It's Alive (1974/I)

Director:

Larry Cohen

Writer:

Larry Cohen (written by)

Release Date:

October 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Whatever It Is. It's Alive and Deadly.

Plot:

The Davies expect a baby, which turns out to be a monster with a nasty habit of killing when it's scared. And it's easily scared. |

Plot Keywords:

Tragic Ending | Mutant Baby | Disturbing | Homicidal Baby | Low Budget

Awards:

1 win

Cast

John P. Ryan	...	Frank Davies
Sharon Farrell	...	Lenore Davies
James Dixon	...	Lieutenant Perkins
William Wellman Jr.	...	Charley
Shamus Locke	...	The Doctor
Andrew Duggan	...	The Professor
Guy Stockwell	...	Bob Clayton
Daniel Holzman	...	Chris Davies
Michael Ansara	...	The Captain
Robert Emhardt	...	The Executive
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nancy Burnett	...	Nurse (as Mary Nancy Burnett)
Diana Hale	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Patrick McAllister	...	Expectant Father (uncredited)
Gwil Richards	...	Expectant Father (uncredited)
Jerry Taft	...	Expectant Father (uncredited)
Gerald York	...	Expectant Father (uncredited)
W. Allen York	...	Expectant Father (uncredited)

Directed by
Larry Cohen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Larry Cohen		written by

Produced by
Larry Cohen	....	producer
Peter Sabiston	....	executive producer
Janelle Webb	....	co-producer (as Janelle Cohen)

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Fenton Hamilton

Film Editing by
Peter Honess

Makeup Department
Rick Baker	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Bob Biggart	....	sound effects
Pat Somerset	....	sound effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Isenberg	....	assistant camera
Jeffrey L. Kimball	....	director of photography: second unit
Gary Leonard	....	still photographer

Other crew
Bob Cohen	....	production assistant
Reid Freeman	....	production assistant
Steve Salkin	....	production consultant

Production Companies

• Larco Productions
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1986) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Baby Killer (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Finland:(Banned) (1984) | Norway:16 (video premiere) | UK:15 (video re-rating) | West Germany:18 | Australia:R | Finland:(Banned) (1975) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:PG | Iceland:16 | Norway:(Banned) (1975-2003) (cinema release)

Company:

Larco Productions

Trivia:

Bernard Herrmann titled the music cue where the milkman meets his demise "The Milkman Goeth."

Goofs:

Continuity: When Franks brings the bottles of milk in from the porch, he is never seen closing the door. When he opens the other refrigerator, the door to the porch is closed.

Quotes:

Lieutenant Perkins: Hunting and killing babies doesn't seem to be my specialty.

Movie Connections:

Remade as It's Alive (2008)

Hunting and killing babies doesn't seem to be my specialty.

The first of a trilogy by Larry Cohen, and apparently he wants a do-over as this film is currently in post-production, having been remade with a new cast, and probably scarier effects.

It's scary enough as Frank and Lenore (John P. Ryan and Sharon Farrell have a baby that is a little bit abnormal. Frank tries to kill his baby, but has a change of heart at the last minute. This is truly a baby only a parent could love, and they do.

I remember Ryan back from Death Wish 4: The Crackdown, as some wacky drug dealer. he is a little more controlled in this film, and it is a fair watch.