It Came from Outer Space (1953)

Director:

Jack Arnold

Writers:

Ray Bradbury (story)
Harry Essex (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 May 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Thrills That Almost Touch You! through the magic of 3-DIMENSION

Plot:

A spaceship from another world crashes in the Arizona desert, and only an amateur stargazer and a schoolteacher suspect alien influence when the local townsfolk begin to act strange.

Plot Keywords:

Desert | Arizona | Sheriff | Alien | Schoolteacher

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Richard Carlson	...	John Putnam
Barbara Rush	...	Ellen Fields
Charles Drake	...	Sheriff Matt Warren
Joe Sawyer	...	Frank Daylon
Russell Johnson	...	George
Kathleen Hughes	...	June
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ralph Brooks	...	Posseman (uncredited)
Robert Carson	...	Dugan (uncredited)
Ned Davenport	...	Man (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Sam (uncredited)
Alan Dexter	...	Dave Loring (uncredited)
George Eldredge	...	Dr. Snell (uncredited)
Whitey Haupt	...	Perry (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	...	Posseman (uncredited)
Bradford Jackson	...	Bob - Dr. Snell's Assistant (uncredited)
Warren MacGregor	...	Toby (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard	...	Posseman (uncredited)
Virginia Mullen	...	Mrs. Daylon (uncredited)
Dick Pinner	...	Lober (uncredited)
William Pullen	...	Deputy Reed (uncredited)
George Selk	...	Tom (uncredited)
Dave Willock	...	Pete Davis (uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Arnold

Writing credits
Ray Bradbury		(story)
Harry Essex		(screenplay)

Produced by
William Alland	....	producer

Original Music by
Irving Gertz		(uncredited)
Henry Mancini		(uncredited)
Herman Stein		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Clifford Stine

Film Editing by
Paul Weatherwax

Art Direction by
Robert F. Boyle		(as Robert Boyle)
Bernard Herzbrun

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Ruby R. Levitt

Costume Design by
Rosemary Odell

Makeup Department
Joan St. Oegger	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist
Jack Kevan	....	makeup execution (uncredited)

Production Management
Mack D'Agostino	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph E. Kenney	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Glenn E. Anderson	....	sound
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound

Visual Effects by
David S. Horsley	....	special photography
Roswell A. Hoffmann	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
Roswell A. Hoffmann	....	visual effects optical printing (uncredited)

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor
Samuel Hoffman	....	musician: theremin (uncredited)

Other crew
Milicent Patrick	....	xenomorph design (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1953) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmiseppo (1954) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1993) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1993) (Finland) (TV)
• Cinema Classics (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2004) (Finland) (TV)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Australia:PG | USA:G | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1953) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #16454) (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Courthouse Square, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

In a separately filmed trailer, Richard Carlson talks to the audience about the film and about Three Dimension; animated sequences attempt to illustrate the three dimensional effect.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the spaceship takes off, the ground supposedly shakes; but the only thing that really shakes is the camera. The people and the scenery remain perfectly still.

Quotes:

[first lines]
John Putnam:[off-screen] This is Sand Rock, Arizona, of a late evening in early spring. It's a nice town, knowing its past and sure of its future, as it makes ready for the night, and the predictable morning. The desert blankets the earth, cooling, resting for the fight with tomorrow's sun. And in my house near the town, we're also sure of the future. So very sure.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Sci-Fi Boys (2006)

Atmospheric and creepy

First of all let's get rid of that absurd notion that science fiction films of the fifties were merely a sub-conscious attempt to personify the threat from communism - this is a hackneyed idea, and far from the truth.

This is a thoughtfully crafted film, which like other good science fiction films of this era starts out portraying the aliens as monsters, only to reveal that they are benevolent and superior (how does this fit into the "Red Menace" theory?).

The screenplay was penned by Ray Bradbury and is full of very good dialog and ideas, especially the notion that we are not ready to meet such advanced civilizations. The scenes in the high desert are very atmospheric and creepy, and although the renderings of alien technology at first seem somewhat adolescent, there is a genuine sense of wonder when the internals of the alien ship are revealed. Something missing from today's, blase, computer generated, over the top, excesses.

The 3D is a useless appendage, and not worthy of discussion.

If you like science fiction pre-scifi channel and post-golden age, rent this movie and enjoy the atmosphere.