Flare Sci-Fi Forums: Please help me find the name of this movie from 60's or 50's

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Posted by strawberry on :

I just posted this under Star Trek Discussion by mistake, so I'm copying here to general discussion. If anyone can help me figure out the name of this movie, I will really be grateful.

I've been trying to find the name of this movie for many years.
I do not know the name or any of the actors. I was young when I saw it on TV (probably late 50's or early 60's)

The story, as best I can remember it, starts with an older man & woman watching TV. What they are watching is the news of the discovery of a new planet or place (inside the earth? ... not sure). Anyway, then the story takes you back to when they were younger, like in their teens. I don't remember how they got to this place or why, but they were on like a planet & trying to get off & I think aliens were chasing them. They hopped in the spaceship (vehicle?) and finally got home.

There was much adventure & I really enjoyed it. The young man who was the main part reminds me of a young Pat Robertson, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't him, because I looked through the films he was in & I didn't see it listed. It isn't journey to the Center of the Earth.

Please help me. I've asked everyone I know for the last 30 years. I'm desperate to find the answer to this puzzle.

Thank you so much.

Straw

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Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :

Hey, Straw

Welcome to the Forum!

Offhand ... no, I can't think of the movie title. Sounds ALMOST like "escape from witch mountain" ... ow, stop throwing tomatoes! I don't know!

Sorry, dude. I'm sure someone here knows.

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My roomate is a stupid, often-drunk, country-listening, non-cleaning, non-choring redneck ... kill him now ...

Posted by strawberry on :

Thanks for the welcome, Jeff

I keep checking this thread to see if anyone knows. I'm searching the net, trying to find old sci fi movies & the plot desciptions. I really hope someone can help.

Straw

Posted by strawberry on :

I just thought of something else.

When the young couple are able to escape, they leave the older guy there (possibly a scientist) who stays with the aliens/natives or whatever. There was quite a rush to try to get into the spaceship & it seems like there were a bunch of aliens around. For some reason I keep thinking the aliens were the color red, but I may be wrong about this.

Thanks again!

Straw

Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :

Well, this is a fairly young crowd around here, so if they knew, I'd be quelle impressed....

BUT!!....the "old-timers" over at the Starship Modeler forum probably WOULD know...or have an inkling..or remember....or point you to the next step.

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"My dear, I used to think that I was serving humanity... and I pleasured in the thought. Then I discovered that humanity does not want to be served; on the contrary it resents any attempt to serve it. So now I do what pleases Jubal Harshaw." ---Jubal Harshaw, Stranger In A Strange Land

Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :

Well, the last time I saw this movie, I was three, so I remember next to nothing, but when I read this, Forbidden Planet keeps coming to mind, so I thought I'd just toss it out there...

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"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it."
- George Bernard Shaw

Posted by strawberry on :

Thanks, all

I did post to the older forum & someone there thought it may be The First Men in the Moon. I think that could be it, but I haven't found a good article on the plot, yet.

I've done a search for Forbidden Planet & I don't really think that one is it, but it could be. At any rate, I'd like to see it!

Thanks for all your help & the links. I still have a long way to go to navigate around the net.

Sorry I posted in the wrong forum. When I realized my mistake, that it was under a Star Trek forum, I went back & tried to delete the post, but it wouldn't let me.

There is another old movie that I haven't done a search on that I am trying to find out. All I remember (again in the 50's or 60's) is that there were a lot of people trying to escape from some evil guys & they went down a shaft (like a wishing well type place) and there were caverns underneath & they went around & around in them. For some reason (?) I'm thinking there was a young Mickey Roonie playing one of the characters, but not sure about that one either. I don't know if this was a science fiction movie or not (probably adventure I guess), but if anyone has a clue, I'd appreciate your guesses!

Straw

Posted by Xentrick (Member # 64) on :

Straberry, you're not thinking of "Invaders From Mars," are you?

secret underground cavern complex that can only be reached through the sands on the spooky side of the hill, rambunctious little feckle-faced kid?

Posted by Teelie (Member # 280) on :

I know it but can't think of the name for anything.

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Where's the bathroom on this ship?

Posted by strawberry on :

TLE, keep thinking, lol

I'll do a search on Invaders from Mars & see if that is it. I'm not sure ... it could be.

I'm fairly certain that the first one I am thinking of is First Men in the Moon. Now I'm trying to rent a copy. Someone told me to check the library.

I'll try to remember more details from the second one.

All I can remember at this point are people scurrying around trying to get away (from the bad guys?) and going down to a secret passage way of caverns & they went down a wishing well to get there. I'm pretty certain it was not under sand, but hey, it's been probably around 30 years or so.

Thanks again!

Straw

Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :

It's definitely First Men in the Moon. I also saw this when I was a kid. At the start of the movie this old guy is watching the first (supposedly) landing on the moon. I think they break through the crust an fall into some caverns. He then says that he went to the moon when he was young, and they flashback to the 1890s and the start of the original novel set in that time. It's an interesting framing device. Anyways, the movie's pretty cool movie with Ray Harryhausen stop-motion effects. In the late 50s, early 60s they made a lot of SF movies based on HG Welles and Jules Verne stories, something I'd wish they'd start doing again. Unfortunately, Wild Wild West pretty much destroyed any chance of any Steampunk movies other than remakes of 20,000 leagues

The other movie sort of sounds like the end to "The Time Machine," another HG Wells story. This fellow in the 1890s makes a time machine and ends up in the far future where humans have divided into two types: normal looking, but docile and stupid surface dwellers, and hairy, cave-dwelling cannibals who eat the surface dwellers. The surface dwellers have been trained to go underground (and be eaten) when the cannibals set off a siren. Our time-travelling hero (Robert Taylor, I think) goes down to the caverns to fight the bad guys and free the normal humans, including a young Yvette Mimieux. They come back to the surface through these air ducts that look like wells.

PS: I'm an oldtimer.

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When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

Wait a minute...cavorite?

You should have mentioned that at the beginning!

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love's function is to fabricate unknownnness
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E. E. Cummings
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Read chapter one of "Dirk Tungsten in...The Disappearing Planet"! And party everyday.

Posted by strawberry on :

Thanks, Masao

I never felt like an old timer before, but I guess I am. Thanks goodness more old timers than me hang out here. Actually, I only found this site last weekend, when I was looking for a way to find out the name of that movie.

Thanks for the info on the Time Machine. I'll do a search on the plot & see if that is it & I'll check & see if Blockbuster has it for rent. They didn't have First Men in the Moon, but I am certain this is the right name of the first film I mentioned.

Sol, what is cavorite? A person who escapes to caves? . . . not sure !?!

Strawberry

Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :

Yes! Cavorite is an antigravity substance, invented by Dr. Cavor (the guy left on the moon), that was used to construct the moon ship. The ship looked like a soccer ball with railroad car bumpers sticking out of it.

Glad to be of help.

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When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

You see, I've never seen a movie version of the story, and the general plot outline can fit a lot of different films, but cavorite is a rather unique substance and so, had it been mentioned, I probably could have put two and two together.

Possibly.

No promises.

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love's function is to fabricate unknownnness
--
E. E. Cummings
****
Read chapter one of "Dirk Tungsten in...The Disappearing Planet"! And party everyday.

Posted by Teelie (Member # 280) on :

That must be it, but I still don't recognize the name.
Maybe I'm thinking of a smiliar movie?

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Where's the bathroom on this ship?

Posted by strawberry on :

Hey guys!

I just rented "The Time Machine". I'll watch it today & if it is good or interesting, I'll post about it.

Straw

It is now later.

"The Time Machine" was a good movie. Thanks for recommending it. I enjoyed it & so did the kids who were over here with my little boy. But it isn't the one with the caverns I was thinking of.

Guess I'll end up renting all the old sci fi & adventure movies until I can figure out which one it was!

[This message has been edited by strawberry (edited September 30, 2000).]

Posted by Xentrick (Member # 64) on :

Dude, save yerself a fortune in bloody rental fees at Hollywood or Blockbuster or whatever is your local video source: just check all the art and pictures on all the boxes first, see if any look familiar.

Some libraries have a section on movies: you might look for SF Films or Horror Movies, etc. Maybe save yourself some time, eh.

Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :

Damn! It sure sounded like the Time Machine. It's still a cool movie. the only other movies I can think of with caverns are Journey to the Center of the Earth, which you mentioned before, and a Disney movie with Hayley Mills called "In Search of the Castaways" (1962) I vaguely remember something about sledding through a mountain on a block of ice, but I saw it a long time ago. It also sounds vaguely like the end of "Them!" (1954) in which the Army is hunting down giant mutated ants in the Sewers of LA. But I'd think that you'd remember those ants if you had seen it!

Can you give any more details about this movie? For example, were the cast kids or adults? Were there any other memorable scenes? Was it in color or black and white?

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When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum

Posted by strawberry on :

lol

I'll check the library, etc. Thanks for suggestions.

I think there were both adults & children in the movie. All I remember really was that it was an exciting & adventurous movie. The people were dressed normally, but climbing down like the ladder inside the wishing well. This wishing well looked like a typical wishing well, you know, with a top on it & bucket & all. I believe it was in color (could be mistaken on that) and at the bottom of the wishing well, where they all hurried down to go to escape, or go to, there were tunnels, or caverns, or something. I guess maybe tunnels would be more accurate.

Now that I'm describing it, it probably isn't even a sci fi movie at all ... sorry . But, it was in the 50's or 60's, so perhaps you old timers can still help me? Thanks again!

Strawberry

Posted by strawberry on :

Check my other post .... but thanks to all who helped on this. Now I'm going to find out my second movie I wondered about.

To all of you who helped with this ... thanks.

It WAS "First Men in the Moon" and I now own a used copy. I'm keeping it, as this puzzled me for probably 25 to 30 years. I only saw it once as a kid & never saw it again & asked all the movie trivia people I ever met. A few saw it, but no one could remember it.