Italian Space Opera

STAR PILOT-1966-On the isle of Sardinia, Paolo (Mario Novelli), Louisa (Leontine Snell) and Professor Solmi (Roland Lesaffre) investigate a mysterious giant hole that has formed. After an earthquake opens up a tunnel they follow it. There they discover an underground spaceship. When their car and the phone won't work, the small group (they were joined by two guys who were at the site already) is stranded. Then 3 "Oriental" agents from an unnamed Asian country (but not Red China) show up thinking the spaceship is some new invention of the professor's. The trio make the group go back to the cave and the kill an alien robot. A badly staged fight ensues. 

Meanwhile a red haired alien lady sends two henchmen, Belsy (Kirk Morris) and Artie (Alfio Caltabiano) to capture everyone which they do but one Asian is burnt to a crispy skeleton. The aliens were investigating Earth's "nuclear experiments" when they had to make an emergency landing. Now they want the professor to repair their ship while Louisa is held hostage. Later after repairs are made they all take off in the spaceship, the aliens reneging on their promise to free the earthlings. They run into problems with the ship. The captain puts on a black haired wig and this dog turns into a romance novel. As she and Paolo kiss the group is attacked by some gorilla like beings (who kill the Asians). 

Later they find a derelict Russian spaceship with two cosmonaut skeletons. From the ship's log they learn the Earth has been devastated by nuclear war so the captain takes them back to Hydra who's inhabitants fearing nuclear fallout have left their home planet. 

This Italian production has a cheesy story, acting and sfx all rolled into one big fat space opera by director Pietro Francisci (HERCULES and HERCULES UNCHAINED).

Thanks for reading!