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Invasion of the Body Snatchers

  • 1956
  • Approved
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
52K
YOUR RATING
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.

  • Director
    • Don Siegel
  • Writers
    • Daniel Mainwaring
    • Jack Finney
    • Richard Collins
  • Stars
    • Kevin McCarthy
    • Dana Wynter
    • Larry Gates
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    52K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Don Siegel
    • Writers
      • Daniel Mainwaring
      • Jack Finney
      • Richard Collins
    • Stars
      • Kevin McCarthy
      • Dana Wynter
      • Larry Gates
    • 295User reviews
    • 167Critic reviews
    • 92Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins

    Videos2

    Invasion of the Body Snatchers
    Trailer 2:20
    Watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers
    Joe Dante on Invasion of the Body Snatchers
    Featurette 2:49
    Watch 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
      Production designer Ted Haworth came up with a fairly simple and inexpensive (about $30,000 total) idea for creating the pods. The most difficult part was when the pods burst open, revealing the likenesses of the actors. The actors had to have naked impressions of themselves made out of thin, skin-tight latex. Making the casts, which involved being submerged in the very hot casting material with only a straw in their mouths to breathe through, was grueling for the actors, especially Carolyn Jones, who was claustrophobic. Dana Wynter recalled, "I was in this thing while it hardened, and of course it got rather warm! I was breathing through straws or something quite bizarre, and the rest of me was encased, it was like a sarcophagus. The guys who were making it tapped on the back of the thing and said, 'Dana, listen, we won't be long, we're just off for lunch [laughs]!' In the end, we had to be covered except for just the nostrils and I think a little aperture for the mouth."
    • 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 reviews295

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    One of the scariest sci-fi films of the 1950s.
    A chilling motion picture, well directed by Don Sigel, with a script co-written by Daniel Mainwaring and (uncredited) Sam Peckinpah, based on the novel "The Body Snatchers" (aka "Sleep No More") by Jack Finney.

    The excellent musical score is by Carmen Dragon. Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter head the cast of this four-star classic in which the inhabitants of a small California town are being replaced by alien look-alikes. The aliens come to Earth in the form of "seed pods" that burst open and spew out a foam which grows into human duplicates, complete with all the memories of the original. The best scene in the film takes place in a greenhouse where several alien pods burst open and disgorge the half-formed copies of the horrified humans.

    A prologue, a new ending, and a voice over-narration were added after the film's initial release, to help the audience follow the strange plot. In the added scenes, the story opens with Kevin McCarthy being brought into a hospital, raving about alien invaders. Two doctors (Whit Bissell and Richard Deacon) listen to McCarthy's strange story, which the audience sees as a flashback. At the end of he movie the doctors are understandably skeptical about McCarthy's weird yarn, but an unexpected event lends credence to his story.

    Many film reviewers criticize these added scenes as unnecessary, an unwise attempt to conclude the story with a happier ending. But these scenes serve a valuable purpose, increasing the viewers sympathy for McCarthy and his efforts to convince someone that mankind is in danger. The alleged "happier ending" does not establish that mankind will win the battle against the aliens. It simply implies a Chapter Two in this epic struggle. Mankind will have a fighting chance in the war, but the outcome is definitely open to debate.
    helpful•62
    13
    • Bruce_Cook
    • Dec 15, 2003

    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

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    • 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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