Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

Director:

Fred F. Sears

Writers (WGA):

Donald E. Keyhoe (book)
Curt Siodmak (screen story)
(more)

Release Date:

July 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Before You Scoff at Flying Saucers - See the Greatest SHOCK Film of All Time !

Plot:

Extra-terrestrials flying in high tech flying saucers contact scientist Dr. Russell Marvin as part of a plan to enslave the inhabitants of Planet Earth.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Rocket | Flying Saucer | General | Tape Recorder

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Hugh Marlowe	...	Dr. Russell A. Marvin
Joan Taylor	...	Carol Marvin
Donald Curtis	...	Maj. Huglin, Liason Officer
Morris Ankrum	...	Brig. Gen. John Hanley
John Zaremba	...	Prof. Kanter
Thomas Browne Henry	...	Vice Adm. Enright (as Tom Browne Henry)
Grandon Rhodes	...	Gen. Edmunds
Larry J. Blake	...	Motorcycle cop (as Larry Blake)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Aldrich	...	Airplane Passenger / Officer in Sighting Montage / Man in Saucer Attack (uncredited)
Holly Bane	...	Bit Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Nicky Blair	...	Military Officer at Experiment (uncredited)
Charles Evans	...	Dr. Alberts (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Alien (voice) (uncredited)
Duke Green	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Clark Howat	...	Sgt. Nash (uncredited)
Harry Lauter	...	Cutting, Generator technician (uncredited)
Don Marlowe	...	Bit Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Forbes Murray	...	Military Officer at Experiment (uncredited)
Alan Reynolds	...	Maj. Kimberly (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Officer in UFO Sighting Montage (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Officer / Civilian at Military Conference (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Crushed Beneath Wall (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox	...	Alfred Cassidy (uncredited)
Beal Wong	...	Radio Listener in China (uncredited)
William Woodson	...	Off-Screen Narrator (uncredited) (unconfirmed)

Directed by
Fred F. Sears

Writing credits (WGA)
Donald E. Keyhoe		(book "Flying Saucers from Outer Space") (as Major Donald E. Keyhoe)
Curt Siodmak		(screen story)
George Worthing Yates		(screenplay) &
Bernard Gordon		(screenplay) originally as Raymond T. Marcus

Produced by
Sam Katzman	....	executive producer
Charles H. Schneer	....	producer

Original Music by
Mischa Bakaleinikoff		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Fred Jackman Jr.

Film Editing by
Danny B. Landres		(as Danny D. Landres)

Art Direction by
Paul Palmentola

Set Decoration by
Sidney Clifford

Production Management
Leon Chooluck	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gene Anderson Jr.	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
J.S. Westmoreland	....	sound (as Josh Westmoreland)

Special Effects by
Russ Kelley	....	special effects
Ray Harryhausen	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)

Animation Department
Ray Harryhausen	....	special photographic and animation effects

Music Department
Mischa Bakaleinikoff	....	conductor
Daniele Amfitheatrof	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
George Duning	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
David Raksin	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Miklós Rózsa	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Hans J. Salter	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Leith Stevens	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Jack Erickson	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Clover Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1956) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1957) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (1999) (Japan) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• NHK-BS2 (2003) (Japan) (TV)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (India) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema, The (2008) (Japan) (TV)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Invasion of the Flying Saucers
Anfall från rymden (Sweden) [sv]
Epidromi iptamenon diskon (Greece) [el]
Fliegende Untertassen greifen an (West Germany) [de]
La terra contra els plats voladors (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
La tierra contra los platillos voladores (Spain) [es]
La tierra contra los platillos volantes (Spain) [es]
Lentävien lautasten hyökkäys (Finland) [fi]
Les soucoupes volantes attaquent (France) [fr]

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:12 (nf) | USA:Approved (Certificate #17854) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Hyperion Water Treatment Facility - 12000 Vista Del Mar, Playa del Rey, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Clover Productions

Trivia:

While Dr. Marvin, his wife, the major and the policeman are being transported in a saucer, a large view screen is displaying their movement away from earth. One of the shots displayed is of earth and the moon with a haze-like fog. This shot is taken from the opening credits of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951).

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the opening scenes, a military jet (F-84) is shown. During the close up scenes of the pilot, the type of canopy does not match the type of aircraft flown.

Quotes:

Russell Marvin: [into tape recorder] July 16, to Internal Security Commission, re: Sky Hook. Summary and progress report, from project director, Dr. Russell A. Marvin.
Carol Marvin: And Mrs. Dr. Russell A. Marvin, without whose inspiration and untiring criticism this report could never have been written.
Russell Marvin: Married two hours and already she's claiming community property!
[directs his attentions to her neck]
Carol Marvin: Now that you're married, Dr. Marlowe, you don't have to sneak up on me.
Russell Marvin: You always did have eyes in the back of your head.
Carol Marvin: Besides, it's not safe when we're driving.
Russell Marvin: But pretty...
Carol Marvin: I thought intellectual giants were supposed to be backwards and shy.
Russell Marvin: My third-grade teacher, Miss Hickey, said I was a quick study.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'War of the Worlds': Revisiting the Invasion (2005) (V)

Quintessential Fifties Sci-Fi

There are no dull frames in this remarkable saucer invasion film set directly in the center of the fifties. Harryhausen met the challenge of animating flying machines. Sure enough, they whiz, spin, even wobble when need be. Saucers even have a protruding ray-gun device. The action begins during the credits and never lets up. Admittedly, it's fifties. But it was impressive enough to heavily influence Tim Burton's Mars Attacks. You can't miss the references. Film is packed with clever and creative touches such as the tape recording including aliens speaking at a speed natural for them, but not for us on Earth. If you are not terribly put off by 50's, black and white, and (god forbid) stop motion, you can't go wrong with this quintessential sci-fi extravaganza.