SATELLITE IN THE SKY (1956)
Article #291 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 12-31-2001
Posting date: 5-17-2002

A new bomb is set to be tested in outer space. When the propulsion unit of the bomb fails, it stays in the vicinity of the rocket, threatening the lives of the people in it.

The British were capable of making tense thrillers when they put their minds to it; they were also capable of making talky, tiresome snoozefests. This is one of the latter, I’m afraid. It might be considered ahead of its time, as it in many ways reminds me of the disaster movies of the seventies. Unfortunately, that comparison also tells you everything you need to know about the movie; once you’ve seen the first twenty minutes, you pretty much have the measure of it, and nothing in the movie really surprises you. It might be better if I saw it under ideal conditions (the movie is in color and Cinemascope, but my print is in black and white and features the worst pan-and-scanning I have ever seen), but I don’t see it really helping that much. It features Kieron Moore and Donald Wolfit.