Svengoolie strikes again! I saw this one as I’ve been clearing out my DVR of old Svengoolie episodes and I admit I was jazzed for this one.
I’ve heard about this one forever. It Came from Outer Space (1953) was Universal’s first 3D entry directed by Jack Arnold, who would make “Creature of the Black Lagoon” which is often considered the last classic Universal monster to be introduced.
On top of that, it is often stated that Ray Bradbury, classic SF novelist, wrote this script entirely though Harry Essex carries the screenplay credit.
Unfortunately, if I tell you the twist this movie has that other alien invasion films didn’t have at the time, it would ruin the entire thing….so don’t read those IMDB comments. I paid for it!
Having said that, it has a mysterious plot, but it isn’t terribly exciting or engaging. It kind of plays out a little like Tremors at times, but it just talks itself to death. Argh.
All the SF 50’s McCarthy tropes are here: a seeming outsider trying to alert authorities of the threat, a straight laced All-American couple, a town ridiculing the beliefs of the hero and even a cockeyed ball cap on the smart aleck sidekick.
All of that to see an alien that resembles Sigmund the Sea Monster through a “bubble cam.”
The lead is held down by Richard Carlson, who is one of those actors that you see the mug of and say “Oh, that guy!” He is probably best known as the antagonist without gills in the aforementioned “Creature of the Black Lagoon” but he plays a pretty convincing hero here. I just found myself not being too interested in his character. I guess that happens.
The female lead is Barbara Rush, who has literally done so much television it staggers the imagination. Her career spanned 50 years yet this film and “When Worlds Collide” are in 2 of her top 4 spots on IMDB. Her work as the lovely girlfriend and then becoming very sexy toward the end of the film is good, but her low threshold before she screams is annoying. She screams at everything. It is comical.
Russel Johnson is here. He was Gilligan’s Island’s Professor, but outside the trivial connection to a well known franchise, his performance simply isn’t notable.
The movie pivots on a twist I can’t mention…but frankly, it isn’t all that clever or shocking (even though it was spoiled for me). It just kind of hangs there and this movie is just a little too talky for me.