Actually this is one of my favorite 50's sci-fi films and one of my favorite films of 1959. I agree with Clarke's self-evaluation (liked his notes on DVD) on his direction 'It moves'. Instead of the usual 10 minutes of set-up laboratory scenes; it goes directly into the aftermath of the accident. More sense of action in this one, too, than usual. The camera angles seem good to me with lots of 50's L.A. cityscapes, coastal highways, beach, and oil fields. I enjoyed the 'why me' scene and Clarke's performance a lot. His presenting himself as a flawed character lead was a step above the usual bland 50's sci-fi character lead. His film-noir affair with Nan Peterson was definitely a plus. Definitely more than one would expect from a film that has been depicted as a turkey or one star movie in film guides. Anyhow, kudos to Clarke, and hope to find his autobiography someday.
Review of The Hideous Sun Demon
