Welcome to part II of my version of this week's spontaneous and combustible tribute to Guy Madison down in The Dungeon!! I love how busy the sky in this poster is, especially around Virginia's head, and also how they managed to get each and every one of the main features of the movie all in one poster! Phenomenally amazing!!
"On The Threshold Of Space" was made in 1956, the same year "Forbidden Planet" was released, and the key word here is "Threshold," because as fascinating as the topic of space is, not quite getting there can actually be quite boring!
"On The Threshold Of Space" comes across as combination drama, documentary, and military training film, and is so unexciting that Dan C. Ogle's
monotone monologue is even causing him to go to sleep, but that doesn't mean it's a bad movie, because scientifically, it's historically quite interesting, but entertainment wise, it's just not!
Guy Madison is Captain Jim Hollenbeck, a Doctor of Space Medicine! It's going to be his job to figure out why stuff goes wrong at higher altitudes! It's going to be a trial and error process, and the guinea pig is going to be him!
In a storyline that's slower than a soap opera, Virginia (The Brain That Wouldn't Die) Leith is Captain Hollenback's main squeeze, an engaging, intelligent and very understanding woman!!
This would have been a good place to inject some cool surf music, but that ain't gonna happen since surf music wouldn't really exist until at least five years later!
Despite everything, balloons will never be as cool as rockets, and if you don't believe me, stage a backyard barbeque debate between a clown and an astronaut, and I think you just might change your mind!
Do you see that, he's so far up there we can't even see him anymore!
The viewer is given the treat of seeing Guy Madison in his cool space suit in a number of scenes!
Back on the ground, this high-tech table has to take responsibility for whether Captain Hollenbeck lives or dies!
When you're having major technical glitches, I don't think it's the best idea to have the Captain's girlfriend around so she can worry her ass off!
Although it's not even from the same movie, this shot reminds me of the cover of the first issue of Spaceman magazine back in 1961!
You might not know it, but balloons don't exactly touch down with the grace of some magnificent bird! The Captain gets banged around a little, but he'll be back for another round!
This is REAL, not Science Fiction, and that's why it makes such a terrific sleeping pill! The miracle of modern science is a beautiful thing!
I absolutely love this poster, but sometimes a poster for a movie is just not enough! "On The Threshold Of Space" is an interesting historical document, but it's missing one thing that would have given it bona fide cult status for all eternity,
a monster or two!!
5 comments:
Guy Madison was my favorite western hero, Wild Bill Hickok, because he drew his guns (with handles facing out)... CROSSHANDED!!
WoW!
Thanks for continuing to be totally awesome, despite me being here 24/7!
And in turn, thank you Ex, without you and anybody else who reads these posts, we're nothing!!
WoW!
I somehow overlooked the reference to"Spacemen" magazine! I was a subscriber after an issue or two, and got really PO'd after Warren Publishing dropped the title after only about 6 issues. I was probably in about 7th or 8th grade, and sending off about $3 in the mail to New York City was a big deal! Those issues are now in a big plastic tub in the basement somewhere , calling to me.
Pretty much the same story here Ex, I've still got about half of my copies and # 1 is one of them!
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