Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

Director:

Fred F. Sears

Writers (WGA):

Donald E. Keyhoe (book)
Curt Siodmak (screen story)

Release Date:

July 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Fantasy

Tagline:

Before You Scoff at Flying Saucers - See the Greatest SHOCK Film of All Time !

Plot:

While driving through the desert with his wife Carol Marvin to a military base to send the eleventh...

Plot Keywords:

Shield | Extraterrestrial | Apocalypse | Costume | Destruction

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Hugh Marlowe	...	Dr. Russell A. Marvin
Joan Taylor	...	Carol Marvin
Donald Curtis	...	Maj. Huglin, Liason Officer
Morris Ankrum	...	Brig. Gen. John Hanley
John Zaremba	...	Prof. Kanter
Thomas Browne Henry	...	Vice Adm. Enright (as Tom Browne Henry)
Grandon Rhodes	...	Gen. Edmunds
Larry J. Blake	...	Motorcycle cop (as Larry Blake)

Also Known As:

Invasion of the Flying Saucers

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Hyperion Water Treatment Facility - 12000 Vista Del Mar, Playa del Rey, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Clover Productions

Trivia:

The supposed satellite launches are actually stock footage of Viking rockets, high0altitude probes that were the predecessors of the Vanguard, intended to be the first satellite launcher. The later shots of rockets crashing at takeoff are really German V-2s, since none of the first 12 Vikings ever failed. Ironically, the 13th Viking, now called Vanguard, blew up on the launch pad, just like in the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the offspeed playback, the reels are turning at close to normal speed, certainly at least half normal. For the high-pitched sound we heard earlier to have concealed an unnoticeable spoken message, the speed discrepancy would have had to be more than a factor of 10.

Quotes:

Brig. Gen. John Hanley: As you were, Sergeant.
Sgt. Nash: Unidentified Flying Object reported flying due West, sir. Probably a buzzard.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Independence Day (1996)

Pretty Intelligent For Its Genre, But Lacks Excitement

This was fairly interesting and nicely low-key for a 1950s sci-fi flick....which usually means one thing: hysterical women shrieking and screaming. Well, there's none of that nonsense here. Ray Harryhausen's special-effects were lauded and justifiably so for his era, but you can imagine how they look today 50 years later! They look pretty primitive.

The acting is respectable considering the three stars - Hugh Marlow, Joan Taylor and Donald Curtis - are anything but "stars." I do think the story could have used a bit of humor to spice it up a bit, but you can't always get everything.

At least this one was one "flying saucer movie" that had some intelligence. It might have had too much, because it had very little excitement.