An alien (a fine performance by John Carradine) arrives on earth in a spherical spaceship. Is he here to help mankind or destroy us? Ramrod Colonel Matthews (nicely played to the stern hilt by Paul Langton) assumes the worst while kindly scientist Dr. Karl Sorenson (a sound and likable portrayal by Bruce Bennett) tries to protect the cosmic man.
Director Herbert S. Greene relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, does a sturdy job of crafting an intriguing mysterious atmosphere, and maintains an appropriately earnest tone throughout. Arthur C. Pierce's intelligent script brings up a few interesting philosophical issues and provides a pointed critique of gung-ho paranoid military types. The sound acting from the capable cast rates as another major plus, with especially praiseworthy contributions from Angela Greene as cheery innkeeper Kathy Grant, Scotty Morrow as Kathy's sweet, yet sickly son Ken, and Herbert Lytton as the hard-nosed General Knowland. Moreover, the titular character makes neat use of Carradine's trademark deep booming voice. Both John F. Warren's sharp black and white cinematography and the spare moody score by Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter are up to par. The special effects are pretty hokey by today's standards (for example, the cosmic man's spaceship looks like a giant golf ball!), but still do the trick just the same. A worthwhile science fiction outing.
Director Herbert S. Greene relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, does a sturdy job of crafting an intriguing mysterious atmosphere, and maintains an appropriately earnest tone throughout. Arthur C. Pierce's intelligent script brings up a few interesting philosophical issues and provides a pointed critique of gung-ho paranoid military types. The sound acting from the capable cast rates as another major plus, with especially praiseworthy contributions from Angela Greene as cheery innkeeper Kathy Grant, Scotty Morrow as Kathy's sweet, yet sickly son Ken, and Herbert Lytton as the hard-nosed General Knowland. Moreover, the titular character makes neat use of Carradine's trademark deep booming voice. Both John F. Warren's sharp black and white cinematography and the spare moody score by Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter are up to par. The special effects are pretty hokey by today's standards (for example, the cosmic man's spaceship looks like a giant golf ball!), but still do the trick just the same. A worthwhile science fiction outing.