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IMDbPro

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

  • 19561956
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
50K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,862
230
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Theatrical Trailer from Republic Pictures
Play trailer2:20
2 Videos
67 Photos
DramaHorrorSci-Fi
A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
50K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
5,862
230
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Don Siegel
    • Writers
      • Daniel Mainwaring(screenplay by)
      • Jack Finney(based on the Collier's magazine serial by)
      • Richard Collins(uncredited)
    • Stars
      • Kevin McCarthy
      • Dana Wynter
      • Larry Gates
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Don Siegel
    • Writers
      • Daniel Mainwaring(screenplay by)
      • Jack Finney(based on the Collier's magazine serial by)
      • Richard Collins(uncredited)
    • Stars
      • Kevin McCarthy
      • Dana Wynter
      • Larry Gates
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 287User reviews
    • 163Critic reviews
    • 92Metascore
    • Awards
      • 2 wins

    Videos2

    Invasion of the Body Snatchers
    Trailer 2:20
    Invasion of the Body Snatchers
    Joe Dante on Invasion of the Body Snatchers
    Featurette 2:49
    Joe Dante on Invasion of the Body Snatchers

    Photos67

    Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
    Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
    Kevin McCarthy in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
    Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
    Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
    "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" Kevin McCarthy 1956 Allied Artists
    "INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS" Dana Wynter, Allied Artists, 1956, I.V.
    "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" Kevin McCarthy,Dana Wynter 1956 Allied Artists
    "INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS" Dana Wynter, Allied Artists, 1956, I.V.
    "INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS" Dana Wynter, Allied Artists, 1956, I.V.
    "INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS" Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Allied Artists, 1956, I.V.
    "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" Kevin McCarthy 1956 Allied Artists

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kevin McCarthy
    Kevin McCarthy
    • Dr. Miles J. Bennell
    Dana Wynter
    Dana Wynter
    • Becky Driscoll
    Larry Gates
    Larry Gates
    • Dr. Dan 'Danny' Kauffman
    King Donovan
    King Donovan
    • Jack Belicec
    Carolyn Jones
    Carolyn Jones
    • Theodora 'Teddy' Belicec
    Jean Willes
    Jean Willes
    • Nurse Sally Withers
    Ralph Dumke
    Ralph Dumke
    • Police Chief Nick Grivett
    Virginia Christine
    Virginia Christine
    • Wilma Lentz
    Tom Fadden
    Tom Fadden
    • Uncle Ira Lentz
    Kenneth Patterson
    • Stanley Driscoll
    Guy Way
    Guy Way
    • Officer Sam Janzek
    Eileen Stevens
    • Anne Grimaldi
    Beatrice Maude
    • Grandma Grimaldi
    Jean Andren
    • Eleda Lentz
    Bobby Clark
    • Jimmy Grimaldi
    Everett Glass
    Everett Glass
    • Dr. Ed Pursey
    Dabbs Greer
    Dabbs Greer
    • Mac Lomax
    Pat O'Malley
    Pat O'Malley
    • Baggage Man
    • Director
      • Don Siegel
    • Writers
      • Daniel Mainwaring(screenplay by)
      • Jack Finney(based on the Collier's magazine serial by)
      • Richard Collins(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During its original release, papier-mâché pods were on display in theater lobbies, as well as black-and-white cutouts of Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter running frantically away from a crowd of pod people.
    • Goofs
      (at around 20 mins) When Dr. Bennell is shown the body on the pool table he never bothers to ask where it came from or why it is there. One would think that would be the first question.
    • Quotes

      Dr. Miles J. Bennell: They're here already! You're next! You're next, You're next...!

    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Giant Claw (1957)

    User reviews287

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Excellent genre film with intellectual subtexts
    Dr. Miles J. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is called back to his small California home early from a conference because a number of his patients have been frantically asking to see him. But oddly, when he returns home, most forget about their unspecified needs. At the same time, it seems that a mass hysteria is building where residents believe that friends and loved ones are "not themselves", literally. Just what is going on? As of this writing, it has been more than twenty years since I have seen the 1978 remake of this film, so I can't compare the two at the moment. However, it would have to be flawless to top this, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

    The sole factor that caused me to give the film less than a ten was the pacing during portions of the first half hour or so. While it's not bad, exactly, director Don Siegel does not build atmosphere and tension as effectively as he might have while the viewer is being filled in on the necessary exposition. Admittedly, this section is directed in a standard way for its era, but "standard" here is enough to subtract a point.

    However, once we reach Miles' friend Jack Belicec (King Donovan) discovering a body on his billiard table, the suspense and tension gradually increase, and the remainder of the film is a very solid ten.

    The literal "weapon" of the film's horror could have easily come across as cheesy, but it doesn't. Don Post and Milt Rice's special make-up effects and props are threateningly eerie. The transformation sequences involving the props are beautifully shot and edited--showing just enough to make them effective, but not so much that the mystery is gone.

    It was ingenious to create a story where a whole town gradually turns into a villain, and even natural, unavoidable biological functions threaten our heroes' destruction. In conjunction, it all creates an intense sense of claustrophobia and paranoia for the audience.

    McCarthy and Dana Wynter, as Miles' girlfriend Becky Driscoll, expertly convey a gradual transformation from common citizens to panic-stricken, desperate victims on the run. The film is also notable for slightly ahead-of-its time portrayals of relationships and divorce.

    Much has been said about the parallels between Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the "communist paranoia" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, especially as it was directed against Hollywood by the House of Un-American Activities Committee. (And how ironic that the star of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is named McCarthy?) However, there is another very interesting subtext present that isn't so often mentioned. The film can also be looked at as a philosophical exploration of personal identity. Just what does it take for people to be themselves? Is it how they look, act, the things they say? Is it not the case that people are constantly transformed into something they weren't just hours ago, or even moments ago? Among the many ways that these kinds of ideas are worked into the script is that sleep is a metaphor for unconscious physical change over time. It would be easy to analyze each scene in the film in this manner, going into detail about the various implications each plot development has on the matter of personal identity.

    Despite the slight pacing/atmosphere flaw in the beginning, this is a gem of a film, not just for sci-fi and horror fans, and not just for its era. It's worth seeing by anyone with a serious interest in film, and can be enjoyed either on its suspenseful surface level, or more in-depth by those who want to look at the film as more metaphorical material for societal and philosophical concerns.
    helpful•103
    16
    • BrandtSponseller
    • Feb 1, 2005

    FAQ9

    • What is "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" about?
    • Is "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" based on a book?
    • Where do the pods come from?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 5, 1956 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Walter Wanger's Invasion of the Body Snatchers
    • Filming locations
      • Town Square, Sierra Madre, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Allied Artists Pictures
      • Walter Wanger Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $417,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,861
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White

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