Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

Never before has there been a film such as Paramount's "ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS." You will see no horrendous monsters, no laughable Mars maidens only 'science fact loaded to the hilt with real thrills and excitement. SEE PAUL MANTEE as a U. S. astronaut stranded on Mars, SEE VIC LUNDIN as his man Friday, SEE MONA THE WOOLLY MONKEY as a needed friend. SEE "ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS" in Technicolor and Techniscope... opening at the Theatre.

I recall this as a great piece of Saturday afternoon TV viewing from many many years ago, with slightly wooden acting but a fun plot and some cool visuals well deserving of its Criterion Collection release. Its vision of space exploration is straight out of a 1960s kids encyclopdia - based on the facts but always cooler than the reality of even just a few years later.

Cast

Paul Mantee as Commander Christopher Draper USN
Vic Lundin as Friday
Adam West as Colonel Dan McReady USAF
Mona The Woolly Monkey as Mona The Monkey

Vredits

Produced by Aubrey Schenck;
Directed by Byron Haskin;
Director of Photography-Winston C. Hoch;
Art Direction by Hal Pereira and Arthur Lonergan;
Makeup by Wally Westmore and Bud Bashaw;
Film Editor-Terry Morse;
Screenplay by Ib Melchior and John C. Higgins.

The US spaceship "Elinor M" is orbiting Mars to test the gravitational pull of this planet. On board are Kit Draper, Dan McReady and the rhesus monkey Mona.

With horror, they suddenly notice a huge meteor that is racing straight towards them. Their desperate evasive maneuvers throw them completely off course. The spaceship gets into the gravitational pull of Mars and falls inexorably. At the last second, they separate the cabins from the spaceship and attempt a landing.

Despite the powerful braking rockets, Kit Draper makes a crash landing, Dan McReady's cabin is completely destroyed in the impact and he is thrown into a hostile environment, the fight for his life begins for Kit and the monkey, the lack of water on the planet and its low food supply

The combustion releases additional oxygen and the monkey Mona finds water and edible roots.

One day, flying saucers circle above him and land in the neighboring valley. Kit thinks he has been saved, but he has to realize that they are not human-like creatures who force a group of others to work at gunpoint

Suddenly one of the workers runs away and runs straight towards his hiding place. When the fugitive stands in front of him, the shock is equal on both sides.

The stranger asks him for help into his cave and gives him the name Kosmos. Together they go on countless adventures in an effort to survive.

Big Record Tie-In!

Kapp Records, one of Amaerica's top recording companies at the time, released a 45 RPM record of Robinson Crusoe On Mars sung by popular recording star Johnny Cymbal

A Professional Snow Job Is Done On Robinson Crusoe on Mars

Illusion is sometimes more difficult to simulate than reality. As yet, no astronaut has landed on Mars to factually confirm what information has thus far been ascertained regarding the atmospheric conditions and the terrain of that planet.

Still, enough is known about its environment for producer Aubrey Schenck and director Byron Haskin to make an authentic 'science fact' film on what to expect when the first interplanetary expedition makes a landing on the planet.

With the aid of such outstanding experts as Ib. J. Melchior, former science editor of Life Magazine, and Wernher Von Braun, great care has been taken to make Paramount's Robinson Crusoe on Mars, which opens at the Theatre, as scientifically as accurate as possible.

For one thing, thirty tons of ice and snow were used on the set at Paramount to create the effect of the polar ice caps of Mars for a scene with stars Paul Mantee and Vie Lundin. Although the sound stage is normally warm enough to require the use of large fans, director Haskin and the production crew had to bundle up in heavy overcoats and galoshes to shoot the scene on the frozen expanse.

At the completion of shooting, di-rector Haskin with a chill in his voice and a vapor condensation trail coming from his mouth, said: Okay. Print it. That winds up the polar cap sequence.

Producer Schenck, his teeth chat-tering like castanets, nodded agreement, as well as relief and said: I'm glad that we got this on ice! In a few hours, the 'ice cap' had melted away to a vast pool of water, and once again, the blowers were turned on to cool off the sound stage to the prevalent temperature of sunny California!

Criterion Collection Blu-Ray/DVD

Special Features

Restored high-definition digital transfer, with monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
Audio commentary from 1994 featuring screenwriter Ib Melchior, actors Paul Mantee and Victor Lundin, production designer Al Nozaki, Oscar-winning special effects designer and Robinson Crusoe on Mars historian Robert Skotak, and excerpts from a 1979 audio interview with director Byron Haskin
Excerpts from Melchior's original screenplay (DVD only)
Destination: Mars, a featurette from 2007 by Michael Lennick detailing the science and dreams behind Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Music video for Lundin's song Robinson Crusoe on Mars from 2007
Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos, production designs, and promotional material
Theatrical trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by filmmaker and space historian Michael Lennick, Melchior's Brief Yargorian Dictionary of original alien dialect, and a list of facts about Mars from his original screenplay
Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz

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