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Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
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Overview
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Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
July 1956 (USA)
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Tagline:
Before You Scoff at Flying Saucers - See the Greatest SHOCK Film of All Time ! more
Plot:
Extra-terrestrials flying in high tech flying saucers contact scientist Dr. Russell Marvin as part of a plan to enslave the inhabitants of Planet Earth. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Alien
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Rocket
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Flying Saucer
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General
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Tape Recorder
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Awards:
1 win
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NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Terror Tidbits (Fango #289): What’s Scary?
(From Fangoria. 30 November 2009, 1:06 PM, PST)
Watch This: Tim Burton Interviews Ray Harryhausen
(From Cinematical. 20 September 2009, 7:03 PM, PDT)
(From Fangoria. 30 November 2009, 1:06 PM, PST)
Watch This: Tim Burton Interviews Ray Harryhausen
(From Cinematical. 20 September 2009, 7:03 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
A solid 1950's B-movie sci-fi with all the weaknesses that come with the genre
more (85 total)
Cast
(Complete credited 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) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Invasion of the Flying Saucers
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
83 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Canada:PG (Ontario) |
West Germany:12 (nf) |
USA:Approved (Certificate #17854) |
Australia:PG |
Finland:K-16 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:U |
USA:Unrated
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
One of the scenes of a saucer attacking jets is actually based on footage of an air show crash.
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Goofs:
Factual errors: In the opening scenes, a military jet (F-84) is shown. During the close up scenes of the pilot, the type of canopy does not match the type of aircraft flown.
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Quotes:
Dr. Russell Marvin:
Both Carol and I are subject to the same atmospheric disturbances that may have affected other observers, but there is a qualitative difference, when you're a scientist.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in 'War of the Worlds': Revisiting the Invasion (2005) (V)
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FAQ
What is that Shakespeare quotation from?more
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Dr Russell Marvin is working on experimental rockets launched into orbit around the earth to help with the advancement of space exploration. He has so far lost 11 rockets for unknown reasons. However on a drive with his wife they witness a flying saucer. No-one believes them but later the same saucers attack and massacre their military base leaving only them as survivors. They are told that the earth has 56 days to come quietly rather than spark a pointless war against superior forces. However Dr Marvin and his team begin work on a weapon to repel the forces.
With a title like that I didn't need to be told I was in 1950's B-movie `allegory for commies' territory and all that that entails. The plot is pretty straight forward and the film wastes no time in wading into it. The meaning of the plot is a little tasteless and blatantly spells out these invaders are `humanoids'. The thing that annoyed me was that the film ignored the fact that soldiers opened fire on the aliens first without knowing why they were there. True they were coming to invade but the `shoot first ask questions later' message wasn't very palatable.
The effects are OK for the time but of course look very shaky nowadays. However it is still enjoyable and the aliens do look a little creepy despite being very stiff looking. The action is OK but I never felt tense as the 56 days counted down, and the race for the weapon seemed to happen a little too easily. The final battle in Washington is pretty cool though.
The cast are as wooden and stiff as you'd expect in a B-movie but I suppose it all adds to the feeling of the film! There are some funny lines and much of the dialogue (and effects) has been spoofed in recent films but it is still worth a watch. Overall as a film it is pretty poor, but if you're in a mood for a bit of 50's sci-fi hokum then this will probably deliver what you're after.