- For the episode, see MST3K 104 - Women of the Prehistoric Planet.
Plot[]
A spaceship that was part of a caravan of ships heading to their own world after surviving a cataclysm and saving several of the local Centaurians (who are all played by Asian actors) is hijacked and crash-lands on the third planet of a distant solar system, killing nearly all hands.
When the lead ship of the caravan arrives on the world (having been mere moments to them but 20 years to the planet due to time dilation), the child of two crew members, Tang, is the sole inhabitant of the crash site, his parents become frozen and preserved away long ago. One of the rescue crew, a girl named Linda, meets Tang and falls in love with him. The rescue team is attacked by the native life of the planet and many of them are killed off. When the ship leaves, Linda decides to stay with Tang.
Ultimately it is revealed that both Linda and Tang are both human and Centaurian by birth (Linda being the daughter of the lead ship's captain) and the planet they ultimately become residents of is a newly discovered world ultimately christened "Earth".[1]
Cast[]
- Wendell Corey as Admiral David King
- Keith Larsen as Commander Scott
- John Agar as Dr. Farrell
- Paul Gilbert as Lt. Red Bradley
- Merry Anders as Lt. Karen Lamont
- Irene Tsu as Linda
- Robert Ito as Tang
- Stuart Margolin as Chief
- Todd Lasswell as Lt. Charles Anderson
- Glenn Langan as Captain Ross
Notes[]
- The original script by Arthur C. Pierce was called simply The Prehistoric Planet, but producer Jack Broder later added "Women of..." to the title for marketing purposes. To justify this title change, brief scenes were filmed of three actresses in native garb, prancing and swimming semi-nude in the pond and waterfall on the planet. These scenes were only used in foreign release prints but are visible briefly in the US trailer for the film.[2]
- A significant amount of the music used in this film was also used in Revenge of the Creature, The Human Duplicators, and The Phantom Planet.
MST3K Connections[]
- Director and writer Arthur C. Pierce was also co-director, writer, and producer for The Human Duplicators.
- Wendell Corey also portrayed Jim Graff in Agent for H.A.R.M..
- John Agar also portrayed Dr. Clete Ferguson in Revenge of the Creature and Dr. Roger Bentley in The Mole People.
- Merry Anders also portrayed Carol White in The Time Travelers.
- Robert Ito also portrayed Roy Nakamura in SST- Death Flight.
- Glenn Langan also portrayed Glenn Manning in The Amazing Colossal Man.
- Composer Gordon Zahler was also music provider (U.S. version) for First Spaceship on Venus, music supervisor for Hercules and the Captive Women (U.S. version) and The Phantom Planet, and musical director for The Human Duplicators.
- Cinematographer Archie R. Dalzell was also camera operator for Radar Secret Service.
- Art director Paul Sylos was also art director for The Human Duplicators.
- Set decorator Harry Reif was also set decorator for Bride of the Monster, Day the World Ended, and The She-Creature, as well as set dresser for Radar Secret Service.
- Assistant director Richard Dixon was assistant director for Catalina Caper, The Girl in Lovers Lane, and The Bubble, as well as associate producer for High School Big Shot.
- Sound effects editor Del Harris was also sound editor for World Without End.
- Casting consultant Marvin Paige was also casting consultant for The Human Duplicators and talent coordinator for Village of the Giants.
- Music editor Igo Kantor was music editor for The Human Duplicators, editor and technical supervisor for Bride of the Monster, and editor and music supervisor for The Bubble.
- Stock music composer Hans J. Salter was also stock music composer for First Spaceship on Venus (U.S. version), Hercules and the Captive Women (U.S. version), The Human Duplicators, Kitten with a Whip, The Brute Man (for which he was also musical director), Revenge of the Creature, and The Thing That Couldn't Die, as well as composer for This Island Earth, The Leech Woman, and The Mole People.
- Stock music composer Leith Stevens was also composer for World Without End and stock music composer for the U.S. version of Hercules and the Captive Women, The Human Duplicators, Teen-Age Crime Wave, and The Phantom Planet.
Critical Response[]
- Leonard Maltin wrote: "One-and-a-half stars ... One of many studio-bound sci-fi pix from the ’60s, a strange lot indeed."[3]