Spaceways

Did You Know?

• Principal photography took place at Bray Studios, Windsor, England from November 17, 1952 to mid-January 1953.
• Some spaceship takeoff scenes were special effects shots taken from the Robert Lippert film Rocketship X-M (1950).
• Jimmy Sangster served as Assistant Director on the film.

Plot

Engineer Dr Stephen Mitchell works on a British space programme planning to launch an artificial satellite. At a cocktail party, the defence council approves the project. Mitchell's wife Vanessa, unhappy with the base life, slips away with Dr Philip Crenshaw, her lover. Mitchell leaves with mathematician Lisa Frank, who loves him.

Later, Mitchell confronts Vanessa about kissing Crenshaw. The satellite rocket launches but fails to reach maximum altitude. Crenshaw and Vanessa vanish. Dr Smith secretly investigates and concludes Mitchell murdered them and hid the bodies in the fuel tanks.

Smith accuses Mitchell, revealing Crenshaw was a spy with a German university degree. Mitchell volunteers for the second rocket launch to prove his innocence. Smith learns a new team member joined before the disappearance and a security guard died in an accident. Smith and police find Crenshaw and Vanessa alive at a seaside cottage.

Crenshaw plans to go to Russia, not America. When Vanessa refuses, Crenshaw pulls a gun. Smith intervenes; during a scuffle, the gun fires and kills Vanessa.

Critical reception

Science fiction fans found the film disappointing, citing an overemphasis on murder mystery and insufficient science fiction. Historian Tom Johnson noted cheap sets, stock footage, a dull lead hero, and a lack of action. Glenn Erickson of DVD Savant described it as a lukewarm murder mystery in a science fiction setting. Monthly Film Bulletin called it a dull and shoddy affair, wasting footage on a poor man's version of The Net, with ludicrous gadgetry.

Kine Weekly viewed it as an interplanetary melodrama coloured by pseudo-scientific jargon, with little action in the first half but entertaining for youngsters. Variety found Terence Fisher's direction methodical and the script betraying its radio play origin with static dialogue, though the finale had suspense. Boxoffice praised the believable plotting and capable acting, noting authentic rocket clips and a romantic thread for feminine audiences.

Picturegoer considered it a pretty effective first British science-fiction entry, a melodrama-and-hokum sandwich worth a bite. David Quinlan rated the film mediocre in British Sound Films.