Doomsday Machine (1972)

aka’s: Escape From Planet Earth/Armageddon 1975

Spies discover that the Red Chinese have built a “doomsday machine” capable of destroying the surface of the earth, and that they plan to use it soon. Meanwhile, Project Astra, a manned U.S. space mission to Venus, is in its final hours before launch when it is taken over by the military and nearly half of its all-male crew is replaced by women. The reason for this becomes apparent when, shortly after Astra leaves orbit, the earth is completely destroyed in a global cataclysm!

Most of this film was shot in 1967. But due to a lack of financing it wasn’t completed until 1972, when the producers had acquired enough money to complete the film, but without any of the original cast members. Stars Grant Williams, Mala Powers, Denny Miller and Bobby Van.

This film uses several special effects shots taken from Yosei Gorasu (1962), including most of the exterior shots of space flight involving the ship and other space stations. Many of the other shots of both the spacecraft (showing a completely different craft than featured in the Yosei Gorasu footage) and interior shots of television screens are taken from the film The Wizard Of Mars (1964).