Invasion of the Saucer Men

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Movie
Original title Invasion of the Saucer Men
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1957
length 69 minutes
Rod
Director Edward L. Cahn
script Robert J. Gourney, Jr. , Al Martin
production James H. Nicholson , Robert J. Guerney, Jr., Samuel Z. Arkoff for Malibu Production / American International Pictures
music Ronald Stein
camera Frederick E. West
occupation

Invasion of the Saucer Men ( Invasion of the Saucer Men ) is an American science fiction film of 1957. Literary template was Paul W. Fair Mans short story "The Cosmic Frame", which in May 1955 in Amazing Stories appeared. The film poster with the oversized heads of the green saucer men achieved cult status.

action

Commercial travelers Johnny Carter and Artie Burns are out on business in the small town of Hicksburg. One evening Artie goes to bed early in the shared hotel room while Johnny secretly meets with Joan Hayden, whose influential father is not allowed to know about their friendship. They drive into the surrounding area in the so-called "lovers lane", where lovers meet in their cars. Meanwhile, a flying saucer lands outside Hicksburg . It is studded with small Martians with oversized heads and eyes.

On the way back, Johnny accidentally runs over one of the Martians. At first frightened, he realizes the (advertising) potential of the discovery of an alien, albeit a dead one. From the house of the farmer Larkin, who already loathes the loitering teenagers who disturb his cows, Johnny calls the hotel in his absence and instructs the astounded Artie to empty the refrigerator immediately so that the corpse of the alien victim can be frozen to present it to the press later. Meanwhile, a hand of the dead Martian becomes independent. She develops an eye and is on her way. The drunkard Joe falls victim to her.

It just happened that an army unit was doing an exercise in the region. They come across the spaceship and try to make contact. If this fails, they shoot it. Johnny and Artie are attacked by the saucer men as they want revenge for their supposedly murdered crew member. The two discover that the saucer men are bulletproof, but can be killed by light. Johnny organizes the lovers in the "lovers lane". The invaders from Mars are killed with the car headlights of the lovers. It turns out that Joe was not poisoned by the Martian hand, as it only injected alcohol: the constantly drunk Joe simply died of an alcohol overdose.

Production notes

The film was shot almost entirely in the studio in seven days. The saucer men actors were short of stature . The original masks of the "green Martians" were orange. The film posters still show the oversized head of the Martians designed by Paul Blaisdell. Paul Blaisdell's characters served as a model for the Martians in the Mars Attacks! Trading cards of the early 1960s and the feature film “ Mars Attacks! “From 1996.

criticism

The grim little picture, intented as a cofeature only, was directed by the mediocre Edward L. Cahn, and it isn't even one of HIS better films. INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN is slow and talky, and neither quality helps to get a viewer through the muddled plot ... The saucer men´s extravagant design has led them to one of the most popular of 1950s science fiction creatures ... Despite their awkward appearance, they have an odd appeal, making them the highlight of the weak movie.

Warren, "Keep Watching the Skies!" P. 427.

Foreign title

Other performance titles included Invasion dall'alto mondo ( Italy ), La invasión de los hombres del espacio ( Spain ), Invasores da Ourto Mundo ( Portugal ) and Krypande handen ( Sweden ).

literature

  • Bill Warren : "Keep Watching the Skies!" American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties , Jefferson, NC / London (Mc Farland & Company, Inc., Publishers) 2010, pp. 426-429. ISBN 978-0-7864-4230-0

Lore

  • In addition to the original English version, there are also Italian and Spanish DVD editions.

Web links