10 Silliest 50s Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked | ScreenRant

There is no shortage of silly science fiction films produced during the 1950s. With the fear and paranoia over the atomic bomb and its potentially monstrous mutations, the subgenre took the opportunity to explore some of the most outlandish stories, plots, and premises in cinematic history during this era.

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And while some movies produced during the decade have gone on to become all-time classics, such as Forbidden Planet or The Day the Earth Stood Still, countless others took their ridiculous storylines to the outer-limits of sordid silliness. And often times, the real pleasure comes when the silliness of the plot is combined with the inferior budget of the production.

10 King Dinosaur (1955)

In Bert I. Gordon's King Dinosaur, a quartet of astronauts are sent to explore a new planet called Nova. When they touch down on the planet, they are soon welcomed by a ferocious collection of gigantic alligators, snakes, ants, and more. However, they misidenitfy a kinkajou for a lemur and vultures for crows.

Here's the kicker. The giant monsters are led by King Dinosaur, which is really just an iguana forced to stand on its hind legs to appear like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The foursome uses atomic power to destroy the iguana in the end.

9 Teenage Zombies (1959)

The year 1959 produced some of the most ludicrous sci-fi films of the decade. For instance, Jay Warren's Teenage Zombies follows a foursome of water-skiing teenagers who happen upon a mysterious island led by maniacal scientist, Dr. Myra (Katherine Victor).

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With sponsorship from "The East," Dr. Maya sends her zombified henchman Ivan (Chuck Jones) to capture the kids and put them in a cage so that she can inject a nerve agent that turns them into brainless zombies. The silliest part comes in the climax when a zombie gorilla appears out of nowhere and saves the teens.

8 Prince Of Space (1959)

The silly Japanese film Prince of Space sounds tame enough in name, but the premise and poor production values make it one of the most laughable sci-fi outings of the decade.

The plot concerns an alien race from Planet Krankor, sent to Earth by their leader Phantom to overtake the planet and claim it as their own. However, the aliens resemble chickens! Out to save the day is a mysterious superhero named Wally, AKA the Prince of Space. Even sillier, Planet Krankor is located only 500,000 miles from Earth, making it the closest planet in the solar system.

7 The Aztec Mummy Against The Humanoid Robot (1958)

At one point during Rafael Portillo's high-concept The Aztec Mummy Against the Humanoid Robot, a character uses a cross to ward off the mummy's attack. However, the mummy was buried far before the idea of crucifixion.

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The rest of the film is as risible as it sounds. A demented doctor builds a cyborg with a robotic body and human brain to pillage priceless Aztec treasure, which is buried in a crypt protected by an ancient mummy. The two entities fight to the death in what is the third chapter in the Mexican trilogy.

6 Attack Of The Giant Leeches (1959)

With due respect for The Killer Shrews, The Deadly Mantis, The Giant Gila Monster, and more, Attack of the Giant Leeches is the most ridiculous creature-feature of the 1950s.

The film follows Dave, a man who witnesses two giant monsters near a swamp in town. After catching his wife cheating with another man, Dave chases them into the swamp where they are ravaged by the monstrous blood-sucking leeches. Dave is arrested for their murder, unconvinced of his story about the giant leeches, which go on to murder more townsfolk.

5 Devil Girl From Mars (1954)

Although it boasts one of the higher IMDb scores of any movie on this list, the premise behind Devil Girl From Mars is downright lunacy.

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Patricia Laffan stars as Nyah, a black leather-clad alien dominatrix equipped with a ray-gun and robot sidekick. As Nyah lands on planet Earth from Mars, she uses her sexuality to round up as many human men as she can so she can breed endlessly and save the Martian race from extinction.

4 Monster Robot (1953)

The only thing sillier than a Monster Robot is a 3D Monster Robot, which can be seen in Phil Tucker's 1953 film of the same name. The story concerns Ro-Man, a malefic alien resembling a primate in a scuba helmet out to destroy the eight remaining earthlings.

The cheap $20,000 production was shot and projected using 3D technology. In 1980, the film earned a Golden Turkey Award for "The Most Ridiculous Monster in Screen History."

3 Cat-Women On The Moon (1953)

Aside from boasting the best title on the list, Cat-Women on the Moon also happens to be a 3D black-and-white sci-fi curio. The film traces a quintet of astronauts on a mission to the dark side of the moon.

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Upon arrival, the space crew is met by a mysterious monster able to breathe on the moon without technological help. Later, they discover a clandestine subterranean city in which an octet of telepathic, leopard-clad vixens dwell. With large moon spiders abound, the cat-women attempt to steal the crew's spaceship to invade Earth.

2 Mesa Of Lost Women (1953)

Mesa of Lost Women sounds like a reasonable enough title on paper. However, the premise entails a sinister scientist in Mexico who creates humongous spiders and grotesque human dwarves in his lab. His prize creation, Tarentella, has the ability to regenerate excised limbs.

The goal of the sick scientist is to create a superhuman race of women by injecting spider toxins into their bloodstream. With poor production values, confusing flashbacks, and an annoying musical score, the film left everyone who saw it scratching their heads.

1 Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957)

As one big nod to Edward D Wood Jr., by far the silliest sci-fi director of the 1950s, Plan 9 From Outer Space tops the list. What the movie lacks in quality it makes up for in Wood's bubbly enthusiasm.

The derivative story concerns an alien race invading Earth to execute its "Plan 9." The plan includes reanimating human corpses from the grave and dictating their attack on the living humans on the planet. Made for roughly $60,000, the movie is far too ambitious for its production costs and plays more like an unintentional comedy than a terrifying thriller.

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