Today I've got three science fiction short movies from the Children's Film Foundation. They appear on a British DVD from BFI called Outer Space. I've gotten a few DVDs from BFI, the two TinTin movies and two CFF Famous Five serials. I'd seen this DVD listed but hadn't bought it. Someone loaned me a copy out of the blue and I watched it today. Here are the stories and their description from Amazon UK in italics. I added some screen caps.
Supersonic Saucer (1956) tells the heart-rending story of Meba, an adorable baby flying saucer from Venus with extraordinary extra-terrestrial powers who arrives on an exploratory mission to earth. Adopted by a group of children, he helps the youngsters prevent a robbery at their school.
The alien is a puppet that doesn't look that great but I can forgive that because the budgets are pretty tiny in those programs. He does have googly eyes that cry. I liked the kids, there are two girls and two boys that are stuck at school for the holidays when the alien stops by. He's from Venus and that's his planet above. The puppet turns into an animated spaceship that can get through cracks under doors. He causes some trouble because he's young. Eventually he helps stop the robbers and goes home because there isn't anything he can eat on the Earth.
In the delightful Kadoyng (1972) it looks as if nothing can stop the village of Byway being demolished to make way for the new motorway. Until, that is, a jovial visitor with an unusual appendage descends from the planet Stoikal and helps a trio of children prevent the construction work. This enjoyable escapade starts stalwart comic actor Bill Owen (Last of the Summer Wine).
Kadoyng has an onion shaped appendage growing out of his head. He has some magical powers and that helps keep Bill Owens from forcing the motorway through the town. It's rather silly and I enjoyed the story.
The award-winning The Glitterball (1977) sees two young boys come to the aid of a tiny spherical alien who is trying to return to its mothership, while being pursued by both the Air Force and a devious petty crook. A perennial CFF favourite starring veteran British actor Ron Pember.
They use stop motion and gravity to move the ball and give it some personality. That all works fairly well. I liked the small spaceship the ball came in, that's it in the upper left, and the mothership in the lower right picture is OK too. It's got some humor and slapstick. I'm putting the DVD on my want list at Amazon UK. It's only 6 pounds.
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