Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

Extraterrestrials traveling in high-tech flying saucers contact a scientist as part of a plan to enslave the inhabitants of Earth.

Director:

Fred F. Sears

Writers:

Bernard Gordon (screenplay), George Worthing Yates (screenplay)

Stars:

Hugh Marlowe, Joan Taylor, Donald Curtis

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Hugh Marlowe	...	Dr. Russell A. Marvin
Joan Taylor	...	Carol Marvin
Donald Curtis	...	Maj. Huglin
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)

Storyline

While driving through the desert with his wife Carol Marvin to a military base to send the eleventh rocket into Earth orbit to assist the exploration of outer space in Operation Sky Hook, Dr. Russell A. Marvin and Carol see a flying saucer and accidentally records a message on their tape recorder. Once in the base, Dr. Russell is informed by his father-in-law and general that the ten first satellites mysteriously fell back to Earth. When Dr. Russell decodes the message, he encounters the aliens, who ask him to schedule a meeting with the leaders of Earth in Washington in 56 days in order to invade Earth without panicking the population. Dr. Russell develops an anti-magnetic weapon that becomes the last hope of the human race against the hostile aliens.

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Plot Keywords:

sonic weapon | alien | rocket | flying saucer | invasion | 

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Taglines:

The Battle of Your Lifetime!

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Invasion of the Flying Saucers

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 North Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Clover Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This science-fiction movie was "suggested" by the 1953 non-fiction book "Flying Saucers From Outer Space" by retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Donald E. Keyhoe, who believed that certain aerial phenomena were interplanetary in origin.

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Goofs

In the scene at the Air Intelligence Command Headquarter, the first visible civilian (the one describing UFO movements with flourishing gestures), can be seen looking into the camera briefly.

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Quotes

Russell Marvin: [into tape recorder] July 16, to Internal Security Commission, re: Sky Hook. Summary and progress report, from project director, Dr. Russell A. Marvin.
Carol Marvin: And Mrs. Dr. Russell A. Marvin, without whose inspiration and untiring criticism this report could never have been written.
Russell Marvin: Married two hours and already she's claiming community property!
[directs his attentions to her neck]
Carol Marvin: Now that you're married, Dr. Marlowe, you don't have to sneak up on me.
Russell Marvin: You always did have eyes in the back of your head.
Carol Marvin: ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in Breaking Bad: Cancer Man (2008)

User Reviews

Quintessential Fifties Sci-Fi

There are no dull frames in this remarkable saucer invasion film set directly in the center of the fifties. Harryhausen met the challenge of animating flying machines. Sure enough, they whiz, spin, even wobble when need be. Saucers even have a protruding ray-gun device. The action begins during the credits and never lets up. Admittedly, it's fifties. But it was impressive enough to heavily influence Tim Burton's Mars Attacks. You can't miss the references. Film is packed with clever and creative touches such as the tape recording including aliens speaking at a speed natural for them, but not for us on Earth. If you are not terribly put off by 50's, black and white, and (god forbid) stop motion, you can't go wrong with this quintessential sci-fi extravaganza.