I am always on the hunt for something I haven't seen before. As a science fiction fan, this often leaves me combing through old films. There are infrequent gems to be found. More often than not, however, they are poorly executed.
One such effort includes L. Frank Baum as a contributing writer. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Mr. Baum authored The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. While he died long before The Wizard of Mars, he clearly influenced the filmmakers. What's missing from the film, however, is much story.
Four astronauts find themselves stranded on Mars in search of a rescue vehicle. They spend much of the 78 minutes wandering in and out of dangerous situations. When they discover evidence of an alien civilization, we might expect a story to emerge. What we get is a long exposition narrated by veteran actor John Carradine.
I suppose many films suffer from want of funding. Perhaps that was the case here. Whatever the reason, the resulting film is tedious, uninspiring, and too long. This might not have been the case had the filmmakers started with the alien civilization. As it is, I'd leave this one near the bottom of the queue.