By 1961 the low budget American science fiction film was beginning to realize that its days were numbered. Entrepreneurs led by producer-director Roger Corman had discovered that it was possible to purchase quality Soviet Bloc/Iron Curtain movies (which had excellent production values) for only a few thousand dollars. The films were then brought to America where they were re-edited, had new footage added, and then dubbed into English. A 1959 Russian movie PLANETA BUR (PLANET OF STORMS) became the source for 2 sci-fi drive-in classics, VOYAGE TO THE PREHISTORIC PLANET and VOYAGE TO THE PLANET OF PREHISTORIC WOMEN which helped to “launch” the careers of directors Curtis Harrington and Peter Bogdanovich.
THE PHANTOM PLANET is a throwback to the Saturday matinee sci-fi flicks of the yore such as FLASH GORDON. An Air Force astronaut named Frank Chapman (Dean Fredericks) investigates the disappearances of spaceships launched from a base on the Moon. They seem to have been victims of meteorites but, in fact, were destroyed by a planet which can alter its shape through control of gravity. After his rocket lands there, Chapman discovers the people are Lilliputian in size and its atmosphere makes him shrink as well. The planet, Rheton, is led by elder statesman Sesom (Francis X.Bushman). Frank becomes embroiled in local politics while attracting the attention of two women (Colleen Gray, Dolores Faith) and the anger of Herron, one of their boyfriends (Anthony Dexter).
Despite having virtually everything he wants, our astronaut still pines for home. After surviving a duel to the death with his adversary (and sparing his life), Chapman watches as Sessom and Herron repel an attack from Rheton’s archenemy the Solarites, a race of fire beings who want Rheton’s secret of gravitational control. Herron agrees to help Chapman get back to the Moon and to his normal size. After a Solarite prisoner (Richard Kiel in his film debut) escapes and temporarily causes havoc before being eliminated, Frank is returned to his space suit which restores his size and is then found on the planet’s surface by a rescue ship. As they return to the Moon, Frank rellives his adventures but realizes he will be unable to convince the rescue team of what took place there.
PHANTOM PLANET borrows from GULLIVER’S TRAVELS the story of a civilization of tiny beings visited by a giant although he is quickly reduced to their size. However much of the story is original with the idea of a planet that can alter its shape as well as control gravity. In the time honored tradition of B movie sci-fi, there is much that is not explained. Why are there no children, very few men, and only one old person? The obvious answer is budget constraints (extras cost money) yet within its limits PHANTOM PLANET is quite engaging and unworthy of receiving the MST3k treatment. Ironically it was double billed with ASSIGNMENT OUTER SPACE, an Italian film reworked for Americans. Available on YouTube but beware cheap, public domain copies.
The Capsule Critic 