Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Daniel Mainwaring (screenplay), Jack Finney (Collier's magazine serial)

Stars:

Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates

2 wins.

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 Grimaldi
Jean Andren	...	Eleda Lentz
Bobby Clark	...	Jimmy Grimaldi

Storyline

Dr. Miles Bennell returns to his small town practice to find several of his patients suffering the paranoid delusion that their friends or relatives are impostors. He is initially skeptical, especially when the alleged doppelgangers are able to answer detailed questions about their victim's lives, but he is eventually persuaded that something odd has happened and determines to find out what is causing this phenomenon.

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Plot Keywords:

alien infiltration | alien invasion | surprise ending | small town | psychiatrist | 

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Taglines:

The original nightmare that threatened the world

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer Walter Wanger wanted a Winston Churchill quotation as a preface, with Orson Welles doing the narration. When they couldn't persuade Welles, Wanger tried to enlist science-fiction author Ray Bradbury. He declined as well.

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Goofs

The morning after Dr. Bennell brings Becky to his house, she makes breakfast for him. She asks if he wants his eggs boiled for 2 minutes. Then they hear a noise which is the gasman in the basement, and talk to him. She then runs back exclaiming "They'll be hard-boiled!". But they've only been in the water for 34 seconds. What she then serves would essentially be raw eggs.

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Quotes

Dr. Miles J. Bennell: I've been afraid a lot of times in my life. But I didn't know the real meaning of fear until... until I had kissed Becky.

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Crazy Credits

THE END comes up on the final shot of the film of Miles looking relieved that Dr Hill has believed his story, and is calling the FBI about the alien invasion of Santa Mira.

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Alternate Versions

Originally released at 80 minutes; reissued in 1979 at 76 minutes, deleting the studio-imposed prologue and epilogue starring Whit Bissel and Richard Deacon.

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Connections

Referenced in Phineas and Ferb: Invasion of the Ferb Snatchers/Ain't No Kiddie Ride (2010)

User Reviews

One Word Only......Masterpiece!

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the quintessential sci-fi film of the 50s, praying on the particular fears and paranoias of the time as well as more basic, instinctual phobias within each of us. The story is simple enough about a benevolent, intellectual doctor returning from vacation only to find that some weird, unexplainable feelings have been generated in the small town of Santa Mira. Some people say that relatives are not who they seem to be, despite being exact duplicates physically and mentally. This leads to one discovery to another for the good doctor, his girl, and two friends, and what we have through each discovery is one more piece to the puzzle that an alien presence is at work. What makes this film so successful is the pace and frantic mood it creates. We are caught up in Dr. Bennel's work, his fears and anxieties, his discoveries, and his uncovering of the truth. We feel confined, betrayed, and even suspicious of everything he encounters. Credit for this certainly must go to director Don Siegel and his outstanding ability to create this almost claustrophobic atmosphere, as well as to Kevin McCarthy who does an outstanding job playing the doctor. There are scenes in this film that live on long after viewing it...and the last one in particular has forever been etched into my mind. For a good fright, see Invasion of the Body Snatchers...They're here! They're here!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 February 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Walter Wanger's Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Filming Locations:

Sunset Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$417,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,861

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allied Artists Pictures, Walter Wanger Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Perspecta Sound encoding) (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1