The Lost Missile

Plot synopsis:
The appearance of an unknown "missile-like" object in nearby space leads a European nation (unnamed, but implied to be one of the countries behind the Iron Curtain) to fire a rocket at it. Though the rocket intercepts the unidentified object, the explosion only diverts the missile into an orbit around the Earth. Racing five miles above the earth, its passage causes widespread devastation of the land below.
Meanwhile, at the Havenbrook Atomic Laboratory (a thinly veiled reference to the Brookhaven National Laboratory) in suburban New York City, Dr. David Loring and his assistant Joan Woods are preparing for their wedding later that day. Though both are in love, David is deeply committed to his work on a hydrogen warhead for the new "Jove" rocket, so much so that it has interfered with previous attempts at a wedding. Leaving work to go ring shopping, David's irritation with time spent on it leads Joan to accuse him of prioritizing work over their relationship, and she calls off the marriage.
With the missile blazing its path of destruction, a radar station on the DEW Line picks up its approach to the North American continent. Though a patrol jet diverted to intercept the missile is destroyed by the intense heat of its drive, the pilot captures a picture of it that is then transmitted to "Conad", Continental Air Defense Command. An alert mobilizes jets from the Royal Canadian Air Force, which are unable to shoot it down and are destroyed in the attempt.
With the missile projected to fly over New York City, the U.S. military orders a full mobilization. The U.S. and Canadian authorities implement civil defense procedures, preparing the cities of New York and Ottawa for the imminent passage of the missile. As Havenbrook is being evacuated, David realizes that he can use the Jove rocket to get through the missile's intense heat to destroy it, using the fission bomb "trigger" from the incomplete hydrogen warhead. While he works to prepare the plutonium for the bomb, the government orders a full evacuation of New York City. Further efforts by conventional forces to destroy the missile prove unsuccessful, and Ottawa is destroyed as it flies overhead.
As David and Joan race the nuclear core to the missile base, they are attacked by a group of young thugs who steal their jeep with the core inside. David and Joan chase after them, only to find the jeep alongside the road and the men dead from radiation poisoning after having opened the lead-lined box with the plutonium core. Knowing that exposure is fatal, David grabs the box and drives the core to the waiting rocket, loading it into the warhead before dying. The rocket is then launched, intercepting the missile over Lake Champlain and destroying it.

Tags: tragedy

Review:
When I saw it as a kid, I didn't understand the premise of the story, and as an adult, I still have problem with the premise that a runaway missile from space starts to circle around the earth by sheer chance.
If you go beyond the incredible coincidence that this missile just happened to find earth and randomly started killing its inhabitants, the movie is pretty good sci-fi from the '50s.
They try to make things look factual by using stock military footage, and use pseudonym of actual existing institution like Havenbrook (which is an obvious reference to Brookhaven National Laboratory).
It tries for a documentary-feel...but since there is a story going on with characters, it doesn't quite make it.For all this rapid development, the movie is somewhat dull when viewed nowadays, falling prey to "stock footage syndrome".
There is innumerable shots of bombers and fighters taking off...I think more time is devoted to that than dialogue.The plot is simple...an unknown missle enters the Earth's atmosphere and glides into an orbit 5 miles above the planet, which would normally be fine, but the missile has a field of million degree heat emanating from it, carving a five-mile wide swath of destruction on the ground below whereever it goes.
It destroys part of Canada (including Ottawa) and nearly gets New York City except for the heroic sacrifice of Robert Loggia.With the rapid developments, no effort is made to determine the source of the missile (and probably this would not be able to be done anyway), and this movie seems to be a showcase for the effectiveness of the US early warning system for missle attacks if nothing else (though any defense effort is pretty much pointless against this menace).Loggia is stoic in his role, displaying feats of emotion that defy his character depth.
Still, it's interesting to see him act as a young man, having seen him so often in more mature roles.The special effects are actually pretty good.
This was a cold-war era film about a missile that got locked into a deadly low earth orbit by the Germans trying to shoot it down at it initial close approach.
Released (some would say "escaped") in 1958, "The Lost Missile" is, de- spite it's many flaws and shortcomings, a fairly interesting tale about a wild missile, apparently of extraterrestrial origin, loose in the Earth's atmosphere and frying everything underneath it with a million-degree exhaust.
Robert Loggia plays Dr. David Loring, the tragic hero, and turns in a performance that is played with such lethargy and apparent disinterest that it makes you wonder if he was wondering "what was I thinking?" The rest of the cast play their parts like second- or even third-string summer stock.
Seriously though, while "The Lost Missile" may not be a great film, it isn't quite a bad one, either.
Undeniably tense and frightening, an extremely low budget film that is a clever combination of fantastic Air Force and Civil Defense stock footage with effective, chilling special effects.
This is a dead serious scenario that is creepy and its pseudo-documentary style will have you diving under your desk as the radiated missile makes it's way around the Earth destroying everything in its path.There is also an enormous amount of some rarely seen stock footage that has got to be of interest for military history buffs.
Lost Missile, The (1958) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Rarely talked about "scare" film has Robert Loggia playing a scientist who has an hour to try and create something that will stop a runaway missile that is reaching temperatures of one-million.
I was pleasantly surprised to see how great the actual story of this film was but sadly the budget is just so low that they can't do as much with it as I'm sure they had hoped.
The movie contains a great story and one can't help but think this film would have certainly scared people back in the day who feared something like this would happen.
The movie, due to its low budget, features a lot of stock footage, which gets old after a while but the movies central story is still top-notch.
Loggia does a very good job in his role and it's always great to see this underrated character actor.
Despite the equally typical inclusion of a romantic couple, the film is pretty much put across in a documentary style - which is perhaps a cheap way of leaving a lot of the exposition to narration and an excuse to insert as much stock footage as is humanly possibly for what is unmistakably an extremely low-budget venture!
Nothing very much here to report except for a mad speech by a scientist against the project because there might be some sort of life aboard and think of the scientific possibilities but this speech made by the obligatory idiot liberal was pretty much passé by then.What saves this film, somewhat uniquely, IS the stock footage.
There is a very strange shot of a late model F-84 (prototype?) with a straight wing early model F-85 above it in a turn, obviously a manufacturer's (Republic Aviation) advertising film showing the differences between the old and the new improved models of the F-84 ThunderJet. How it strayed into here is anybodies guess.There is other great stock footage of Ottawa in the old days when the capital of Canada was a wide spot in the road and especially wonderful footage of New York City's Times Square during one of the Civil Defense Drills in the early 50s.
Canada must have been cheap and it is rather gratuitously used a lot in the background.As far as the actual narrative of the film there is little to recommend it other than the mystery of just who Ellen Parker is giving the finger to at the end of the picture.
Yes, there is plenty of stock footage for a film that isn't even 75 minutes long.
Well, the story is entertaining as we follow the exploits of a hydrogen missile or some alien missile as it blazes its way from Alaska through Canada on its way to New York City turning everything it passes over nothing more than a burned cinder.
The story sees an alien craft knocked off course by a Russian missile, bringing it into an orbit low enough for its speed and radiation to burn away any thing that it passes over, unfortunate given that its path will lead it in time to burn away the entire surface of the Earth.
Sadly the budget doesn't allow for any notable effects work, the missile is simply a crude model accompanied by screaming sound, while most of the action is accomplished with stock footage.
Acting is generally sound, though there isn't much to raise the characters above stock levels the actors are committed, Robert Loggia is a solid hero, Ellen Parker attractive and likable (also smarter than average) as his assistant, whilst supporting actors are generally sound if unspectacular.
My only problems with this one stem from its lost potential, I hate to criticise a film like this on reasons related to budget, but this one really doesn't do much justice to the destructive potential of the missile and it's rather regrettable.
I remember watching "Lost Missile" (actually throwing a fit until my brother and several cousins at whose home I was an overnight guest agreed to watch it with me - I was, from time to time, the Eric Cartman of the 1960s - sorry, guys) and being somewhat embarrassed when the sustained wave of million-degree heat emerged as a plot device - even as a second-grader I knew that a mere missile just couldn't carry the energy around for that much heat or devastation over more than the duration and limited radius of a nuclear detonation.
The acting isn't bad (apart from the Shatnerism of the actor who played a governor's aide that someone else here mentioned).But the idea of a missile Easy-Baking the surface of the Earth by means of the heat of its exhaust...
But I will remove from my summary opinion these minor and understandable chinks in the armor.LOST MISSILE is a near-great film if not right UP THERE with the best of the genre.
Of course, stock footage has been forbidden in recent times because of its apparent lack of integrity to film-making.
So it appears that it might have had some future influence in the genre.This film should be seen by all sci-fi buffs - it is fun and it contains some thrilling moments in the best 50s style they could conjure up in those days.
It begins with an acknowledgement of assistance from the Departments of Defence and the Army, Navy and Air Force, which means that the sometimes disturbing things the film shows received official blessing; and its copious use of stock footage throughout often make it feel like a public awareness film constructed around a fictitious plot.It's a real curate's egg of a film, lurching abruptly from the clumsy to the highly effective on a scene by scene (and even shot by shot) basis.
Boy would Isis like to get a hold of one of these.This missile looks like one of your rocketship from some old science fiction movie, only it emanates heat of a million degrees as it passes over the earth destroying all in its path.
It takes out Ottawa in Canada and is heading for New York.A bigger budget with some nice production values and this could have been a science fiction classic.
The Lost Missile was one of those movies I used to see on Saturday afternoon TV as a kid - it used to scare the heck out of me!
The movie is primarily concerned with knocking it down.The acting is somewhat melodramatic at points The story, typical for its time, has (for us nowadays) cheesy special effects - the missile looks like a drawing which to someone has added a flashing light bulb for a tail.
The movie uses a lot of stock Defense footage - we see F-89 Scorpions, which carried a large number of unguided missiles in two wing tip pods, firing at the rocket, as well as F-86's, F-100's, F-94, B-52, B-36 - you name it!
But How!Top US nuclear scientist atomic physicists and aeronautical engineer Dr. David Loring, Robert Loggia, has to postpone his wedding plans with his fiancée and fellow scientist Joan Woods, Ellen Parker, at the prestigious Heavenbrook Atomic Labs outside New York City in order to stop the runaway missile from setting the world on fire!
With it's fantastic speed of 4,200 MPH the missile generates heat of over one million degrees which knocks out and burns to a crisps any plane that comes within five miles of it!
Having found out, were never shown how, that the missile is being operated by aliens from space Dr. Freed wants to have it and its alien crew saved for future studies, in the knowledge that the aliens can provide the human race, in scientific advancements!As if things aren't going bad enough for Dr. Loring in his attempt to stop the lost missile, with a baby nuke that he devised, from obliterating the earth he together with Joan are carjacked by these 1950's greasers, or leather jacketed teenagers, on their way to the nearest USAF missile site.
The unaware teens not knowing what their dealing with by being exposed to the plutonium, from he baby nuke, in Dr. Lorings' jeep soon end up being fatality radiated by it!***SPOILERS*** With time and the films' meager budget quickly running out Dr. Loring makes it to the missile launch site with the baby nuke and knowing, by being exposed to it, that his life is kaput willfully sacrifices himself by putting the radiation emitting baby nuke into the missile's, known as Jobe, nose-comb.
It's then that Jobe does its job, by knocking out the runaway missile, in saving the earth until another day or another movie like "The Lost Missile" comes around.Skillfully spliced and integrated stock footage makes "The Lost Missile" hit its mark in keeping its audience glued to the screen without the special effects, of the 1950's, that the film so obviously lacks.
The German government decided to launch rockets up into space just as the missile approaches and inadvertantly knocks it into earth orbit at a very low altitude.
A rocket apparently of extra-terrestrial origin threatens to destroy mankind by circling the earth at low altitudes and generating a million degree heat five miles wide incinerating everything in its path It's up to scientist Dr. David Loring (Robert Loggia) to formulate a last-ditch plan to save the world.Clocking in at about 70 minutes with a lot of stock footage and less than spectacular special effects, "Lost Missile" is still an underrated B-movie classic which manages to use that stock footage and shoestring budget to great effect.
While it is easy to dismiss The Lost Missile for its repetitious use of stock footage and slightly Ed Wood'ish sets, I can easily overlook such typical low budget 50's set-backs and relish in this truly all out action packed end of the world flick!
I recorded this on my DVR along with two other movies showing the same day on TCM as a 50's sci fi triple feature (the other two were The H Man, and The 27th Day), I thought all were interesting since I had never seen or heard of them before, but The Lost Missile was truly my favorite of them and it ranks in kick butt factor a solid 10.
Most sci fi of the late 50's to now has a touchy feely story (ie The 27th Day for instance and to some extent in the closing of the H Man), not The Lost Missile, it is 100% adrenaline!
It (the Missile) takes out a lot of humans and gives you an almost real time till the end of the world feel (you've got 70 minutes!).
Lots of civil defense stock footage as well, this is pretty much a nuke war toe to toe with the Rooskies (as Slim Pickens might refer to them) movie except the enemy is an indestructible rocket that burns large swaths of the earth as it flies around the atmosphere in global circles.
it has all the same trappings as a major WW3 D day and should appeal not just to sci fi buffs but those into nuclear war films like Panic At Year Zero fans.
Not that bad, but it sinks due to an overuse of stock footage AND poor special effects--even for a 1950s sci-fi film..
The story idea behind THE LOST MISSILE isn't bad at all, but unfortunately the story does get a bit dull towards the middle and the overuse of stock footage as well as poor special effects sink this film to the sub-par level.The film begins with a missile heading towards the Earth.
So, it's up to the good scientists of the US (led by a very young and hardly recognizable Robert Loggia) to formulate and plan to save us--and especially save New York that is in its immediate flight path!
This had all the makings of a very good film -- good actors (Robert Loggia, Ellen Parker), a good plot (mysterious missile from space threatens to burn up the planet) and lots of stock footage (if the Air Force had film of jets firing rockets, it was used).
Unfortunately, it is ruined by too much melodrama and an impossible time-line.The movie concerns a missile from space that is attacked by the Soviets and inadvertently diverted into a low atmospheric orbit.
At under five miles and at a speed in excess of 4,000 miles, it emits an exhaust of a million degrees, burning up everything on the ground, including glaciers, Distant Early Warning (DEW) line bases and Eskimos.Every attempt at destroying the missile fails.The first flaws in this film appear early on.
While we don't expect much from low-budget films, some things can't be forgotten -- like a little research.
The only good actor is the film narrator, played by veteran character actor Lawrence Dobkins ("Naked City").All of this could be overlooked if it wasn't for the time-line.
A general (Larry Kerr) announces that the missile will hit New York City in 63 minutes.
Eight million people scramble to fallout shelters while school buses pick up millions of kids (and we get to see the whitest New York City I've ever seen, though watching 50's sci-fi films made it seems like this was the standard).
Then, to add fuel to the fire, Loggia somehow thinks of a way to stop the alien missile.
It was worse than "27 Days" where an alien gives five Earthlings the chance to either save or destroy the planet and he doesn't include any blacks or Hispanics.I saw this on a special Sci-fi night on Turner Classic Movies and I don't expect it to show up again.
Obvious stock footage looks like a bad newsreel or school made documentary.
This doesn't seem like a theatrical film, but obviously got some big screen release even though it probably looked ten times poorer than it does on television.
Maybe the reason that all the sci-fi geeks like this flick is because it features an appearance of that beloved science fiction stereotype; the scientist that wants the deaths to continue in the vain hope that they can communicate with the alien menace!!
The Lost Missile relies on stock footage (you see the same B-66 take off at least 3 times in the "maximum defense" montage) and EXTREMELY limited animation/rotoscoping, but if you can get past that, the story is surprisingly good right up until the "this is the MacGuffin that will save us, so we'll ship it without a proper military escort" plot device near the end (the same stupidity as seen in the War of the Worlds).Oddly, the science behind the story isn't all that flaky.