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The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

14A | | Drama, Sci-Fi | 8 April 1976 (Italy)
Trailer
1:45 | Trailer
An alien must pose as a human to save his dying planet, but a woman and greed of other men create complications.

Director:

Nicolas Roeg

Writers:

Paul Mayersberg (screenplay), Walter Tevis (from the novel by)
1 win & 3 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Bowie ... Thomas Jerome Newton
Rip Torn ... Nathan Bryce
Candy Clark ... Mary-Lou
Buck Henry ... Oliver Farnsworth
Bernie Casey ... Peters
Jackson D. Kane Jackson D. Kane ... Professor Canutti
Rick Riccardo Rick Riccardo ... Trevor
Tony Mascia ... Arthur
Linda Hutton Linda Hutton ... Elaine
Hilary Holland Hilary Holland ... Jill
Adrienne Larussa ... Helen
Lilybelle Crawford Lilybelle Crawford ... Jewelery Store Owner
Richard Breeding Richard Breeding ... Receptionist
Albert Nelson Albert Nelson ... Waiter
Peter Prouse Peter Prouse ... Peters' Associate
Learn more

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Storyline

Thomas Jerome Newton is a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to get water for his dying planet. He starts a high technology company to get the billions of dollars he needs to build a return spacecraft, and meets Mary-Lou, a girl who falls in love with him. He does not count on the greed and ruthlessness of business here on Earth, however. Written by Gene Volovich <volovich@netcom.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

You have to believe it to see it See more »

Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The 39th screenplay Paul Mayersberg had written, and the first of his to be physically produced. See more »

Goofs

When the professor played by Rip Torn is in bed with young co-ed, the bra comes off then reappears and then goes through a series of out of sequence appearance. See more »

Quotes

Mary-Lou: [Talking to herself] Damn cheap princess.
See more »

Alternate Versions

In the original U.S. theatrical release, the "Hello Mary Lou" sequence with the gun was missing. It was restored when the movie was broadcast on pay cable. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Dune (1984) See more »

Soundtracks

Excerpts from 'The Planets Suite'
Composed by Gustav Holst
Performed by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
See more »

User Reviews

 
Bowie as prophet and martyr
26 April 2005 | by gershomgaleSee all my reviews

Several things about this film make it worth watching... beginning with the premise that Earth's abundant water is what makes it rare in the galaxy.

But more intriguing is how the alien visitor, landing with absolutely nothing but the clothes on his back and a gold wedding ring, and knowing absolutely nothing about Earth culture, "gets up to speed" with astonishing, ruthless, clear-sighted rapidity...within days raising the $10,000 he offers a patent attorney for one hour of the latter's time. In that hour, Bowie's character outlines three basic patents -- including two which we can recognize today as digital cameras and music.

A particularly fascinating scene has our newly rich and already bored alien watching about 20 TV sets at once, while holding a small, battery-powered propeller. Repeated viewings will reveal that the disparate programs (presumably actual images of television shows) occasionally "come together" to form coherent messages... at which time our hero spins the propeller.


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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 1976 (Italy) See more »

Also Known As:

The Man Who Fell to Earth See more »

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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,922, 26 June 2011

Gross USA:

$100,072

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$162,388
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (cut)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
See full technical specs »

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