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IMDb > Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) More at IMDbPro »

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) -- A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   13,378 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 34% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Daniel Mainwaring (screenplay)
Jack Finney (Collier's magazine serial)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Invasion of the Body Snatchers on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
5 February 1956 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
... there was nothing to hold onto - except each other. more
Plot:
A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
User Comments:
The simplicity of the horror is what "makes" this film so brilliant... more (150 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Kevin McCarthy ... Dr. Miles J. Bennell

Dana Wynter ... Becky Driscoll
Larry Gates ... Dr. Dan 'Danny' Kauffman
King Donovan ... Jack Belicec

Carolyn Jones ... Theodora 'Teddy' Belicec
Jean Willes ... Nurse Sally Withers
Ralph Dumke ... Police Chief Nick Grivett
Virginia Christine ... Wilma Lentz
Tom Fadden ... Uncle Ira Lentz
Kenneth Patterson ... Stanley Driscoll
Guy Way ... Officer Sam Janzek
Eileen Stevens ... Anne Grimaldi
Beatrice Maude ... Grandma Driscoll
Jean Andren ... Eleda Lentz
Bobby Clark ... Jimmy Grimaldi
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Sleep No More
They Came from Another World (USA) (working title)
Walter Wanger's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (USA) (complete title)
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Runtime:
80 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
2.00 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Perspecta Sound encoding) (Western Electric Recording)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Only $15,000 of the budget was spent on special effects. more
Goofs:
Continuity: As the posse runs through Bronson Cave, after the policeman stops on the planks, says his lines, and then runs ahead, look closely for the man in the white shirt: it looks like he fell down onto the planks before the shot ended. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Dr. Harvey Bassett: Oh, Doctor Hill.
Dr. Hill: Dr. Basset. Well, where's the patient?
Dr. Harvey Bassett: I hated to drag you out of bed at this time of night. You'll soon see why I did.
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FAQ

How does the movie end?
Is "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" based on a novel?
Where do the pods come from?
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10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
The simplicity of the horror is what "makes" this film so brilliant..., 8 February 2007
7/10
Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.

What must be considered one of the most original of all the science fiction films emanating from the '50s is INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, a low-budget sci-fi film about a sleepy Southern California town infested with a bunch of pods that are replicating the town's humans in physical form hatched from alien pods and taking over mind and body.

It doesn't waste any time in getting to the core of the horror element, with McCarthy as a doctor invited to a friend's house where he sees the first evidence of a sleeping pod form taking on the shape and identity of another. He and his sweetheart (the beautiful DANA WYNTER) are soon aware of the situation enveloping the small town residents and make an effort to alert the authorities, but find that no one can be trusted to be whom they claim to be--and are soon on the run themselves.

It easily remains one of the most gripping of these films with an excellent score by Carmen Dragon. KEVIN McCARTHY, DANA WYNTER, VIRGINIA CHRISTINE, WHIT BISSELL, KING DONOVAN and CAROLYN JONES all deliver fine performances and director Don Siegel keeps the suspense taut until the final scene.

Summing up: Alien invaders have always been a big part of sci-fi stories but never quite as creepily as depicted here. Terrific suspense.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
HUGE Plot hole! (spoilers) inkpunk
Pods = communist spies? your thoughts please! RainbowFire
Should I watch this or the 1978 remake? The_tim
Dana Wynter crossbones2005
alcoholism jcapogrossi
Age differential of the leads jazzfunk-land
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