant Army trying to overthrow him. Since the Emperor has the most cash, our hired guns agree to serve the Emperor by escorting a Countess to the city of Vera Cruz by passing through territory under rebel control. On the way to Vera Cruz, both fighters discover three million U.S. dollars in gold coins (intended to buy guns for the Emperor from France) hidden at the bottom of the stagecoach carrying the Countess, and she is not totally unaware of the fact either. She has her own plans too. All three plot against the other two to scoop the treasure away. Betrayal is not an issue. It's not even personal. It's just business. After a few gunfights and ambush scenes between Maxmillian's escorting Army and the peasant rebels, justice reigns, and Ben Trane emerges as the noble soul who triumphs over crass materialism despite the soft spot in his heart that Joe Erin took for weakness. —Gary Kencey

A burlesque comic, who resembles an international spy, is recruited by the government and sent to Tangier to retrieve a sensitive microfilm before it's captured by hostile foreign agents. Peanuts White, a burlesque comic, is recruited by U.S. agents to impersonate international spy Eric Augustine (whom White resembles) in a mission to purchase a million-dollar microfilm in mysterious, exotic Tangier. There, he encounters the irresistable Lily Dalbray, an "old friend" of Augustine who is now dealing with his arch-enemy, Brubaker. But where is the real Eric? Comedy thriller with slapstick climax. —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

Framed for murder during the Civil War, Gil Kyle's only alibi is Confederate agent Candace Bronson who he must track down in dangerous territory filled with foes. Gil Kyle finds himself caught up in the politics and unrest of the American Civil War and soon gets himself framed for a murder. His only alibi is Candace Bronson, who is aiding the Confederate cause and has left the territory to deliver a vital message about a Yankee gold shipment. So he sets off in pursuit, running into desperados, government agents, and guerrilla fighters, who are more interested in profit than ideals. —Alfred Jingle

Dixon "Dix" Steele (Humphrey Bogart) is a talented but violence-prone and washed up screenwriter. Needing money, he reluctantly takes the job of adapting a trashy novel for the screen. Knowing that this is obviously below him, instead of reading the thing he instead asks a naive, celebrity-obsessed girl (who has read the book) he meets at a restaurant to give him a synopsis, which she does enthusiastically. He sends her home with cab money and is abruptly woken up at 5:00 the next morning by a police officer; the girl was found murdered, and Dix was the last person to see her alive. Given his violent past and what appears to be apathy towards her death, he is the most logical suspect until his beautiful neighbor Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame) gives him an alibi (though the audience is never quite sure if she is telling the truth or lies because of her attraction to Dix). There is an undeniable connection between Laurel and Dix, and despite her guarded demeanor and his deep internal demons, the two fall madly in love and for a while they enjoy the happiest time of their lives. Meanwhile, the murder investigation continues and Dix is still the most likely suspect. This puts immense strain on their relationship. The pressure on him is mounting, and as he begins to become increasingly impatient and irritable, this makes her back away from him. Sensing this, he is so frightened he'll lose Laurel, he clings ever more tightly to her, which appears controlling and frightens her. After hearing she didn't tell him about going down to the police station to answer more questions, he storms off and almost kills an innocent bystander, and is only stopped by Laurel's plea. After that incident, Laurel begins to truly doubt Dix's innocence. Dix senses this and from the strain of the accusation, the novel and his fears of losing Laurel, his violence has started up again. In addition, his controlling ways continue to increase from his desperation as she pulls further and further away from him emotionally. Though she loves Dix, Laurel fears for her life and plans to leave him. When Dix finds out, he flies into a rage and nearly strangles the woman he loves; the only thing that stops him is a ringing telephone which confirms his innocence. However, he walks away anything but a free man, having lost forever the one person who he truly loved, who truly loved him, and could've made him happy enough to help him deal with his violent nature.

Space scientists Dr. Ralph Fleming (Morris Ankrum) and Dr. Karl Eckstrom (John Emery) conceive the first manned spaceflight, "Rocketship eXpedition Moon". Eckstrom crews the ship with his brilliant protegé Dr. Lisa Van Horn (Osa Massen), Astronomer Harry Chamberlain (Hugh O'Brien), and engineer Major William Corrigan (Noah Beery Jr.) under pilot Captain Floyd Graham (Lloyd Bridges). After a succesful launch, the mission goes awry, as the crew are hurled across space and past the moon by a rocket malfunction, to land instead on the planet Mars. Encouraged to explore by Eckstrom, they find the remains of a human civilization destroyed by nuclear warfare. They are soon attacked by a band of savage, mutated humans, and Corrigan and Eckstrom are killed. The survivors escape back into space, but Dr. Van Horn discovers that not enough fuel remains for a safe landing. She and Graham contact Fleming to pass on what they have learned, and share their first and last few tender moments together, before their ship crashes to Earth. Grief-stricken, and stung by suggestions that the mission was a failure, a sombre Fleming proudly announces the imminent construction of RX-M2...