This Island Earth (1955)

Director:

Joseph M. Newman

Writers:

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

Release Date:

29 July 1955 (Finland)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The supreme excitement of our time!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Alien | Kidnapped | Flying Saucer | Doctor

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charlotte Lander	...	Metaluna woman at decompression console

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Perspecta Sound encoding) (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | West Germany:12 | UK:PG

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

After the dinner at the secret facility, what the German scientist says is: "Ladies and gentlemen, the meal was excellent, but after Mozart's marvelous music I need to be alone with myself for a while. Good evening."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Cal Meacham is asked to move the lead slab closer to the Interossitor, prior to Exeter burning a hole through it, a circular, discoloured area can be seen in the center of the slab where the special effects incendiary cap is concealed.

Quotes:

Joe Wilson: Cal, I - I know everybody's seeing flying saucers and screwy lights up in the sky. Well, you can put me in the booby hatch too, because, so help me, I saw this ship turn a bright green up there.
Dr. Cal Meacham: Are you sure, Joe?
Joe Wilson: Positive.
Dr. Cal Meacham: Did you hear anything?
Joe Wilson: Yes. A high-frequency howl, very high, all the time your ship was...
Dr. Cal Meacham: Green. Did Webb see it?
Joe Wilson: Unless he's blind.
Dr. Cal Meacham: Check him.
Joe Wilson: Right.
Dr. Cal Meacham: Oh, and Joe... until we find out what happened, all three of us were blind.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Watchmen (2009)

Soundtrack:

Eine kleine Nachtmusik: 2nd Movement

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!