The Lost Missile

Vintage SF, B&W

Cheezy Flicks Entertainment

R1 DVD

The film dates from 1958 when the world was still coming to grips with the scientific advances made in weaponry during World War II. The Cold War was well under way and the power of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles to pound a country to a radioactive wasteland was well understood by the public. The Space Race had begun and the Americans were losing. There were, naturally, many films made to exploit this fear. This film is not one of the better ones but it was typical of its times.

Early warning systems have picked up a missile cruising at high velocity down through Canada, destroying everything in its path. It can outrun fighters sent up to stop it and destroy any missiles aimed at it. On its present trajectory it will shortly be over New York. On successive orbits it will cover most of the world and mean the End Of Civilisation As We Know It.

The Americans have one last chance. They have a test missile on the launch pad waiting for an atomic warhead to be built and fitted. A scientist, David Loring, can fit it with a tiny atomic bomb triggering device. This may be just powerful enough to blow the lost missile from the sky. There are lots of other subplots and, of course, the compulsory love story of David torn between his work and his fiancée. Fitting the warhead will undoubtedly involve him dying slowly from radioactivity or being burned up in the rocket’s exhaust, which will interfere somewhat with his impending marriage. The things people will try to get out of making a commitment.

There are many filler clips from official films of the time and the prop rocket has a curiously Flash Gordon look with its extended tail fins. For most Americans this look was based on the German V2 rocket as well, the first practical long-distance missile. For its day it was probably a budget film and looks it. The effects are pretty basic but about as good as they got from that era. It is rather well made, however, within those limits. The suspense is built up nicely and towards the end I was expecting to see the scientist’s heroic efforts fail and watch as “this thing from outer hell burns the world alive! “. The plot, while fairly linear, is engaging and the feeling of despair builds as effort after effort to kill the missile fails. Cheezy Flicks has either got a good condition master or has done a good job at restoring an old film. It has its weak points but considering the film’s age it is still a surprisingly good piece of entertainment.

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