Warning from Space (1956)

UFOs are seen around Tokyo. Because they look like giant starfish the aliens cannot approach us without creating panic. Hence one of them sacrifices itself and takes the form of a popular ... See full summary »

Director:

Kôji Shima

Writers:

Jay Cipes (English dialogue) (as Jay H. Cipes), Gentaro Nakajima (story)

Stars:

Keizô Kawasaki, Toyomi Karita, Bin Yagisawa

5 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Keizô Kawasaki	...	Dr. Toru Itsobe
Toyomi Karita	...	Hikari Aozora / Ginko
Bin Yagisawa	...	No. 2 Pairan
Shôzô Nanbu	...	The Elder Dr. Itsobe
Bontarô Miake	...	Dr. Kamura
Mieko Nagai	...	Taeko Kamura
Kiyoko Hirai	...	Mrs. Matsuda
Isao Yamagata	...	Dr. Matsuda
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gai Harada
Yûzô Hayakawa	...	Policeman
Kanji Kawahara	...	Dr. Takashima
Sachiko Meguro	...	Mrs. Tokuko Isobe
Toshiyuki Obara	...	News Repoter Hoshino (USA) / Hideno (Japan)
Fumiko Okamura	...	Japanese Bar' Ucyû-ken' Madam Ohana
Shikô Saitô	...	Mystery Man

Storyline

UFOs are seen around Tokyo. Because they look like giant starfish the aliens cannot approach us without creating panic. Hence one of them sacrifices itself and takes the form of a popular female singer. It/she warns mankind that a meteor will crash on Earth. While the approaching meteor causes hotter and hotter weather, mankind runs and builds a last-chance anti-meteor weapon.

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Plot Keywords:

outer space | monster disguised as human | space station | end of the world | earth in peril | 

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

At 23:11 we see an incomplete newspaper story in French which reads: DU CIEL NOUS ATTAQUE ... Conférence Mondiale répète au monde entier que si, dans.... Conférence Mondiale est prête à l'emploi des satellites artificiels.... on n'interrompt pas les attaquer par canons...". The English translation follows: THEY ATTACK US FROM THE SKY .... World Conference repeats to everyone that, yes in.... World Conference is ready to employ artificial satellites.... one will not stop at attacking them with cannons...

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Alternate Versions

The U.S. English dubbed version titled "Warning From Space" (1956) is quite faithful to the original Japanese version. However, at the final fade-out an additional sequence is added showing Ginko (Toyomi Karita) transforming from the human form back to the Pairan form. They simply took the transformation sequence, showing Ginko transforming into the human form, from earlier in the film and printed it in reverse.

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Connections

References Metropolis (1927)

User Reviews

Starfish civilization

Giving us the Warning From Space are benevolent creatures from a planet on our sun's far side called Paira. The dominant creatures of that planet are these large human size creatures that walk upright and look like starfish with a big eye in the middle of the body. What they're warning us about is a rogue planet loose in space and about to collide with the earth. The starfish civilization has developed the technology to blow up the planet.

The cheap special effects and the fact that no one could take these funny looking aliens seriously flattens out a sincere message about universal brotherhood of humankind that Warning From Space delivers. It was nice to see that all Japanese science fiction doesn't revolve around giant prehistoric creatures destroying Tokyo.

If you can get past the funny looking aliens this is not too bad a film.

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

29 January 1956 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Warning from Space

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company, Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min 88 min (dubbed)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Daieicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1