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The 1954 black and white film, "Killers from Space" was directed by W. Lee Wilder. Wilder, whose birth name was Wilhelm Lee Wilder, is the older brother of Billy Wilder, a famous director who was much more successful in Hollywood than W. Lee Wilder. The latter Wilder got his start as a purse maker in New York City, where he worked until 1945, when he moved to Hollywood to produce films.
Though his films weren't overly successful, he did manage to cast talented actors. For "Killers from Space", Wilder cast Peter Graves as main character, Dr. Douglas Martin. A Minnesota native, Graves, whose birth name was Peter Aurness, excelled in sports and music, particularly the saxophone. By the age of 16, Graves was working as a radio announcer at WMIN in Minneapolis. After spending two years in the U.S. Air Force, Graves went on to study drama at the University of Minnesota. He then moved to Hollywood, California, where he pursued a career in acting. Graves first appeared on television, but soon made his film debut in the 1951, "Rogue River". He soon went on to make numerous film appearances, especially westerns, which were quite popular during the 50s.
Though he acted in both film and television, Graves, who acted in more than seventy films and TV series, is probably most recognized for his television work, especially as Jim Phelps in the 1966 series, "Mission Impossible". During the 1990s, Graves hosted the documentary series, "Biography" on A&E, and acted in a number of films that are featured in "Mystery Science Theatre 3000". In 2002, he appeared in TV ads for Beltone hearing aids.
James Seay plays the role of Colonel Banks. Born in 1914, Seay was initially sought after for romantic leads after signing with Paramount in 1940. Seay soon found himself in a number of uncredited roles that resulted in casting directors viewing him as suited for villainous or stern, officious-type roles. Seay experienced steady employment throughout the 40s and 50s in films that depicted him as a voice of authority. The actor soon became a familiar figure in low-budget science fiction films, and later extended his career into television, where he played a number of recurring roles on Western series such as "Fury" and "Wyatt Earp". Throughout the later years of his career, Seay focused on minor character roles. He went on to make hundreds of small-screen appearances, but did not act after the early 70s.
Frank Gerstle plays the role of Dr. Curt Kruger. A low-budget film veteran, Gerstle is best remembered from his television commercial appearances. Gerstle appeared in a variety of films between 1949 and 1967, and was usually cast in roles such as military officers, no-nonsense doctors, and detectives. Perhaps his most sizable film assignments were found within the realm of Science Fiction. Gerstle was also known as a talented voiceover artist, and was a semi-regular on the 1961 cartoon series, "Calvin and the Colonel".
