The Cosmic Man
                                    
Director: Herbert S. Greene
Year: 1959
Rating: 5.0
"It seems to be a common problem today. Everybody's afraid of scientists. They're not afraid of what scientists know, they are afraid of what they don't know. All we are trying to do is find the answers to a lot of questions".

Some things don't change. This sci-fi film about an alien coming to earth doesn't have much money, but it throws a lot of ideas out there. One is the yin yang of science. One of the scientists is humanistic, understanding and in sympathy of the alien - while another scientist tries to kill it. The military doesn't come off very well - paranoid, militaristic, trigger happy. The main message though is we live in a vast universe of which we know practically nothing but assume the worst. Most alien films of the 1950s and beyond have been threatening - invasions, identity theft - whether in America or in Japan - but this one takes a page out of The Day the Earth Stood Still with an alien preaching interstellar peace. Of course, that makes for a much less exciting film than one of being attacked by aliens. A battle of ideas, not weapons. Like most of these B sci-films from the period, it runs at an acceptable 72 minutes.



A white sphere looking like a large ping pong ball comes to earth and simply hangs there in the air. The military comes in and immediately thinks of how it can be used as a weapon and they have to get it before the Russkies do. Dr. Karl Sorenson an astro-physicist is also brought in who wants to figure how it works. He was a major scientist behind the atom bomb that was used on Hiroshima and feels guilt for it. They try everything on this sphere - putting it on a truck or burning a hole into it but its anti-gravitational pull and impermeability make both impossible.



Sorenson is played by Bruce Bennett who was once known as Herman Brix. He won a Silver Medal at the 1928 Olympics and was set by MGM to play Tarzan. But he hurt his shoulder and the role went to another Olympic winner, Johnny Weissmuller. But he did get to play the Lord of the Apes in a serial. Later he changed his name because he was typecast. He got a few good roles, but this isn't one of them.



They set up headquarters at a resort run by the lonely widow (Angela Green) who makes eyes at anything in pants. She has a son who is paralyzed. Initially, the alien is seen as a black creature taking up light - like a negative - but later he takes the shape of John Carradine and checks into the hotel. Not sure if he paid with cash or credit card. He passes on his message of peace and of course the military tries to shoot him.