Mission Stardust

Mission Stardust (Italian: ...4...3...2...1...Morte) is a 1967 science fiction film based on the early novels of the popular German Perry Rhodan series by K.H. Scheer and Walter Ernsting.[3]

Mission Stardust
Directed byPrimo Zeglio
Produced byErnst R. von Theumer[1]
Screenplay by
Story byKarl Heinz Vogelmann[2]
Starring
Music byAnton G. Abril[2]
Cinematography
  • Riccardo Pallottini
  • Manuel Merino[2]
Edited byRenato Cinquini[2]
Production
companies
  • P.E.A. Cinematografica
  • Tefi-Filmproduktion Ernst Ritter von Theumer
  • Attor-Film S.A.[1]
Release date
  • August 1967 (1967-08) (Rome)
  • October 1967 (1967-10) (West Germany)
Running time
95 minutes
Country
  • Italy
  • West Germany
  • Spain[1]

Plot

In a quest to find a source of radioactive material more powerful than uranium, Major Perry Rhodan leads a four-man mission to the Moon on the rocketship Stardust.

On the Moon, they find a stranded Arkonide spaceship, where Commander Thora is trying to save a scientist named Crest, along with a crew of robots. The earthmen find that Crest is suffering from leukemia, for which there is a cure available on Earth. Perry and others take an Arkonide shuttlecraft to Earth to bring back a doctor with the cure.

One of the Earth crewmen is a traitor, however, supplying information to a crime lord who is after the radioactive material, but who sees the encounter with the Arkonides as providing an opportunity for an even greater prize. The crime lord arranges to replace the doctor and nurses with his own people, and upon arriving at the Arkonide ship they kidnap Thora in a bid to gain Arkonide technology.

However, Crest provides Rhodan and Bull with Arkonide technology, which helps them rescue Thora as well as the real doctor, who is able to cure Crest. They soon leave the Moon in the Stardust, promising to return with materials the Arkonides need to repair their spaceship.

Cast

Release

Mission Stardust opened in Rome in August 1967 under the title 4... 3... 2... 1... morte with a running time of 95 minutes. [5] It was later released in West Germany in October 1967 under the title Perry Rhodan--SOS aus dem Weltall with a 79-minute running time.[5] It was later released in Spain as Órbita mortal with a 92-minute running time.[5] It opened in Los Angeles in October 1968.[5]

Reception

In a contemporary review, Variety noted the dubbing in the film, stating that it was "only fair" and that the special effects were "crude, the color uneven, but the very audaciousness of the admixture keeps the attention."[2] The review also praised the rock music film score by Anton G. Abril.[2]

From retrospective reviews, Gary Westfahl in his book The Spacesuit Film: A History, 1918-1969 noted that the film contained "shoddy special effects" and recalled "Saturday afternoon serials more than science fiction films of the 1960s".[3] Westfahl referred to the film as "one of the era's most reviled genre films."[3]

Trivia

The film was broadcast on Tele 5 as part of the programme format SchleFaZ in season 1.

See also

References

Footnotes
  1. "Perry Rhodan - SOS aus dem Weltall". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  2. Willis 1985, p. 247: "Review is of 93 minute dubbed version viewed in New York on June 9, 1969"
  3. Westfahl 2012, p. 258.
  4. Elley, Derek (1977). Cowie, Peter (ed.). World Filmography: 1967. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. p. 322. ISBN 9780498015656.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  5. "Mission Stardust". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2 April 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2016.

Sources
  • Westfahl, Gary (2012). The Spacesuit Film: A History, 1918-1969. McFarland. ISBN 0786489995.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Willis, Donald, ed. (1985). Variety's Complete Science Fiction Reviews. Garland Publishing Inc. ISBN 978-0-8240-6263-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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