SPACE PROBE TAURUS (1965)

SPACE PROBE TAURUS (1965)

Tagline: Horror so incredible it stretches the mind of man beyond the breaking point 

(Sci-Fi, Space Travel, Giant Crabs) [G]

Note: This film was not given an MPAA rating but did air on AMC under a [G] rating, so I believe if it came out today it would have gotten a [G]. This movie was also called FIRST WOMAN IN SPACE. 

I would stick close to the bottom all the way. I don’t want one of those crabs mistaking you for the blue plate special…

In this one, we are taken to the distant year 2000 and brought aboard space ship Hope One to find “Tyros” in an effort to colonize new planets. However, due to an encounter with a spaceship piloted by a single alien and a meteorite storm, they are driven off course and land underwater on a hostile planet. Can the crew survive the elements and themselves?

The first thing I noticed about his movie is how hysterically low-budget it appears. The models in this don’t even look as good as some of the toys kids had in the 60s. The Hope One’s interior design is fine, but the outside is really bad. This is to be expected in some of these films, but the budget doesn’t determine design and that is where this movie struggles. It seems like just about anyone with an underwater camera could have shot this in a decent-sized fish tank.  

What is good about this thing is the acting. Probably best known for CURSE OF THE SWAMP CREATURE, this is a strong outing for Francine York who plays Dr. Lisa Wayne in this. They give her some decent lines and she takes on the role with a lot of confidence which stands out. Dr. John Andros played by Baynes Barron is a selfish horn dog in this flick, but Baynes handles the role fine as much as I didn’t like him. Baynes is best known for FROM HELL IT CAME. We also get James Brown as Col. Hank Stevens. He’s kind of a macho type who really didn’t want Dr. Lisa on board. Brown is best known for the TV show “Dallas”. Col. Hank does go through some character growth in this one which adds to the storyline. 

The script in this is pretty good overall aside from the hokey references to the debunked myth of evolution. I like the characters overall and it doesn’t feel like there is a lot of wasted dialog. Everything moves the plot forward so that we can actually start to care about these characters. I also liked that this ship had a “force shield”. I have watched a lot of sci-fi from the 50s and 60s and this is the first time I have heard the idea of a “force shield” mentioned getting used by earthlings in a movie. I can’t say for sure if this is the first time that idea gets brought up in a movie though. That would be a great trivia question. I know it was something we got a lot in the TV show Star Trek, but that didn’t come out until a year later and wasn’t a movie.  

The score in this thing works to an extent, but bumping that up a bit would have done this film some favors. Overall I found this to be a rather enjoyable flick even if it’s not on anyone’s must-see list. It’s still good fun for a relaxing Saturday afternoon. 

I give SPACE SHIP TAURUS a 4 out of 7. The script is good enough to overcome the budget and design issues, and I didn’t mind the use of actual crabs rather than guys in crab suits or something else. 

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