Rocketship X-M (1950)

Lloyd Bridges stars in this classic space adventure. Astronauts heading to the Moon take an unintended detour to Mars. The film turns a noticeable corner once they reach the red planet. It drops the attempted realism of a “space procedural” and becomes a compelling parable about nuclear war. The special effects seem a bit weak even for 1950, though the ruined city on Mars is quite good. The film plays somewhat slowly to modern eyes in parts. Yet, it is only 77 minutes long so viewing is not tedious. In fact the whole Martian storyline makes up for slowness at the beginning.