Invaders from Mars (1953)

Director:

William Cameron Menzies

Writers:

John Tucker Battle (story)
Richard Blake (writer)

Release Date:

22 April 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

NATURAL or SUPERNATURAL?

Plot:

A young boy learns that space aliens are taking over the minds of earthlings.

Plot Keywords:

Disbelieving Adult | Alien Possession | Child Setting Fire | Rescue | Subterranean

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Helena Carter	...	Dr. Pat Blake, MD
Arthur Franz	...	Dr. Stuart Kelston
Jimmy Hunt	...	David Maclean
Leif Erickson	...	George MacLean
Hillary Brooke	...	Mary MacLean
Morris Ankrum	...	Col. Fielding
Max Wagner	...	Sgt. Rinaldi
Milburn Stone	...	Capt. Roth
Janine Perreau	...	Kathy Wilson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Phipps	...	Sgt. Baker (as Bill Phipps)

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Supercinecolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G (TV rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #16228)

Filming Locations:

Republic Studios/CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

National Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Among the cost-cutting measures made during filming was the elimination of Cricket, David's dog. The use of animals during filming almost always takes more time, and therefore more money, a luxury that director William Cameron Menzies didn't have.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: On several shots showing the Martian "Intelligence" in the sphere, the guide wires holding up the creature's appendages are clearly visible.

Quotes:

Mary MacLean: [waking up] What is it?
George MacLean: Well, ah, David says something landed in the field out back. It doesn't make sense, but he seems so convinced.
Mary MacLean: What do you mean "land"?
George MacLean: Well, he says he saw a bright light or something. He's not the type of boy that given to imagining things. After all the work at the plant is secret. And we have orders to report anything unusual. And there have been rumors.
Mary MacLean: Rumors?
George MacLean: Oh, Dear, you know I can't talk about it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Eye Creatures (1965) (TV)

Deceptively Brilliant Masterpiece.

A child astronomer searches the skies with his father. Later the child astronomer wakes to the sound of a flying saucer landing in a sand pit across from his home. The child's father investigates, and returns "transformed." Soon father and mother both seem affected. Child, accompanied by his fetching teacher visits his astronomer friend, whom talks unashamedly about "invaders from Mars."

Within this deceptively simple plotline is a surrealistic masterpiece. With stunning use of color, forced perspective, oversized sets, eerie dreamlike music and carefully mannered performances and plotting, director William Cameron Menzies (an Oscar-winning art director) displays the nightmarish incidents from a child's perspective. Even the typically 50s ending takes on a different perspective. Was it a dream? Was it a foreshadowing of the future? Or is it a recurring nightmare, in a mind gone hopelessly mad.

Only since this film have widespread reports of alien "abductions" and "alien implants" become a reality. Coincidence?

INVADERS FROM MARS is one of the great fantasy sci-fi films of all time.