“The Mole People” was released in December of 1956. Having the dubious distinction of being the weakest of the several horror/sci-fi hybrids made throughout the 1950s by Universal-International, “The Mole People” opens with onscreen narration by Dr. Frank Baxter, a professor at the University of Southern California, who effusively explains the films fictionalized basis in reality – its premise of the “hollow earth” theory, with the possibilities of undiscovered races of intelligent civilizations living underground in vast chambers inside the planet. I stress “fictionalized”, although Baxter actually was a USC professor of English, and a TV personality known for his 1956 - 1962 appearances as Dr. Research in The Bell Laboratory Science Series of television specials. Produced by AT&T, the films combined scientific footage, live actors, and animation to convey scientific concepts and history, with Baxter serving as their onscreen host and narrator. They became a staple in science classrooms from the 1960s through 80s. Following Baxters narration, the story moves to archaeologists Dr. Roger Bentley (John Agar) and Dr. Jud Bellamin (Hugh Beaumont, - who later played “Leave it to Beaver”s Ward Cleaver) discovering a race of albino Sumerians living deep within the Earth. (spoilers ahead) Following the cataclysmic flooding of Mesopotamia, the Sumerians ancestors perplexingly went subterranean, enslaving a race of humanoid mole creatures to harvest mushrooms – their primary food source. Having lived underground for so long, the Sumerians are weakened by light, and control their population growth by sacrificing their elders to the Eye of Ishtar, a natural light source coming from the Earths surface. Because of their flashlight, the Sumerian high priest, Elinu (Alan Napier), gets the idea that the archaeologists are messengers from Ishtar, and gifts Dr. Bellamin with Adad (Cynthia Patrick), a comely Caucasian blonde woman disdained by the Sumerians because of her non-albino skin. But when Bentley is killed by a mole person, Elinu realizes he and Bellamin are not gods, and orders Bellamin sacrificed to the Eye. Not unexpectedly, the mole people rebel and Bellamin escapes in the resulting melee, taking Adad and heading through the Eye to the surface. Adad is killed though, crushed by a falling column just as they reach safety. In his review of “The Mole People” on website Alt Film Guide, critic Dan Scheneider credits the movie with a profound impact on later sci-fi novels and films, including “Soylent Green” (1973) – whose central premise is the means by which an overcrowded future dystopia gets rid of its unwanted populace; “Logan’s Run” (1976) – about a domed society that controls its populace by killing off its members when they reach the age of thirty; and “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” (1969) – with its race of mutated subterranean albino humans. Theyre perhaps reaching generalizations - Schneider seems more taken with the film than most - though in the end, citing its dubious scientific underpinnings, flimsy plot, and cheap-looking sets and costumes, he admits it’s not “even great sci-fi in a B mode. Its social commentary could hardly be considered profound or illuminating - yes, slavery is bad - but it has its special moments, and it surely entertains.” “The Mole People” is available on DVD from Universal, as an entry in the ten-film, six-disc package, The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, volumes 1 & 2. Package highlights include “Tarantula” (1955), “The Incredible Shrinking Man” (1957), and “The Monolith Monsters” (1957). The theatrical trailer is at the link below.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 04:13:00 +0000
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