Don't listen to the pundits who have been trashing Devil Girl From Mars as a cheap, low budget quickie, so bad you watch it only for laughs. Whether you view it as high camp or harmless entertainment, this early British entry in the genre is really quite good, a classic example of the science fiction from the 1950's when it was mostly for fun. Production values are actually a bit above average for space operas of the period, whether Brit or American. Stylish costumes, good special effects for the time, tight direction, a competent cast, and intelligent story and dialog, all work to keep this picture well above the mass of cheap sci-fi flicks flooding the market at the time. While it is a bit slow moving at times, intense characterization, sharp editing, and a number of subplots keep it from ever dragging.
Entertainment value is considerably boosted by the presence of three of the sexiest lassies ever to grace the silver screens of Albion in the winsome persons of Patricia Laffan, Hazel Court, and Adrienne Corri. Ms. Court and Ms. Corri were best known for spilling gallons of comely cleavage in Hammer and Roger Corman's horror pictures and other lurid productions of the late '50's and '60's. But they manage to project plenty of sex appeal here while staying buttoned up to their throats by the simple old time expedient of being feminine and vulnerable. Not to mention both showed terrific figures in any duds. Hazel looks so shapely and elegant in her stylish, frilly-front suit, we are easily convinced she could be the professional model her character is -- at least in the days before models were expected to look as if they have barely survived years in a concentration camp.
Though billed behind Court and Corri, gorgeously gammed Patricia Laffan is the real star as the exotic Martian femme fa-tale invading the British Isles to kidnap virile earth males back to man-starved masses of amazons on the Red Planet. Costumer Ronald Cobb decked out the long-legged Laffan in one of the kinkiest space babe outfits seen on the screen to date -- flared-shouldered cape, neck-length cloche, hot pants, and boots, all in black leather, with smoked nylon hose showing her terrific legs to best advantage. Wow! she looks like a space tootsie designed for a Busby Berkeley extravaganza!
But the intent is perfectly serious, and the Devil Girl is deadly serious about her wicked plans for World conquest. The movie is kept serious by David MacDonald's taut direction, and an intelligent script by James Eastwood from his and John C. Mather's play. They give us full-bodied characters we can care about, rather than the usual sci-fi stereotypes, all expertly portrayed by a fine cast including Court, Corri, Hugh McDermott, John Laurie, Sophie Stewart, Peter Reynolds, and Joseph Tomelty. In the best tradition of 'fifties science fiction Jack Whitehead's special effects are well augmented by a clever use of light and sound and Edwin Astley's eerie score. The Mars babe's giant robot, somewhat resembling a massive electric space heater may seem laughable to some jaded moderns, but low angle camera shots to make him loom, and closeups of his giant mechanical feet walking with appropriate sound effects would have made him ominous enough to 'fifties audiences. The destructive effects of his heat ray, on the other hand, were well done by any standard, and the flying saucer was one of the best of the era.
Devil Girl From Mars is a fine example of the fun, stimulating science fiction movies of the generation before the genre degenerated into pointless special effects exercises and vehicles for thinly disguised New Age theology. The title itself tells what the more sober and more Christian movie makers and audiences of the 'fifities thought of the common New Age cliché that the space aliens are coming to save us. Laffan's Devil Girl oozing cold-hearted evil from every leather covered pore would have been quite the demonic menace -- if she just weren't so darned sexy! Come to think of it, no one would follow the Devil if he -- or she -- didn't make it attractive.
Never mind, Devil Girl From Mars isn't all that heavy-weight. It is just plain fun!
Entertainment value is considerably boosted by the presence of three of the sexiest lassies ever to grace the silver screens of Albion in the winsome persons of Patricia Laffan, Hazel Court, and Adrienne Corri. Ms. Court and Ms. Corri were best known for spilling gallons of comely cleavage in Hammer and Roger Corman's horror pictures and other lurid productions of the late '50's and '60's. But they manage to project plenty of sex appeal here while staying buttoned up to their throats by the simple old time expedient of being feminine and vulnerable. Not to mention both showed terrific figures in any duds. Hazel looks so shapely and elegant in her stylish, frilly-front suit, we are easily convinced she could be the professional model her character is -- at least in the days before models were expected to look as if they have barely survived years in a concentration camp.
Though billed behind Court and Corri, gorgeously gammed Patricia Laffan is the real star as the exotic Martian femme fa-tale invading the British Isles to kidnap virile earth males back to man-starved masses of amazons on the Red Planet. Costumer Ronald Cobb decked out the long-legged Laffan in one of the kinkiest space babe outfits seen on the screen to date -- flared-shouldered cape, neck-length cloche, hot pants, and boots, all in black leather, with smoked nylon hose showing her terrific legs to best advantage. Wow! she looks like a space tootsie designed for a Busby Berkeley extravaganza!
But the intent is perfectly serious, and the Devil Girl is deadly serious about her wicked plans for World conquest. The movie is kept serious by David MacDonald's taut direction, and an intelligent script by James Eastwood from his and John C. Mather's play. They give us full-bodied characters we can care about, rather than the usual sci-fi stereotypes, all expertly portrayed by a fine cast including Court, Corri, Hugh McDermott, John Laurie, Sophie Stewart, Peter Reynolds, and Joseph Tomelty. In the best tradition of 'fifties science fiction Jack Whitehead's special effects are well augmented by a clever use of light and sound and Edwin Astley's eerie score. The Mars babe's giant robot, somewhat resembling a massive electric space heater may seem laughable to some jaded moderns, but low angle camera shots to make him loom, and closeups of his giant mechanical feet walking with appropriate sound effects would have made him ominous enough to 'fifties audiences. The destructive effects of his heat ray, on the other hand, were well done by any standard, and the flying saucer was one of the best of the era.
Devil Girl From Mars is a fine example of the fun, stimulating science fiction movies of the generation before the genre degenerated into pointless special effects exercises and vehicles for thinly disguised New Age theology. The title itself tells what the more sober and more Christian movie makers and audiences of the 'fifities thought of the common New Age cliché that the space aliens are coming to save us. Laffan's Devil Girl oozing cold-hearted evil from every leather covered pore would have been quite the demonic menace -- if she just weren't so darned sexy! Come to think of it, no one would follow the Devil if he -- or she -- didn't make it attractive.
Never mind, Devil Girl From Mars isn't all that heavy-weight. It is just plain fun!