Search - Queen of Outer Space on DVD

Zsa Zsa Gabor In Campy Outer Space "Epic"

Simon Davis | 04/03/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 1958 effort "Queen of Outer Space', is one of those films panned by the critics that has become with time a firm favourite in the "so bad it's good", category of sci fi efforts. Joining the ranks of other sterling efforts such as "The Giant Claw", "Plan 9 From Outer Space", and "The Giant Gila Monster", this film has gained a dubious immortality as a result of it's low production values, corny dialogue, and odd choice of Hungarian beauty queen Zsa Zsa Gabor in the lead. Renowned more for her multiple marriages and publicity high jinks than for her acting ability Zsa Zsa doesn't play the Queen of the film's title but instead a super glamourous scientist (!) on the planet Venus who leads a rebellion against the cruel and bitter Queen with the help of some stranded and for the most part oversexed Earth men. Certainly the storyline of 'Queen of Outer Space", is an original one which has the planet Venus ruled and operated entirely by women, but it will always be the films hilarious "camp", value that keeps viewers coming back for more. Reading about the production of this film also makes a most enjoyable diversion as the nearly 40 Zsa Zsa was reputed to be in a constant state of anxiety about the presence of the much younger mini-skirted women chosen for their beauty who were part of her "posse", in the film. This resulted in her making life an absolute misery for all concerned on both sides of the camera. Whatever other claim to fame Zsa Zsa ever got this film alone has its special place in the hearts of all lovers of the "so bad it's good", school of movie enjoyment.

The action opens with some typical stock footage of a rocket base somewhere in America which for years has been running a shuttle service to one of their huge satellite surrounding the Earth. A shuttle is about to leave and is commanded by Capt. Patterson (Eric Fleming), and his two offsiders Lt. Mike Cruze (Dave Willock), and Lt. Larry Turner (Patrick Waltz). Along for the ride this time because of a report of trouble at the base is Prof. Konrad (Paul Birch), who was responsible for designing the satellite. After take off however the rocket encounters trouble and when a strange ray destroys the entire satellite just before they arrive the rocket is swept off course and after travelling at incredible speeds crash lands on what the Captain believes is the planet Venus. Once they disembark the four men find themselves at the mercy of a strange society which is made up entirely of women and soon they are captured and taken to the main headquarters. Here they meet the ruler of this planet Queen Yllana (Laurie Mitchell), who wears a mask to conceal her scarred features and has a deep seated hatred of men . She is distrustful of why the men have arrived on Venus and believes that they are the advance guard of an invasion from earth. In the meantime she has been creating a machine called the Beta Disintegrator which she plans to use to destroy the earth. The men encounter an ally in glamourous scientist Talleah (Zsa Zsa Gabor), who fills the men in on the Queen and how she has imprisoned all the men of Venus on a neighbouring satellite. She forms an attachment with Capt. Patterson as do the other men with members of Talleah's posse. After an aborted attempt at escape together they decide to lead a revolt to overthrown the harsh Queen and they interfer with the Beta Disintergrator just as it is about to be launced against Earth and it blows up causing the Queen to be incinerated. Talleah is now proclaimed Queen and she attempts to keep Capt. Patterson with her. The men succeed in making contact with Earth and the authorities announce that they will not be able to send a rescue mission to Venus for a year allowing the men to enjoy their female company undisturbed.

I suppose the main dilemma facing anyone critically looking at this film is "how do you actually be fair towards it". The film has the look and feel of a "B' or probably more appropriately an "F" production if there is such a thing. The most professional looking part of the whole film is the rocket base stock footage which at least has the ring of realism about it. In the area of sets, costumes and especially in dialogue "Queen of Outer Space", has a slock appeal all its own. Zsa Zsa Gabor as the rebel scientist must have one of the campiest roles in movie history here where she is carefully posed in almost every shot with a shapely leg showing through her split bedded gown. It is never explained in the script why Zsa Zsa's character mysteriously has a Hungarian accent and even when running or hiding in bushes she appears with perfect makeup and hair styles tottering around on dangerously steep high heels. The dialogue of "Queen of Outer Space", is what has really earned it shlock immortality and is nothing short of hilarious with Zsa Zsa's "I hate zat Queen!!" going down into camp folklore. It also memorably has the male "astronauts", speaking and behaving like they were hormone driven 14 year olds rather than grown men. How they ever had time to get through astronaut school when the opposite sex is all they have on their minds escapes me. Eric Fleming still best known for his work on the "Rawhide" television series manages reasonably well to play it straight however he is surrounded by some of the most inane dialogue you will ever hear. The bright colour of the production is in contrast to it's obviously cheap budget where the costumes have been reused from "Forbidden Planet", and even some of the sets come from "World without End". The costumes chosen for the Venusian "storm troopers", for lack of a better term are also hilariously inappropriate comprising brightly coloured mini-skirts, high heels and elaborate makeup which makes all the women look like they have just stepped out of the beauty parlour. Queen Yllana is an interesting character with her scarred face and intense hatred of men but even with her masked face and supposed bitterness towards the male species in general she is not above displaying her female attributes in the scene where she tries to seduce Capt Patterson and uses Zsa Zsa's old trick of making sure a shapely leg appears from underneath her gown when she is reclining on a sofa. Its all great stuff for a good laugh and never for one moment is "Queen of Outer Space", to be taken seriously.

With bad actors, bad dialogue, inane situations, dreadful costumes and sets, and laughable science employed you might ask yourself what there is to really like in "Queen of Outer Space". It possesses I believe a wonderfully innocent 1950's feel whereby you can almost look past all its shortcomings, its sexism and its cheapness to enjoy these "bad" qualities on a different level. Because the film nowadays has a huge camp following in a way that means that as entertainment it has at least done it's job however questionable its artistic merits. To have audiences laughing at its silliness was perhaps not the intention of the original producers however it has helped secure "Queen of Outer Space", its place in "B" movie history. Enjoy the divine Miss Gabor camping it up in the far reaches of space in Allied Artists "unforgettable", shlock classic "Queen from Outer Space" soon.

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