WAY IN THE

MIDDLE OF THE Afft

By RAY BRADBURY
Slowly the block river moved past, on inexorable
tide, bound for a strange, unbelievable rendezvous
with a fleet of spaceships that was coming to take
them to the promised land, to a land in the sky . . .

u
«r)ID you hear about it?"
"About what?"
how can they do that?"
"They not only can, b>
"The niggers, the niggers I" and are."
"What about 'em?" "Just a couple?"
"Their leaving —
pulling out- -go- "Allot themt"
"No."
ing away; did you hear?"
"What you mean, 'pulling ouV "Yesl"

Btmirttte* by Jo* Win Tithuom

 WAY IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE AIR
By RAY BRADBURY
Slowly the black river moved past, on Inexorable
tide, bound for a strange, unbelievable rendezvous
with a fleet of spaceships that was coming to take
them to the promised land, to a land in the sky . . .
 " —

144 OTHER WORLDS

"I got to see that. I don't believe tide came the sound of a river, a
it. Where they going—Africa?" summer-day river going somewhere,
A silence. murmuring and irrevocable. In that
"Mars." slow steady channel of darkness that
"You mean the planet Mars?" cut across the white glare of day,
"That's right." were touches of alert white, the eyes,
The men stood up in the hot shade the ivory eyes staring ahead, glancing
of the hardware porch. Some one aside, as the river, the long and end-
quit lighting a pipe. Somebody else less river, took itself from old chan-
spat out into the hot dust of noon. nels into new ones. From various
"They can't leave, they can't do and uncountable tributaries, in creeks
that." and brooks of color and motion, the
"They're doing it, anyways." parts of this river had joined, become
"Where'd you hear this?" one mother current, and flowed on.
"It's everywhere, on the radio a Brimming the swell were things car-
minute ago, just come through." ried by the river —
Grandfather clocks
Like a series of dusty statues, the chiming, kitchen clocks ticking, caged
men came to life. hens screaming, and babies wailing.
Samuel Teece, the hardware pro- Swimming among the thickened ed-
prietor,laughed uneasily. "I won- dies were mules and cats, and sudden
dered what happened to 'Silly,' I excursions of burst mattress springs
sent him on my bike an hour ago, floating by with hair stuffing sticking
and he ain't come back from Mrs. out of them. There were boxes and
Bordman's yet. You think that black crates and pictures of dark Grand-
fool just pedaled off to Mars?" fathers in oak frames — the river
The men snorted. flowed on while the men sat like
"All I say is he better bring back nervous hounds on the hardware
my bike. I don't take stealing from porch, their hands empty and it was
no one, by God." too late for them to mend the levee.
"Listen 1

Far up the street the levee seemed Samuel Teece wouldn't believe it.

to have broken, and the black, warm "Why, hell, where'd they get the
waters descended and engulfed the transportation, how they goin' to get
town. Between tb.e blazing white to Mars?"
banks of the town stores, among the "Rockets," said Grandpa Quarter-
silence of treesand men, a black tide main.
flowed. Like a kind of summer mo- "Of all the damn fool — rockets
lasses, itpoured turgidly forth upon ain't ready for that yet."
the cinnamon-colored dusty road. It "Yes they are."
surged slowly, slowly, and it was men, "Be another ten years before
"
women, horses and barking dogs, and rockets can go even to the Moon
it was little boys and girls. From the "These are ready."
mouths of the people drifting in this "I never heard about it."
 WAV IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIR 145

"Seems these niggers kept it secret, won't get down on my knees (o stop
worked on the rockets all themselves, her." *

don't know where, in Africa I "But she's like a family member!"

reckon." "Don't shout! I won't have you
"Could they do that?" demanded bhibberin' in public thisway about
Samuel Teece, pacing about the no god damn
—
porch. "Ain't there a law?" His wife's small sob stopped him.
"It ain't as if they're declarin' She dabbed at her eyes. "I kept
war," said Grandpa quietly. tolling her, Lucinda, I said, 'you stay
"Where do they get off, god damn on and T raise your pay, and you get
it, working' in secret, plottin'?" two nights off a week, if you want,'
shouted Teece. but she just looked set! I never seen
"Schedule is for all this town's her so set, and I said, 'Don't you
niggers to gather out by Loon Lake. love me, Lucinda,' and she said 'yes,'
Rockets be there at one o'clock, pick but she had to go because that's the
'em up, take 'eni to Mars." way was is all. She cleaned the
it

"Telephone the governor, call out house, dusted it, put luncheon on the

the militia," cried Teece. "They table, and then she went to the parlor
shoulda given notice!" door, and stood there with two bun-
"Here comes your woman, Sam." dles, one by each foot, and shook my
Tile men turned again. hand and said, 'Goodbye Mrs. Teece,'
As they watched, down the hot Then she went out the door. There
road in the windless light, first one was her luncheon on the table, and
white woman and then another ar- allof us too upset to even eat it."
rived, all of them with stunned faces. Teece almost struck her. "God
Some of them were crying, some were damn it, Mrs. Teece, you get the hell
stern. came to find their hus-
All home. Standin' there, makin' a sight
I"
bands. They pushed through bar- of yourself
room swinging doors, vanishing. They "But, Pa—"
entered cool, quiet grocery stores. He strode away into the hot dim-
They went in drug stores and garages. ness of the store, but came back out
One of them, Mrs. Clara Teece, came a few seconds later with a silver pistol
.
by the hardware
to stand in the dust in his hand.
stiff and
porch, blinking up at her His wife was gone.
angry husband as the black river
flowed behind her. The river flowed black between the
"It's Lucinda, Pa, you got to come buildings, with a rustle and a creak
home I" and a constant whispering shuffle. It
"I'm not comin' home for no damn was a very quiet thing, with a great
darkie!" certainty to it; no laughter, no wild-
"She's leaving, whatH I do with- ness, just a steady, decided, and
out her?" ceaseless flow.
"Fetch for yourself, maybe. I Teece sat on the edge of his hard
 "

146 OTHER WORLDS

wood chair. "If one of 'em so much to smile confidently a* the men in
as laughs, by Christ, I'll kill 'em.** the shade.
The men waited. Belter looked at the river going
The river passed quietly in the along the street, that dark river flow-
dreamful noon. ing and flowing between the shops,
"Looks like you goin' to have to the dark river on wheels and horses
hoe your own turnips, Sam," Grand- and in dusty shoes, the dark river
pa chuckled. from which he had been snatched on
"I'm not bad at shootin* white his journey.He began to shiver. "Let
folks neither." Teece didn't look at me go, Mister Teece. Ill send your
Grandpa. Grandpa turned his head money from up there, I promise I

away and shut up his mouth. "Listen, Belter." Teece grasped

"Hold on there 1" Samuel Teece the man's suspenders like two harp-
leaped off the porch. He reached up strings, playing them now and again

and seized the reins of a horse ridden contemptuously, snorted at the sky,
by a tall negro man. "You, Belter, and pointed one bony finger straight
come down off there!" at God. "Belter, you know anything
"Yes, sir." Belter slid down. about what's up there?"
Teece looked him over. "Now, just "What they tells me."
what you think you're doin'?" "What they tells him! Christ!
"Well, Mr. Teece—" Hear that? What they tells him I"
"I reckon you think you're goin', He swung the man's weight by his
just like that song — what's the suspenders, idly, flicking a finger in
words? Way up in the middle of the the black face. "Belter, you fly up
air; ain't that it?" and up like a July Fourth rocket and
Bangl There you are, cinders, spread
"Yes, sir." The negro waited on
him.
all over space. Them crackpot sci-

entists, they don't know nothin',

"You recollect you owe me fifty
they'll kill you all off!"
dollars, Belter?"
"I don't care."
"Yes, sir."
"Glad to hear that, because you
"You tryin' to sneak out? By know what's up on that planet Mars?
God, I'll horsewhip you!"
There's monsters with big raw eyes
"All the excitement, and it slipped like mushroomsl You seen them pic-
my mind, sir."
tures on those other world magazines
"It slipped his mind." Teece gave you buy at the drug store, ain't you?.
a vicious wink at his men on the Weill The monsters jump up and
hardware porch. "God damn, Belter, suck marrow from your bonesl"
yon know what you're goin' to do?" "I don't care, don't care at all,

"No, sir." don't care." Belter watched the pa-

"You're stayin' here to work out rade slide by, leaving him. Sweat
that 6fty bucks, or my name ain't lay on his darkbrow and he seemed
Samuel W. Teece." He turned again about to collapse.
 WAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIR 147

"And it's cold up there— no air, "Here, now!" cried Teece, stiffen-
yon fall down, jerk like a fish, gaspin', ing up tall.
dyin', strangling stranglin' and dyin', The money appeared. The old man
you like that?" fingered it into his hat and gave the
"Lots of things I don't like, sir. hat to Belter. "Son," he said, "you
Please, sir, let me go. I'm late." ain't missin' no rocket."
"Ill let you go when I'm ready Belter smiled into the hat. "No
to let you go. We'll just talk here sir, I guess I ain't!"
polite until I say you can leave, and Teece shouted. "You give that
you know it damn well. You want to money back to them!"
travel, do you? Well, 'Mister Way Up Belter bowed handing
respectfully,
In The Middle of The Air,' you get the money over, and when Teece
the hell home and work out that fifty would not touch it he set it down in
bucks you owe me! Take you two the dust at Teece's feet. "There's
months to do that!" your money, sir," he said. "Thank
"But if I work It out, I'U miss the you kindly." Smiling, he gained the
rocket, sirl" saddle of his horse and whipped his
"Ain't that a shame now?" Teece horse along, thanking the old man
tried to look sad. who rode with him now until they
"I give you my horse, sir." were out of sight and hearing.
"Horse ain't legal tender. You "Son of a bitch," whispered Teece.
don't move until I get my money." staring blindly at the sun. "Son of
Teece laughed inside. He felt very a bitch."
warm and good. "Pick up the money, Samuel,"
said someone from the porch.
A small crowd of dark people had It was happening all along the
gathered to hear all this. Now as way. Little white boys, barefoot,
Belter stood, head down, trembling, dashed up with the news. "Them
an old man stepped forward. that has helps them that hasn't and
"Mister?" that way they all get free! Seen a
Teece flashed him a quick look. rich man give a poor man two hun-
"Well?" dred bucks to pay off some'un! Seen
"How much this man owe you, some'un else give some'un else ten
mister?" bucks, five bucks, sixteen, lots of
"None of your damn business!" that, all over, everybody!"
The old man looked at Belter. The white men sat with sour water
"How much, son?" in their mouths. Their ayes were al-
"Fifty dollars." most puffed shut, as if they had been

The old man put out his black struck in their faces by wind and sand
hands at the people around him. »nd heat.
"There's twenty-five of you. Each The rage was in Samuel Teece. He
give two dollars, quick now, this is climbed up on the porch and glared
no tune for argument." at the passing swarms. He waved his
148 OTHER WORLDS
gun. After awhile when he had to do riverwas dried up, the town silent,
something, he began to shout at any- and the dust settled in a film on the
one, any Negro who looked up at stores, the seated men, and the tall
him. "Bang! There's another rocket hot trees.
out in space!" He shouted so all Silence.
could hear. "BangI By God! 1
'
The
dark heads didn't flicker or pretend The men on the porch listened.
to hear, but their white eyes slid Hearing nothing, they extended
swiftly over and back. "Crash! All their thoughts and their imaginations
them rockets fallin'! Screamin', dy- far out into the surrounding mea-
in'l Bang! God All Mighty, I'm glad dows. In the early morning the land
Fm right here on old terra firroa. As had been filled with its usual concoc-
they says in that old joke, the more tions of sound. Here and there, with
firma, the less terra! Ha, ha!" stubborn persistence to custom, there
Horses clopped along, shuffling up had been voices singing, honey laugh-
dust. Wagons bumbled on ruined ter under the mimosa branches, pick-
Springs. aninnies rushing in laughter to the
"Bang!" His voice was lonely in creek, movements in the fields, jokes
the heat, trying to terrify the dust and shouts of amusement from the
and the blazing sun sky. "Wham! shingle shacks covered with fresh
Niggers all over space 1 Jerked outa green vines.
rockets like so many minnows, hit Now it was as if a great wind had
by a meteor, by God! Space fulla washed the land clean of sounds.
meteors. You know that? Surel Thick Skeleton doors hung open on leather
as buckshot; powie! Shoot down hinges. Rubber tire swings hung in
them tin can rockets like so many the silent air, uninhabited. The wash-
ducks, so many clay pipes! Ole sar- ing rocks at the river were empty,
dine cans full of black codl Bangui' and the watermelon patches, if any,
like a stringa ladyfingers, bang, bang, were left alone to heat their hidden
bang! Ten thousand dead here, ten liquors in the sun. Spiders started
thousand there. Floatin' in space, building new webs abandoned huts,
in
around and around earth, ever and dust started to sift in from unpatched
ever, cold and way out, Lord! You roofs in golden specules. Here and
hear that, you there!" there, a fire forgotten in the last rush,
Silence reigned. The river was lingered and in a sudden access of
broad and continuous. It had entered strength, fed upon the dry bones of
all cotton shacks during the hour, some littered shack. The sound of a
flooded all the valuables out, and it gentle feeding burn went up through
was now carrying the clocks, wash- the silenced air.
boards, the silk bolts and curtain rods The men sat on the hardware
on down to some distant black sea. porch, not blinking or swallowing.
High tide passed —
It was two "I can't figure why they left now,
o'clock—Low tide came. Soon the with things lookin' up. I mean, every
 " "

WAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIR 149

day they got more rights. What they take the day off," he said, apolo-
want, anyway? Here's the poll tax getically.
gone, and more and more states anti- "And tomorrow and day after to-
lynching bills passing and all kinds of morrow and the day after the day
equal rights, what more they want? after that," said Teece.
They make almost as good money as "I'm afraid so, sir."
a white man, but there they go." "You should be afraid, boy. Come
Far down the empty street a bicy- here." He
marched the boy across
cle came. the porch and drew a paper out of a
"I'll be god damned, Teece, here desk. "Remember this?"
comes your 'Silly' now." "Sir?"
The bicycle pulled up before the "It's your workin' paper, you
porch, a seventeen year old colored signed it, there's your x right there,
boy on it, all arms and feet and long ain't it? Answer me!"
legs, and round watermelon head. He "I didn't sign that, Mister Teece."
looked up at Samuel Teece and The boy trembled. "Any one can
smiled. make an x."
"So you got a guilty conscience "Listen to this, 'Silly.' Contract:
and came back," said Teece. I will work for Mr. Samuel Teece two
"No, sir, I just brought the bicy- years, starting July IS, 1962, and if
cle." intending to give four
leave will

"What's wrong, couldn't get it on weeks notice and continue working

the rocket?" until my position is filled. There."

"That wasn't it, sir." Teece slapped the paper, his eyes glit-

"Don't tell me what it was I Get tering. "You cause trouble, we'll take
to court."
off, you're not goin' to steal my it

property 1" He
gave the boy a push "I can't do that," wailed the boy,
and the bicycle fell. "Get inside and tears starting to roll down his face.

start cleaning the brass."

"If I don't go today, I don't go."
"I know just how you feel, 'Silly,'
"Beg pardon?" The boy's eyes
yes, sir, Isympathize with you, boy.
widened.
But well treat you good and give you
"You heard what I said. There's
good food, boy, now you just get in-
guns need unpacking there, and a
side and start working and forget all
crate of nails come from
Natchez — just
about that nonsense, eh, 'Silly'?
Sure." Teece grinned and patted the
"Mr.Teece."
boy's shoulder.
"And a box of hammers need fix-
The boy turned and looked at the
in'— old men sitting on the porch. He
"Mr. Teece, sir?" could hardly see now for his tears.
"You still standin' there!" Teec* "Maybe, maybe one
glared. men —
here " The men looked up in
oi these gentle-

"Mister Teece, you don't mind, I the hot, uneasy shadows, looking first
 150 OTHER WORLDS
at the boy and then at Teece. "Let him go."
"You meanin' to say you think a Teece felt for his gun in his pocket.
white man should take your place, He saw the men's faces, took his hand
boy?" asked Teece, coldly. away, and left the gun in his pocket
and said, "So that's how it is?"
Grandpa Quartermain took his red "That's how it is," someone said.
hands off his knees. He looked out Teece let the boy go. "All right.
at the horizon thoughtfully and said,
Get out!" He jerked his hand back
"Teece, what about me?" in the store. "But I hope you don't
"What?" think you're gonna leave any trash
"HI take 'Silly's' job." behind to clutter my store."
The porch was silent. "No, sir!"
Teece balanced himself in the air. "You clean everything outa your
"Grandpa," he said, warningly. shed in back; burn it."
"Let the boy go. I'll clean the 'Silly
1
shook his head. "I'll take
brass." it with."
"Would you, would you, really?" "They won't let you put it on that
'Silly'ran over to Grandpa, laughing,
damn rocket."
tears on his cheeks, unbelieving.
"I'll take it with," insisted the boy,
"Sure."
softly.
"Grandpa," said Teece. "Keep
He rushed back through the hard-
your damn trap outa this!"
ware store. There were sounds of
"Give the kid a break, Teece."
sweeping and cleaning out and a mo-
Teece walked over and- seized the
ment later be appeared, his hands full
boy's arm. "He's mine. I'm lockin'
of tops and marbles and old dusty
him in the back room until tonight."
kites and junk collected through the
"Don't, Mr. Teece!"
years. Just then the old tin Ford
The boy began to sob now. His drove up and 'Silly' climbed in and
crying fdled the air of the porch. His
the door slammed. Teece stood on
eyes were tight. Far down the street,
the porch with a bitter smile on his
an old tin Ford was choking along face. "What you goin' to do up
with a last load of colored people in there?"
it. "Here comes my family, Mr. "Startin' new," said 'Silly.' "Gon-
Teece, oh, please, please, oh God, na have my own hardware."
I"
please "God damn it, you been learnin'
"Teece," said one of the other men my trade so you could run off and
on the porch, getting up, "let him use it!"
go." "No, sir, I never thought one day
Another man rose also. "That goes this'd happen, sir, but it did. I can't
for me, too." help if I learned, Mister Teece."
"And me," said another. "I suppose you got names for your
"What's the use?" The men all rockets?"
]
talked now. "Cut it out, Teece." They looked at their one clock on
 WAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIR 151

the dashboard of the cat. ing up sharper, like a car full of

"Yes, sir." cranes, under the night trees of sum-
"Like Elijah and the Chariot, The mer, their eyes mean. Honking the
Big Wheel and The Little Wheel, horn and him slamming his door, a
Faith, Hope and Charity, eh?" gun in his hand, laughing to himself,
"We got names for the ships, Mis- his heart racing like a ten year old,
ter Teece." driving off down the summer night
"God the Son and the Holy Ghost, road, a ring of hemp rope coiled on
I wouldn't wonder? Say, boy, you the car floor, fresh shell boxes making
got one named the First Baptist every man's coat look bunchy. How
Church?" many nights over the years, how
"We got to leave now, Mister many nights of the wind rushing in
Teece." the car, flopping their hair over their
Teece laughed. "Yon got one eyes, roaring, as they picked a tree,
named Swing Low, and another a good strong tree, and rapped on a
named Sweet Chariot?" shanty door I

The car started up. "Goodbye, "So dial's what the son of a bitch
Mister Teece." meant?" Teece leaped out into the
"You got one named Roll Dem sunlight. "Come back, you bastard!
Bones?" What am I goin' to do nights, why
"Goodbye, Misterl" that lousy, insolent son of a—"
"And another called Over Jordan! It was a good question. He sick-

Hal Well, tote that rocket, boy, lift ened and was empty. Yes. What will
that rocket, boy, go on, get blown we do nights? he thought. Now
up, see if / care!" they're gone, what? He was absolute-
The car churned off into the dust ly empty and numb.
The boy rose up and cupped his He pulled the pistol from his
hands to his mouth and shouted one pocket, checked its shells.

last time at Teece. "Mister Teece, "What you goin' to do, Sam?"
Mister Teece, what you goin' to do someone asked.
nights from now on, what you goin' to "Kill that son of a bitch!"
do nights, Mister Teece?" Grandpa said, "Don't get yourself
Silence. The car faded down the heated."
road. It was gone. But Samuel Teece was gone around
behind the store. A moment later he
"What in hell did he mean?*' drove out the drive in his open-top
mused Teece. "What am I goin' to car. "Anyone comin' with me?"
do nights?" "I'd like a drive," said Grandpa,
He watched the dust settle and it and got up.
suddenly came to him. "Anyone else?"
He remembered nights when men Nobody replied.
drove to his house, their knees stick- Grandpa got in and slammed the
ing up sharp and then- shotguns stick- door. Samuel Teece gutted the car
152 OTHER WORLDS
geraniums, dishes of waxed fruit,
cartons of Confederate money, wash
tubs, scrubboards, washlines, soap,
somebody's tricycle, someone else's
hedge-shears, a toy wagon, a jack-in-
the-box, a stained-glass window from
the Negro Baptist Church, a whole
set of brake rims, inner tubes, mat-
tresses, couches, rocking chairs, jars
of cold cream, hand mirrors. None
of it flung down, no, but deposited
gently and with feeling, with decor-
um, upon the dusty edges of the road,
as if a whole city had walked here
with hands full, at which time a great
out in a great whorl of dust. They bronze trumpet had sounded, the ar-
didn't speak as they rushed down ticles had been relinquished to the
the road under the bright sky. The quiet dust, and one and all, the in-
heat from the dry meadows was shim- habitants of the earth had fled
mering. straight up into the blue heavens.
They stopped at a cross-roads. "Wouldn't burn them, they said,"
"Which way'd they go, Grandpa?" criedTeece angrily. "No, wouldn't
Grandpa squinted, "Straight on burn them like I said, but had to
ahead, I figure.* take them along and leave them
They went on. Under the summer where they could see them for the
made a lonely sound.
trees, their car last time, on the road, all together
The road was empty and as they and whole. Them niggers think
drove along they began to notice they're smart."
something. Teece slowed the car and He veered the car wildly, mile
bent out, his yellow eyes fierce. down the road, tumbling,
after mile,
"God damn it, Grandpa, you see smashing, breaking, scattering bun-
what them bastards did?" dles of paper, jewel boxes, mirrors,
"What?" asked Grandpa, and chairs. "There,by damn, and there!"
looked. The front tire gave a whistling cry.
Where they had been carefully set The car spilled crazily off the road
down and left, in neat bundles every into a ditch, flinging Teece against
few feet along the empty country the glass.
road, were old roller skates, a ban- "Son of a bitch." He dusted him-
dana knick-knacks, some old
full of self off and stood out of the car,
shoes, a cart-wheel, stacks of pants almost crying with rage.
and coats and ancient hats, bits of He looked at the silent empty
Oriental crystal that had once tin- road. "Well never catch them now,
kled In the wind, tin cans of pink never, never." As far as he could see
 WAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIR 153

there was nothing but bundles and idly among the snowclusters. In still
stacks and more bundles neatly further meadows the watermelons
placed like abandoned
little shrines lay, unfingerprinted, striped as tor-
in the late day, in the warm blowing toise cats lying in the sun.
wind. The men on the porch sat down,
looked at each other, looked at the
Teece and Grandpa came walking yellow rope piled neat on the store
tiredly back to the hardware store an shelves, glanced at the gun shells

hour later. The men were still sitting glinting shiny brass in their cartons,

there, listening, and watching the sky. saw the silver pistols and long black
Just as Teece sat down and eased metal shotguns hung high and quiet
his tight shoes off, someone cried, in the shadows. Somebody put a
"Look I" straw in his mouth- Someone else
"IH be damned if I will," said
drew a figure in the dust.
Finally, Samuel Teece held his
Teece.
empty shoe up in triumph, turned it
But the others looked, and they
over, stared at it and said, "Did you
saw the golden bobbins rising in the
notice? Right up to the very last, by
sky, far away. Leaving flame behind,
God, he said 'Mister*/*
they vanished
In the cotton fields, the wind blew TBB END

NEWS(IF THE MONTH

latest reports m wkt m rasdm are dofuj.

j
dtis, smS we* awf pamMm fe ftt WgfeJ

THE Sdentifilm Cycle is coming, fans!

Plana in popping in Hollywood aB —
Paramount owns the following
ties: "Rossum's Universal Robots," the or-
proper-

—
over tht world to fascinat* film-goer* iginal android play by Karel Capefc; "Food
with wonders out of this world ! Inevitably, of the Gods," the adventure into giant size
an increasing number of outright fantasies by H. G. Wells; "Tu« Island of Dr. Mor
will be produced too. can," the evolutionary*™ of beasts-into-
First on the docket, as everyone by men, already once produced under the title
now must know, is DESTINATION of The Island of Lost Souls" with Chas.
MOON, the technicolor trip to our satel- Laughton, worth either reviving or renlm-
lite. Laid in I960, this prophetic picture ing; Weils" famous invasion from Mars,
(adapted from Robt. HeinlebVi book, "War of the Worlds"; M. P. Shield last-
"Rocket Ship Galiieo") will soon be re- man-in-the-world classic, The Purple
leased.A number of other interplanetary Cloud"; and an original, "SO Yean from
films wffl follow. RKO writer Kd Earl Now," worked on by Philip Wylie and the
Repp, author of The Radium Pool" and lata science fiction author, Joe Skid mo re.
TheStellar Missiles," has prepared a script Certainly "Dr. Cyclops,*' the Curt Siod-
entitled "Operation Luna." Academy award mak technicolor experience -in -small oess, is
winner John Ford b interested dome m rtpt for revival. Fans—writs Paramount,
"Men of Man." aging tht Ksbowing and production of