Early TV Sci-Fi

TALES OF TOMORROW, an early TV anthology show ran on ABC from 1951-1953 producing 85 half hour episodes. It was broadcasted live but later the reruns were syndicated and a host was added at the beginning. They did several "classic" adaptations including the "infamous" version of "Frankenstein" starring Lon Chaney Jr. Though many of the stories featured well known actors of the time as usual unknowns who became stars were frequently featured. I'm not sure if the entire run survives but many episodes are in the public domain and can be viewed on line for free.

Episode #14-The Invader-1951-A foolish angry scientist Dr. Burroughs (Edgar Stehli) is doing underwater research with his assistant Laura (Eva Gabor), also his future daughter in law. He verbally abuses his son Roy (William Eythe) because he wants to be a poet and says "It's science that's important, not the scientist!". When the crew spot something crash into the ocean Burroughs wants to find out what it is but his diver chickens out so Roy reluctantly agrees to go down. After he returns, obviously a changed man, he claims it was only a meteor. It turns out Roy was killed and an alien is impersonating him! He kills Laura and the only two crew members and tells the doctor of his plans to scout out the Earth and plan an invasion.  When the doctor realizes the alien (also a scientist) holds the same scientific beliefs and just how wrong they are he throws acid on the would be invader and releases poisonous gas that kills the alien and himself as well.

Flight Overdue-1952-Episode #26-Veronica Lake (with short dark hair) plays an aviatrix who disappears while on a secret mission over the Pacific. Much of the story is told in flashbacks by her husband (Walter Brooke) and her housekeeper (Lenore Shanewise) and details her ups and downs and some mysterious older man in her life. Years later an old colleague tells her husband the truth. It turns out she was picked by the government to go on secret flight to the moon and was killed landing there. Her husband is very happy to hear it.

Plague From Space-1952-Episode #30-A drunken colonel Jeffery Ward (Gene Raymond) who fears he's losing his command leads an investigation of a Martian spaceship that lands on his base. Upon opening the ship they find it's occupant, a metallic shiny humanoid. When some army men and doctors fall ill and die, the colonel suspects alien germ warfare. It turns out the Martians are actually "bacteria with brains" and the body was only a host. Ward has no choice but to have the government destroy the base to contain the plague. James Doohan and Phillip Pine have small roles.

The Miraculous Serum-1952-Episode #38-A doctor (Richard Derr) creates a miracle serum that cures all diseases. Much to the protests of a senior physician (Louis Hector)  he uses it on a dying woman (Lola Albright). The serum cures her but she loses all sense of morals and conscience craving only power. She goes to Washington DC and becomes a "power broker". The two doctors devise a plan to cure her and the doctor works refine his serum.