‘Terrifying… monsters from a lost age!’
The Mole People is a 1956 American science fiction horror film directed by Virgil W. Vogel (The Land Unknown) from a screenplay by László Görög (The Spider). It was produced by William Alland (This Island Earth; Tarantula; Creature from the Black Lagoon). The Universal-International movie stars John Agar, Cynthia Patrick, Hugh Beaumont, Nestor Paiva and Alan Napier.
Plot:
Archaeologists Dr Roger Bentley (John Agar) and Dr Jud Bellamin (Hugh Beaumont) stumble upon a race of Sumerian albinos living deep under the Earth. They keep mutant humanoid mole men as their slaves to harvest mushrooms, their primary food source since they can grow without sunlight.
The Sumerian albinos’ ancestors moved into the subterranean after the cataclysmic floods in ancient Mesopotamia. Whenever their population increases, they sacrifice old people to the Eye of Ishtar, which – in reality – is natural light coming from the surface…
In the US, Scream Factory released The Mole People on Blu-ray on February 26, 2019.
The movie will be presented in two aspect ratios (1.85:1 and 2.00:1), with the following special features:
- Audio commentary with film historians Tom Weaver and David Schecter (new)
- Of Mushrooms and Madmen: The Making of the Mole People (new)
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 – The Mole People (standard definition)
- Still galleries: movie stills, posters and lobby cards
- Theatrical trailer
Reviews:
“Cool idea, inept execution. The unimaginative directorial style works against the movie at every turn. The script asks a lot of our disbelief-suspenders, and doesn’t give them much to work with. The acting is particularly shabby, and though Agar doesn’t seem as bored here as he did in Revenge of the Creature, he still basically sleepwalks through his role.” 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting
“The Mole People isn’t a good movie, but like much sci-fi, the movie does have you exploring theories and ideas which is generally seen as the difference between sci-fi and fantasy. I like that this is blended with a little horror for a nice combo. The movie is short, sweet and enjoyable for fans of the genre.” Basement Rejects
“This pulp adventure tale is made acceptable by the good mole make-up and rubber suits.” John Stanley, Creature Features
“I find it a lot more enjoyable in its use of spectacle; the shots of the underground city are fun to look at, and the hellish sights of the slave fields are particularly impressive. The story is pretty silly, and the idea that sunlight is fatal to these creatures isn’t really convincing…” Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings
“A dull script, pedestrian direction and dispirited acting are saved by some inventive set design and make-up.” Alan Frank, The Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Handbook, Batsford, 1982
“Of course it was a B-film, so things are not going to be top-of-the-line, but it was a solid, little science-fiction venture that never failed to entertain. The good guys were good, the bad guys were bad and you could sympathize with the Mole People come the end of the movie.” The Telltale Mind
Cast and characters:
- John Agar … Doctor Roger Bentley
- Cynthia Patrick … Adad
- Hugh Beaumont … Doctor Jud Bellamin
- Alan Napier … Elinu, the High Priest
- Nestor Paiva … Prof. Etienne Lafarge
- Phil Chambers … Doctor Paul Stuart
- Rodd Redwing … Nazar
- Robin Hughes … First Officer
- Frank Baxter … Himself
