It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)

Director:

Edward L. Cahn

Writer:

Jerome Bixby (screenplay)

Release Date:

August 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It Breathes. It Hunts. It Kills!

Plot:

The first manned expedition to Mars is decimated by an unknown life form...which stows away on the rescue ship.

Plot Keywords:

Mars | Expedition To Mars | Spacecraft | Chemical Bomb | Decompression Chamber

Cast

Marshall Thompson	...	Carruthers
Shirley Patterson	...	Ann Anderson (as Shawn Smith)
Kim Spalding	...	Van Heusen
Ann Doran	...	Mary Royce
Dabbs Greer	...	Eric Royce
Paul Langton	...	Calder
Robert Bice	...	Purdue
Richard Benedict	...	Bob Finelli
Richard Hervey	...	Gino
Thom Carney	...	Kienholz
Ray Corrigan	...	It

Also Known As:

It! The Vampire from Beyond Space
The Terror from Beyond Space

Runtime:

69 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved | Sweden:15

Company:

Robert E. Kent Productions

Trivia:

The mask of the monster suit was altered considerably. When Ray Corrigan was fitted for the monster suit, the mask was initially too tight. Paul Blaisdell, the maker of the monster suit, had to remove and rebuild the monster's lower jaw so the mask would fit better. Unfortunately, Corrigan's chin stuck out through the opening made in the mask. Blaisdell made up Corrigan's chin to look like the monster's tongue. The mask's original eyes (large and catlike, a Blaisdell trademark) were also removed so that we see Corrigan's own eyes behind the mask.

Goofs:

Factual errors: If a spacecraft were to open its airlock to space as depicted there would be a violent explosive decompression and not the gradual buildup as depicted in the movie.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Spokesman at Press Conference: Ladies and gentlemen of the press, as you know the first attempt to send a spaceship to the planet Mars was made six months ago. We knew that that ship, the Challenge 141, had reached its destination. But that's all we knew. Teleradio communication with Mars ceased immediately...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dead End (1985)

Highly enjoyable!!!

It! The Terror From Beyond Space is simply one of the best B-movies from the 50s. This film would actually be considered a classic (rather than just a cult classic) if they just took out one of the parts of the movie where the zipper on the creature costume's back is clearly visible for about two seconds. The idea that inspired the later-on Ridley Scott thriller ALIEN (1979). A crew of astronauts from Earth are on their way home from Mars, where one of their crewmen was later strangely found dead after they went exploring. On their way back, they realize that a horrible Martian creature that feeds on blood has stowed away on their ship, and they won't be reaching Earth for DAYS!!! Highly thrilling and enjoyable, especially if you watch it with friends at night. Also recommended is THE ANGRY RED PLANET (1960) which is another early sci-fi film, with plenty of flaws.

Grade: 9/10

MPAA Rating; not rated

My Rating: Ages 7 and up (terror, some violence)