"The Invisible Enemy"
 
Alternate Title: "The Yellow Sand"
Production Order #35 and Broadcast Order #39
Shooting Days: 13-20 July 1964
First Air Date: October 31, 1964
 
Production Credits:
Writer: Jerry Sohl
Director: Byron Haskin
Assistant Director: Robert H. Justman
Director of Photography: Kenneth Peach
Composer: Harry Lubin
Cast of Characters:
Adam West as Major Charles Merritt
Rudy Solari as Captain Jack Buckley
Peter Marko as Captain Paul Lazzari
Robert DoQui as Captain Frank Johnson
Joe Maross as General Winston
Chris Alcaide as Colonel Hal Danvers
Ted Knight as Mr. Jerome
 
Opening Narration:
"In the vast immensities of cosmic space, bold adventurers streak their way to join battle with strange enemies on strange worlds—the alien, the unknown, perhaps even the invisible, armed only with Man's earthbound knowledge..."
 
Plotline:
A first space expedition of two astronauts is launched to probe planet Mars and suddenly vanishes. Three years later, a new expedition of four men arrives on the Marsian ground to discover that the original crew was killed by a gigantic blood-thirsty sand shark.
 
Closing Narration:
"Battle joined. Casualties? Yes. Resolution: Victory, of a sort. A painful step from the crib of destiny. On another day, a friend, perhaps, instead of a deadly peril—part of the saga of the space pioneers."
 
Quote:
"Funny thing that sand, isn't it? Looks just like the ocean at the Cape... I used to love to look at the moon on the water."
—Captain Jack Buckley (Rudy Solari)
Comments:
The only episode that takes place on another planet with a pre-"Dune" sand monster and a horror-oriented pace a la Steven Spielberg's "Jaws". Notice the space suits from "Men Into Space" which are slightly modified for the first expedition M-1 (see the retro black pieces on the arms and legs). One major inconsistency: the Marsian area requires no need for oxygen, the astronauts open their helmets from the prologue? The first expedition suffers from a transmission delay (of three minutes) that is translated in terms of editing by a fade to oil to an industrial pyramid known as the earthling space center. The next expedition M-2 operates with a brand new computer named Tilly. The molded seats in the recreation room where the four men sat into is seen in "Expanding Human". The casual uniforms worn on Mars are from "Nightmare". Notice the blatant cheap painting of Mars while major Merritt keeps an eye on Lazzari, the first victim, throughout his binoculars. Second victim: Captain Johnson dies with his bazooka on. The character of Rudy Solari (Cf. regular actor on the 1967 anarchist war series "Garrison's Gorillas", inspired by Robert Aldrich's "The Dirty Dozens") is the star of this routine military drama because he brings spontaneity into his Captain Jack Buckley who finds a flower (Cf. "Specimen: Unknown") and pebble-gems that he wants to keep for himself; he is attracted by the sand ocean, lets his mind go drifting and digs the invisible enemy's camouflage (quick cuts from a real ocean to a sand one). The Buckley character looks like and reminds jumpy Private Dix from "Nightmare": Rudy Solari's face is made in the same mold of young Martin Sheen. Both Buckley and Merritt play with their blood in a cat and mouse game as bullfighters to save their neck. This is Byron Haskin's TV companion piece to his feature film: "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" (starring Adam West too), from a story by Ib Melchior, who writes "The Premonition". The sand monster emits cries as the alien crab from "The Invisibles". On the whole, it is merely an unpretentious space adventure/action-packed episode. TV Analogy: One segment from "Rod Serling's Night Gallery" had the same basic storyline: "The Nature of the Enemy". Notes: writing materials by Byron Haskin, Seeleg Lester and Ben Brady.