Spaceways (1953)

Director: Terence Fisher

Writers: Richard H. Landau, Charles Eric Maine, Paul Tabori

Composer: Ivor Slaney

Starring: Howard Duff, Eva Bartok, Alan Wheatley, Philip Leaver, Michael Medwin, Andrew Osborn, Cecile Chevreau, Anthony Ireland, Hugh Moxey, david Horne, Leo Phillips, Marianne Stone, Jean Webster-Brough

More info: IMDb

Tagline:  The screen's first story of SPACE ISLANDS in the sky!

Plot:  A small group of closely-guarded British scientists test their first rocket amidst indications of matrimonial strife in the community. After the partial failure of the firing, a couple go missing - have they gone off together or are their murdered bodies circling the earth in the remains of the rocket?

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

Those movie poster are nothing but lies!  They only TALK about the possibility of building a space station.  In the last 7 minutes a manned rocket blasts into space.  Until then it's all talk and there's an investigation in progress that points to Mitchell (Duff) killing his wife and her lover and stuffing them in the fuel tank of the satellite that launches maybe a half hour in.  Mitchell's solution?  Invent a rocket that can sustain a human pilot and retrieve the satellite to prove his innocence! And the worst part is, it's not nearly as fun as that premise sounds.  I must say, though, that I wasn't bored but it's hardly an exciting film that would get 1953 audiences excited about going into space.  The ending is rather abrupt.  I guess you've got to get the kids out of the theater for the next show.  It's only 76 minutes and it's not that bad.  I really wanted to see some space action courtesy of Hammer Films.  Sigh.  The Image DVD only has the film's trailer for an extras.