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<\/p>\nModest Z-picture Sci-fi groaners are an American staple, but this English effort is just as desperate. Landing on a moon of Jupiter, Astronauts find a verdant valley just like England, and encounter an Atlantean society with nymphs that dance to Borodin. We watched it 20 times as kids, and it never made much sense; perhaps the extras on this release will rank it in film history just behind 2001: A Space Odyssey. Or maybe not.<\/p>\n
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Fire Maidens of Outer Space<\/b> We\u2019re presently awaiting a 3-D disc that will show off Marie Windsor and Victor Jory in full-on depth. \u00a0<\/p>\n Out of this World Shock Sensation!<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n Fire Maidens was produced in England. Its main title repeats the credit \u2018Cy Roth\u2019 multiple times, as the producer, writer, director and presenter of the show, making sure that he\u2019s given separate credits for the original screen story and for the screenplay. Cy\u2019s show is one of the laziest film productions of 1956. All of the spaceship visuals are lifter from movies released by Robert L. Lippert. The space rocket en route to the 13th moon of Jupiter, and a meteor shower are stock shots from Kurt Neumann\u2019s Rocketship XM<\/a>. Shots of a V-2 missile flying sideways through clouds appear borrowed from Bert I. Gordon\u2019s cheapie King Dinosaur<\/a>.<\/p>\n No real attempt is made to create excitement or suspense through directing or cutting. Entire scenes are filmed from a single camera angle. Whenever director Roth cuts back to ground control during the long mission, we see the same six or seven scientists and military men, standing in roughly the same positions, wearing the same costumes. Director Cy Roth seems more interested in stretching the picture out to feature length. The hike from the spaceship to the Fire Maidens\u2019 palace requires crossing three fields. For every trip back to the ship, we must watch as someone dutifully walks or runs through each of the three locations.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Some call it contempt for the audience.<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n An overdubbed joke in Woody Allen\u2019s spoof What\u2019s Up Tiger Lily?<\/a> implies that a female extra walking through the frame must be the director\u2019s girlfriend. We really believe that\u2019s exactly what happens in the film\u2019s one pre-spaceflight scene, inside an observatory. A professor (Sydney Tafler) calls for his secretary, and the camera tilts up to a catwalk high above. We watch patiently as a woman in a pleated skirt slowly descends a flight of steps, opens and closes two gates, and sits to take about ten seconds\u2019 worth of dictation. We then follow her as she retraces her steps, repeating the business with the two gates before climbing the stairs once again. The one-shot scene is pure padding. If it were meant as a joke, there\u2019s no payoff. \u00a0*<\/b><\/p>\n TV\u2019s Captain Video had a better spaceship set. Cy Roth\u2019s astronauts fly to Jupiter while seated in ordinary office chairs. Life on another planet isn\u2019t a big deal after all. Approaching the Jupiterian moon, the adventurers receive an English-language radio transmission from below, giving them landing instructions. Then<\/b> they wonder about what kind of life might exist on this alien world.<\/p>\n After landing they step out into the unknown environment as if exiting a rowboat. The 13th Moon of Jupiter has an atmosphere identical to Earth\u2019s. They can walk around in ordinary clothes. The landscape is a perfect match for rural England, with pleasant fields bordered by stands of trees and manicured hedges. Much later, more padding is added when the two leading men are imprisoned in an English-style castle, and search for a secret exit. They tap the walls for what seems several minutes, with no particular urgency.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n When the explorers first arrive, they are invited into the walled palace of the Fire Maidens by a feeble old man named Prasus (Owen Berry). He relates an incomprehensible story about the lost continent of Atlantis departing Earth and resettling here on the 13th moon of Jupiter. Prasus seems more than a little confused. At regular intervals he raises his arms in homage to a portrait of a grand lady, identifying her as the grandmother of his daughter Princess Hestia (Susan Shaw). A little later he refers to her as Aphrodite. He also says that she\u2019s the original Queen of Atlantis. \u00a0So \u2026 Atlantis was intact on Earth just three generations ago?<\/p>\n Hestia barely talks. She sets her cap for the scientist Luther Blair (Anthony Dexter), a smug, unlikeable guy who also happens to be the film\u2019s leading man. Meanwhile the leading dancer Duessa (Jacqueline Curtiss) expresses her desire for the chaste married man Captain Larson (Paul Carpenter). \u00a0Adulterous Fire Maidens of Outer Space? \u00a0All Stanley Kubrick found in Jupiter orbit was a boring old Star Gate to the Other End of the Universe.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Careful when you answer questions about this movie on TV\u2019s Jeopardy. The dozen or so ex- Atlantean women are not called Fire Maidens because they are made of fire, or shoot fire out of their noses or anything. But one of their dances takes place before a flaming hearth. We lost count of the film\u2019s dance scenes. The narrative stops dead still for minutes at a time while the Maidens perform faux-Grecian choreography to the tune of Alexander Borodin\u2019s Polovtsian Dancers, popularized as the easy listening standard Stranger in Paradise. One or two Relief Maidens consistently sit out the dancing, and instead strike plaintive poses against a nearby pillar. No musicians are present; what we hear is an uninspiring orchestral recording.<\/p>\n Despite other soundtrack samplings of Borodin\u2019s Greatest Hits, the 13th moon of Jupiter never seems much of a Paradise. Neither does the romantic angle catch fire, thanks to Anthony Dexter\u2019s unpleasant personality and limp direction. The accomplished actress Susan Shaw looks catatonic \u2014 her Princess Hestia typically stands and stares with a complete lack of expression. Is this moon The Planet Also Known as \u2018Who Cares?\u2019 \u00a0Nobody seems concerned when the only male survivor of Atlantis kicks the bucket. Princess Hestia doesn\u2019t react much when she\u2019s invited to accompany the astronauts back to Earth.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Monster? \u00a0Could be worse.<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n For a monster, Fire Maidens of Outer Space offers up \u2018The Creature,\u2019 a phantom in black. Exactly what he is and where he comes from are never divulged. The Creature is seen mostly in long shots, partly obscured by garden vegetation. One or two close-ups show a face like pitted teakwood, sanded to a fine finish. His shiny black head has a protruding chin and forehead that make him look like an Easter Island statue, only shrunken by headhunters. The Creature growls and screams when shot. For a budget bogeyman he\u2019s not half bad. The credited makeup man is by Roy Ashton, of Hammer Films fame. The very next year, he assisted Philip Leaky on Christopher Lee\u2019s unique monster makeup for \u00a0The Curse of Frankenstein<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although a credits disclaimer tells us that, \u2018All Characters In Space Are Fictitious,\u2019 on no level does this show function as an intentional comedy. Most everything that happens is absurd, but our reaction is to shake our heads in disbelief, not laugh. Cy Roth\u2019s lack of commitment makes us appreciate the earnestness of a talent-challenged filmmaker like Edward D. Wood. As painfully desperate as it may be, Wood\u2019s maladroit Plan Nine from Outer Space is the work of a sincere director doing his utmost best.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n For reasons that even Bill Warren<\/a> failed to uncover, Cy Roth\u2019s movie is said to have been titled in England as Fire Maidens from<\/b> Outer Space. It turned up on American television almost immediately after its theatrical release. Interrupted by dozens of commercials, it became an ubiquitous midnight offering, along with turnips like W. Lee Wilder\u2019s The Snow Creature.<\/p>\n One might think that Fire Maidens would have bestowed the kiss of death on the Z-movie \u2018Showgirls in Space\u2019 formula. Yet two years later Allied Artists released Queen of Outer Space<\/a>, produced in color and CinemaScope and starring Zsa Zsa Gabor. Its spacemen crack jokes constantly, but it isn\u2019t supposed to be a comedy. Astor Pictures\u2019 groan-inducing 1959 Missile to the Moon<\/a> re-runs the screenplay for Cat-Women of the Moon, adding Gumby-like rubbery \u2018Rock Men\u2019 monsters to the mix. Almost thirty years later, producer Robert K. Weiss resurrected the sub-genre\u2019s tacky charm for his comedy spoof \u00a0Amazon Women on the Moon<\/a>.<\/p>\n Anthony Dexter had at least a little name recognition in the United States, having starred as Valentino in a 1951 biopic. But we never realized that several of the film\u2019s performers had prestigious English credits. Sydney Tafler and Susan Shaw had leading roles in the classic \u00a0It Always Rains on Sunday<\/a>, and Ms. Shaw also has an important part in another postwar classic, \u00a0Pool of London<\/a>. As a child actor Hugh Fowler made a positive impression in Ealing Films, Cavalcanti\u2019s suspenseful \u00a0Went the Day Well?<\/a> and Charles Crichton\u2019s \u00a0Hue and Cry.<\/a><\/p>\n Fire Maidens of Outer Space was once the kind of movie one expected to find on an old VHS tape, gathering dust in a closet. Watching this slick HD presentation, we feel like we\u2019re in a film lab screening room in 1956. Listen closely, and you may hear Cy Roth shouting: \u00a0\u201cShip it! \u00a0Make sure my name gets on the list for Academy consideration \u2014 all categories!\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Vinegar Syndrome\u2019s Blu-ray<\/b> of Fire Maidens of Outer Space<\/b> is a handsome presentation, said to be scanned and restored in 4K from its 35mm fine grain master. It is in perfect shape, and very clean. We can almost hear the phonograph needle hitting the groove when the Borodin music begins for yet another Fire Maiden dance. The clear soundtrack replicates the varying situations for the audio recording, as in the echoey interior of the observatory.<\/p>\n In terms of transfer quality it betters the older Olive Films disc. That encoding had dirt and scuff marks in the opening and around reel changes; its image was very good overall, but not as crisp and clean as this new 4K job.<\/p>\n The puzzling thing is a simple issue of aspect ratio. Released in 1956, Fire Maidens is very much a widescreen movie. Olive gave us a handsome 1:66 scan but Vinegar Syndrome leaves it full frame. Composition-wise, it\u2019s back to looking loose and unfocused. We wonder why VS would do this \u2026 and if collectors will mind. Perhaps it was all the licensor provided.<\/p>\n The Disc is Region A restricted. It is the U.S. cut, with no distributor logo. This was pointed out to us by correspondent Tim Rogerson, who explained the differences between the titles Fire Maidens of Outer Space and Fire Maidens from<\/b> Outer Space. Rogerson was the first to make us aware of the film\u2019s numerous bits of product placement. Not only does everyone smoke Chesterfield cigarettes and mention a particular airline by name, every clock, watch and timepiece we see is by Longines. The captain even says something to the effect of, \u00a0Let\u2019s all synchronize our Longines watches. \u00a0Producer Roth surely collected side fees for this, or at least raked in a lot of smokes and a watch or two!<\/p>\n The previous disc had no extras, so VS has a clear field there. Fire Maidens is the kind of marginal picture about which fans are naturally curious; even \u00a0Bill Warren<\/a> had to restrict himself to \u2018observation\u2019 remarks \u2014 back in the day few people reviewed this show, let alone gave it critical attention.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n From Earth to Planet Hartfordshire.<\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n The disc carries two separate audio commentaries. The first is by Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby, who apply themselves nobly to the task. They make intelligent observations about the film\u2019s production weaknesses. Rigby\u2019s winning quality is an encyclopedic knowledge of actors and filmmakers. His remarks go far beyond anything one could cull from the IMDB.<\/p>\n It figures. The world knows less than nothing about the production of Fire Maidens, but what IS known comes from Tom Weaver. At one point the commentators quote Robert Clarke and Tom Weaver for some negative opinions on Cy Roth. He was an American, so the Brits can offload the blame for Fire Maidens on us. And they watch the show carefully, noting jump cuts and errata like the presence of traffic noise on the soundtrack in the observatory scene.<\/p>\n The second audio track isn\u2019t a commentary. Chris Shields and Sarah Fensom contribute a joke track, an MST3000 or Rifftracks approach. Fire Maidens isn\u2019t exactly a pompous picture that needs more ridicule, but I doubt anyone will complain.<\/p>\n Two video featurettes are present. Dr. Sabina Stent (\u00a0her page<\/a>) does a light overview of the show, with the premise that it does little for Sci-fi and in fact is a backwards step in the progress of the genre. She also points out things we didn\u2019t notice, like a howler continuity error \u2026 in a close-up of a Longines watch.<\/p>\n Benjamin Tucker\u2019s shorter piece focuses on the actresses playing the Fire Maidens. Some of the info is duplicated in the Lyons-Rigby track, but Tucker lets us fix faces to credits. Jan Holden from The Stranglers of Bombay is one of the Fire Maidens. The Atlantean Maidens at least are not given ugly costumes and garish makeup, like the sad Moon Girls in the later \u00a0Missile to the Moon<\/a>.<\/p>\n I made my own cheap joke up top, comparing Fire Maidens to Kubrick\u2019s 2001. \u00a0Well, both space missions do go to Jupiter. Now the extras tell us that Fire Maiden First Class Maya Koumani has an uncredited small role as one of the Russians in Kubrick\u2019s film. So there is<\/b> a direct connection between this humble picture and the acknowledged masterpiece. Did Ms. Koumani whisper in Kubrick\u2019s ear, letting him in on Cy Roth\u2019s brilliant ideas for directing films?<\/p>\n Reviewed by Glenn Erickson<\/p>\n Fire Maidens of Outer Space<\/b> Wellllll, the \u2018female extra\u2019 in Fire Maidens of Outer Space isn\u2019t the director\u2019s girlfriend \u2014 it\u2019s the wife of Fire Maidens\u2019 co-star Paul Carpenter, Kim Parker<\/b>. \u00a0Once they\u2019re on the moon of Jupiter, she doubles as one of the Fire Maidens. A year or two later, she and Marshall Thompson starred in \u00a0Fiend Without a Face<\/a>. Visit CineSavant\u2019s Main Column Page<\/a>
Blu-ray<\/b>
Vinegar Syndrome
1956 \/ B&W \/ 1:37 Academy (?) \/ 81 min. \/ Street Date , 2025 \/ Available from Vinegar Syndrome<\/a> \/ 39.98
Starring: Anthony Dexter, Susan Shaw, Paul Carpenter, Sydney Tafler, Harry Fowler, Jacqueline Curtis, Maya Koumani, Jan Holden, Kim Parker, Bill Nagy, Denys Graham.
Cinematography: Ian D. Struthers
Art Director: Scott MacGregor
Costume Design: Cynthia Tingey
Film Editor: A.C.T. Clair
Makeup Artist: Roy Ashton
Composer: Trevor Duncan
Original Story and Screenplay by Cy Roth
Produced by Cy Roth
Directed by Cy Roth<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/6250CSlogoleft0120.png\")
<\/a>What\u2019s with the flaky sub-genre of rocket voyage movies where astronauts discover \u2018babes in space,\u2019 on various heavenly bodies? \u00a0Two films from 1953 posited the silly notion that the first spacemen on another world would encounter a race of gorgeous Amazons. Universal\u2019s comedy \u00a0Abbott and Costello Go to Mars<\/a>, populated Venus with curvaceous Hollywood showgirls. A few months later, the 3-D production Cat-Women of the Moon did the same thing on the moon, only cheaper.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, out of nowhere comes a legendary title with a reputation among the lowest of the low, Fire Maidens of Outer Space<\/b>, yet another threadbare production that wanted a piece of \u201950s monster mania box office profits. We look to this deluxe disc release for a reason why it was needed, as we were more than satisfied with Olive Films\u2019 2013 Blu-ray.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/7360k.png\")
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Blu-ray rates:
Movie: Beyond all Comprehension
Video: Excellent with a regrettable aspect ratio choice
Sound: Excellent
Supplements:
Audio commentary with Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons
Audio commentary with Chris Shields and Sarah Fensom
Video ssay One Step Back: Sci-Fi\u2019s Regressive Outliers (12 min) by Dr. Sabina Stent
Video essay The Fire Maidens: Another Look at the Starlets (7 min) by Benjamin Tucker.
Deaf and Hearing-impaired Friendly? YES<\/b>; Subtitles: English (feature only)
Packaging: One Blu-ray in Keep case
Reviewed: July 22, 2025
(7360fire)\u00a0\u00a0*<\/b> \u00a0 A note from Tom Weaver, 07 26 25:<\/b> \u00a0Glenn \u2014 You wrote, \u2018An overdubbed joke in Woody Allen\u2019s spoof \u00a0What\u2019s Up Tiger Lily? implies that a female extra walking through the frame must be the director\u2019s girlfriend.\u2019<\/p>\n![\"CINESAVANT\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/6250twologo0120small.jpg\")
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Glenn Erickson answers most reader mail: cinesavant@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n
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