This Island Earth (1955)

Aliens come to Earth seeking scientists to help them in their war.

Director:

Joseph M. Newman

Writers:

Raymond F. Jones (story), Franklin Coen (screenplay),

Stars:

Jeff Morrow, Faith Domergue, Rex Reason

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jeff Morrow	...	Exeter
Faith Domergue	...	Dr. Ruth Adams
Rex Reason	...	Dr. Cal Meacham
Lance Fuller	...	Brack
Russell Johnson	...	Steve Carlson
Douglas Spencer	...	The Monitor of Metaluna
Robert Nichols	...	Joe Wilson
Karl Ludwig Lindt	...	Dr. Adolph Engelborg (as Karl L. Lindt)

Storyline

Dr. Meacham is chosen along with others by the inhabitants of the planet Metaluna to do research that will help save their dying planet. However, an evil scheme is uncovered by the suspecting Dr. Meacham when he discovers the Metalunan's plan to take over Earth. Dr. Meacham then escapes an exploding Metalunan built Earth lab along with Dr. Adams only to be kidnapped while flying away in a small plane. A flying saucer wisks both the scientists off to Metaluna where they are held accountable for blowing up the Metalunan Earth lab during their escape. They later escape there with the help of Exeter the friendly Metalunan. Metaluna then self destructs and the Doctors make it safely back to Earth, which is saved from Metalunan invasion.

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Plot Keywords:

scientist | alien | flying saucer | dying planet | doctor | 

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Taglines:

2 1/2 Years in the making!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bloodlust in Outer Space

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Perspecta Sound encoding) (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After Dr. Meacham has arrived at the secret lab in Georgia and the scientists are having a dinner, a woman comments the music playing at the background by saying: "Mozartti on oikein kaunista." This is Finnish and means "The music of Mozart is very beautiful."

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Goofs

When Cal and Ruth jump into the water, there is no plant life closer than four feet from them. When they leave the water, they are surrounded by plant life.

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Quotes

Exeter: Yes, they're concentrating all their attention on Metaluna. Those flashes of light... they're meteors... hundreds of them! Intense heat is turning Metaluna into a radioactive sun. Temperature must be... thousands of degrees by now. A lifeless planet. And yet... yet still serving a useful purpose, I hope. Yes, a sun. Warming the surface of some other world. Giving light to those who may need it. Now, into the converter tubes! Ruth, you take the first tube. You the next.
Dr. Cal Meacham: What about you?
Exeter: I'll use ...

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Connections

Edited into War of the Planets (1958)

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Soundtracks

"Eine kleine Nachtmusik: 2nd Movement"
(uncredited)
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

A Space Movie That Boldly Went Where Others Haven't--Unfortunately!

Pulp science fiction created an aura of awe and excitement that is rarely equaled in these current days of sci-fi movie "actioners". Gone are the opportunities to see alien species and their homelands depicted in "wonderous Technicolor". Instead, we are routinely preached to by screenwriters determined to warn us, ad nauseum, of man's follies and the impending disasters always depicted as a forgone result. Yes, now we get chiseled heroes, and heroines, too, who are usually engaged in single-handedly shooting up the screen with loud twentieth century-derived weapons. Where is the fun in these stereotypical, shoot-em-up extravaganzas?

"This Island Earth"("TIE") with (for its time, remember)jaw-dropping visuals, big, truly alien world realizations and theme of inter-solar system war, hasn't been matched since its debut almost fifty years ago! For a plot that catapults you half way around the universe with one beautifully realized set after another and an epic-sized stage on which to play out its themes, perhaps only "Forbidden Planet" ever matched up.

The sounds, the visuals and the story line of "TIE" weren't intended to chastise you as a stupid earthling, but instead, have long served to take the willing on an adventure ride that all too few space movies have chosen to create. Until Hollywood chooses to really explore the universe you ought to have your own copy of "This Island Earth", in order to frequently remind yourself of what we should all be seeing much more often: space movies that enthrall!