I’m a big fan of old science fiction movies from the 1950s and 1960s. I noticed that an actor appeared in several of my favorite movies and TV episodes as a minor character — actor Michael Fox (1921-1996). Many people are familiar with an actor named Michael J. Fox from the “Back to the Future” movie, but I’m referring to a different Michael Fox.

Fox was never a lead character, but his presence as a secondary character improved all the films he appeared in. Here are 10 memorable (to me anyway) science fiction movies and TV episodes that Fox had a role in.

1. Gog (1954) – A series of mysterious deaths occur at a top secret underground scientific laboratory. It turns out that an orbiting Soviet drone is hacking into the lab’s computer system. Fox plays Dr. Hubertus, a scientist who is studying the effects of low temperature. Hubertus is an early casualty when he is locked into a cold chamber, frozen solid, falls over, and shatters into thousands of fragments. This scene absolutely terrified me as a young man. I give the movie my personal A- grade.

2. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) – Atomic tests thaw out a frozen 200-foot long “Rhedosaurus”, which goes on a rampage through New York. Fox plays an unnamed emergency room doctor. The beast is eventually killed by a radioactive bullet as it destroys a Coney Island roller coaster. This movie was the direct inspiration for “Godzilla” (1954). I give the movie a personal solid A grade. Fantastic special effects.

3. Conquest of Space (1955) – A crew of five astronauts (and a stowaway) leave an orbiting space station for a mission to Mars. Various dangers threaten the crew but most survive and make it back to Earth. Fox plays Dr. Elsbach, a military physician who oversees the astronauts during their training. I give this movie my personal B- grade. Excellent special effects but only a so-so story.

4. Riders to the Stars (1954) – A group of about a dozen scientists and military men are recruited to a top secret project to use a spaceship to capture and return a small meteor to Earth. Three of the recruits are selected. The idea is to determine the composition of the meteor and use it to create better spacecraft. Three spacecraft go up. One spacecraft is destroyed, one loses control and vanishes into deep space, but one succeeds. Fox plays Dr. Klinger, a psychologist who secretly observes the recruits and helps select the three team members. This movie doesn’t get good reviews but I give it my personal B+ grade.

5. The Lost Planet (1953) – In this 15-part serial (one of the last ever made), Fox plays the evil Dr. Grood from the planet Ergro who plans to conquer the Universe. Grood is defeated by newspaper reporter Rex Barrow and his sweetheart Vivian Mason. Even though Grood is the main villain, he doesn’t get much screen time. Not a very good movie. I give it a generous personal C grade.

6. The Magnetic Monster (1953) – Two agents from the “Office of Scientific Investigation” investigate strange events. It turns out that a rogue scientist has created an artificial element that sucks energy from any source it can find and converts it into mass. The element doubles in size and mass every 11 hours and threatens to become big enough to throw Earth off its orbit. The element is stopped by over-feeding it using energy from a secret Canadian nuclear project. Fox plays Dr. Serney, one of the scientists who devise the plan to destroy the element. Slow-moving film but I like it and give it my personal B+ grade.

7. War of the Satellites (1958) – Aliens warn Earth not to send manned satellites into space. Earth doesn’t stop and the aliens declare war. Aliens take over the body of a lead scientist. The alien is eventually killed by the movie’s astronomer hero and his girlfriend. Fox plays Jason ibn Akad, a delegate to the United Nations who wants to give in to the alien’s demands. Not a very good movie in my opinion. I give it my personal C grade.

8. The Science Fiction Theater was a TV anthology series that ran 78 episodes over two seasons, from 1955-1957. The stories featured psychology, robots, time travel, UFOs, and all kinds of other scientific ideas. Actor Fox appeared in 8 of the 78 SFT episodes, more than any other actor.

An interesting episode is “The Frozen Sound” (season 1, episode 15). The director of a government project is under suspicion after top secret information is leaked from his office. It turns out enemy agents placed a rock-crystal that can record sound in the office. Fox plays Dr. Gordine, one of the scientists investigating. I give this episode a B grade.

9. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was a TV series that ran 39 episodes over two seasons, from 1979-1981. Astronaut Buck Rogers is accidentally put into a cryogenic sleep and awakens 500 years later. In the episode “Time of the Hawk” (season 2, episode 1), a hybrid human-bird man named the Hawk is arrested for killing some evil pirates. Fox plays the High Judge in the trial. Buck’s testimony frees the Hawk. I’m not a fan of this TV series. I grade out the series as C+ and this episode as C.

10. The Twilight Zone was a TV anthology series that ran 156 episodes over five seasons, from 1959-1964.

In “Sounds and Silences” (season 5, episode 27), Roswell G. Flemington is an obnoxious man who is always too loud. Eventually, he becomes ultra-sensitive to sound. Flemington sees a psychiatrist who teaches him how to block out sound, but then Flemington becomes deaf and goes crazy, and is committed to an asylum. Fox plays the psychiatrist.

This is one of the rarest TZ episodes because it was locked in a legal dispute for several years. I give it my personal C+ grade.