The Phantom Planet is a 1961 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film, produced by Fred Gebhardt, directed by William Marshall, that stars Dean Fredericks, Coleen Gray, Anthony Dexter, and Francis X. Bushman.

When another of its two-member crewed Pegasus spacecraft mysteriously disappears, rumors begin circulating of space monsters and phantom planets.

Exiting his ship while still feeling the effects of the accident, Chapman collapses and sees tiny humanoids about six inches tall approaching.

Chapman meets two beautiful women: Sesom's smugly spoiled blond daughter Liara and the gentle but mute black-haired Zetha.

Any plans for the future, however, are put on hold when Chapman discovers the reason for Rheton's erratic course through space: It is because the planetoid is being attacked by the Solarites, an alien race of "fire people" from an unidentified "sun satellite".

In order to preserve the secret of his adopted people, Chapman crawls inside his spacesuit, and after once more being exposed to atmospheric gases from Earth, he returns to his normal size.

Director William Marshall, a former actor and bandleader, previously had made two films with Errol Flynn, Hello God and Adventures of Captain Fabian.

Screenwriter and co-producer Fred Gebhardt previously produced and wrote the screenplay for Columbia Pictures 1960 science fiction film 12 to the Moon.

Star Dean Fredericks had just finished filming the lead in the NBC TV series Steve Canyon which was later cancelled after its first season of 34 episodes.

The Phantom Planet's interior spaceship sets, spacesuit helmets and oxygen backpacks, and special effects originally appeared in the Ziv Company's science fiction television series Men into Space, broadcast in 1959 on CBS TV.