User Reviews

Science fiction movies of the 1950s frequently used the California desert as their settings. The remoteness, the barren nature of the landscape, the oppressive solitude combined to create a terrestrial otherworldliness that effectively enhanced their bizarre premises. In "The Phantom Car" director Herbert L. Strock continues that tradition quite nicely; in his hands the desert seems to be more than a place, but rather a co-conspirator with mysterious autonomous vehicle. There is an eeriness throughout the tale not found in many other entries in this series, and the desert setting has much to do with that. If not for the fact that this was an episode of Science Fiction Theatre, a supernatural cause would have been plausible. The story moves well and advances believably; while expedient, things happen at a comfortable pace, with each revelation building upon the previous ones until the riddle is solved. One of the better entries.

This is the tale of a runaway jalopy, loose on the desert. It tears around without a driver. An old prospector type sees it first and talks the sheriff into checking it out. The young wife of a newlywed couple is struck by the car, but an ambulance appears out of the blue as well as a specialist in brain trauma. The police can't seem to catch the darned thing so it keeps right on going. One issue that never comes up is why it didn't run out of gas. Eventually, another man is hit by the car and he knows things about it. The "whys" of this story are so badly answered that one can't help but find it simply amusing. Had it not been for the young woman nearly dying, it would have been comedic. Either don't miss this one or stay a few miles away.