Doomsday Machine (1972)

User Rating:

3.1/10   

Directors:

Harry Hope
Lee Sholem

Writer:

Stuart J. Byrne (original story and screenplay)

Release Date:

8 July 1976 (West Germany)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

See! The Earth Destroyed In A Nuclear Holocaust!

Plot:

Spies discover that the Red Chinese have built a "doomsday machine" capable of destroying the surface of the Earth...

Plot Keywords:

Venus | Space | End Of The World | Noah's Ark | Doomsday Device

Cast

Bobby Van	...	Danny
Ruta Lee	...	Dr. Marion Turner
Mala Powers	...	Maj. Georgianna Bronski
James Craig	...	Dr. Haines
Grant Williams	...	Maj. Kurt Mason
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Dr. Christopher Perry
Essie Lin Chia	...	Girl Spy
Casey Kasem	...	Mission Control Officer
Lori Scott	...	Lt. Katie Carlson (as Lorri Scott)
Denny Miller	...	Col. Don Price (as Scott Miller)
Mike Farrell	...	1st Reporter
John Cestare
Raymond Mayo
Frank Gambina
Mark Bailey	...	Major / Astronaut
Leo Ramirez
Anthony Loder
Win De Lugo		(as Winston DeLugo)
Gábor Curtiz		(as Gabor Curtiz)
Mary Meade French	...	Woman Reporter
Josh Peine
Steven Roberts
Michael Christian
Robert Swan
Ted Markland
Karl Bruck
Skip Battyn
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stuart J. Byrne	...	(uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Harry Hope	...	(uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Jane Williams	...	(uncredited) (unconfirmed)

Directed by
Harry Hope
Lee Sholem

Writing credits
Stuart J. Byrne		(original story and screenplay)

Produced by
Harry Hope	....	producer
Oscar Nichols	....	executive producer (as Oscar L. Nichols)

Cinematography by
Stanley Cortez

Art Direction by
James E. Schwarm

Production Management
Charles Hammon	....	post-production supervisor

Art Department
David R. Smith	....	set constructor

Visual Effects by
William C. Davies	....	director of special effects photography
David L. Hewitt	....	creator of special visual effects
Mike Nussman	....	director of special effects lighting

Music Department
Bebe Barron	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Louis Barron	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• First Leisure

Distributors

• Cine-Find (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Shout! Factory (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Academy Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS) (as "Escape from Planet Earth")
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• S & S Sound Services  sound supervision

Also Known As:

Armageddon 1975
Doomsday
Escape from Planet Earth (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

First Leisure

Trivia:

Most of the movie was filmed in 1967 but due to a lack of financing it wasn't completed until 1972 when the producers had acquired enough money to complete the film, but without any of the original cast members.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Danny and Bronski approach the ghost capsule, their suits and voices alter (due to the use of different stock footage). Their helmets are also now shaded so that you can't see that they are played by different actors.

Quotes:

Danny: We're picking up a bomb of static. Must be due to the Van Allen Belt.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Movie Macabre: Doomsday Machine (#2.32)" (1983)

Two sci-fi movies in one!

Originally begun in 1967 under the title "Armageddon 1975", this movie was never actually completed. Why it was never finished is unclear. But somewhere down the line it was scrapped, shelved and forgotten. That was in 1967. Then about five years later, it was rediscovered by some amateur film maker and re-edited into a complete movie. When I first saw this movie, I realized I was watching two different films edited together. The original version stands out from the poor added footage that makes this movie terrible. The added footage alone is what destroys this flick ( too bad the producer couldn't locate the original actors to star in the re-edited version).Also, you'll see lots of footage taken from old Japanease Godzilla and Rodan movies. What a mess! The Doomsday Machine is one DOOMED MOVIE!