It Came from Outer Space (1953)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1953
Running Times: 81 mins
Format: black and white     35mm     stereoscopic 3D (some prints exist in anaglyphic 3D)
Ratio: 1.37:1
Sound: stereo

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Universal International Pictures
Producer: William Alland

SCRIPT
Script: Harry Essex
Story: Ray Bradbury

DIRECTION
Director: Jack Arnold
Assistant Director: Joseph E. Kenney

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Clifford Stine
Lab: Universal Studios Laboratory, USA

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Paul Weatherwax

MUSIC
Music Supervisor: Joseph Gershenson

SOUND
Sound: Glenn E. Anderson, Leslie I. Carey
Sound System: Western Electric Recording

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Bud Westmore
Hair: Joan St. Oegger
Costume Designer: Rosemary Odell

VISUAL EFFECTS
Special Photographic Effects: Roswell A. Hoffman, David S. Horsley
Visual Effects Optical Printing: Roswell A. Hoffman

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Directors: Robert Boyle, Bernard Herzbrun
Set Decorators: Russell A. Gausman, Ruby R. Levitt

LOCATIONS
Locations: Mojave Desert, California, USA; Palmdale, California, USA; Victorville, California, USA
Studio: Universal Studios, Universal City, California, USA

CAST
Richard Carlson (John Putnam)
Barbara Rush (Ellen Fields)
Charles Drake (Sheriff Matt Warren)
Joe Sawyer (Frank Daylon)
Russell Johnson (George)
Kathleen Hughes (Jane)

PLOT SUMMARY

John Putnam and Ellen Fields witness the crashing it Earth of a huge fireball that they discover is actually an alien spaceship. No-one believes them but in the following days, local people disappear and return, their personalities altered...

AVAILABILITY

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Universal International Pictures (1953); Universal Pictures (1972)
Video Distributors: Cinema Classics; GoodTimes Home Video; MCA/Universal Home Video
Laserdisc Distributors: MCA Home Video (41751)
DVD Distributors: Universal Studios Home Video (20435)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: K-16

Norway
Rating: 16

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: approved (PCA #16454)

AWARDS

1953
Hugo Awards, USA
Best Dramatic Presentation - nominated

1954
Golden Globes, USA
Most Promising Newcomer - Female (Barbara Rush) - winner (tied with Pat Crowley (Forever Female (1953), Money from Home (1953)) and Bella Darvi (The Egyptian (1954), Hell and High Water (1954))

TIMELINE

1953
May
25: USA - theatrical release

November
30: Norway - theatrical release

December
Day Unknown: West Germany - theatrical release

1954
February
Day Unknown: Austria - theatrical release

July
16: Finland - theatrical release
26: Sweden - theatrical release

September
27: Denmark - theatrical release

2000
April
10: Argentina - shown at the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema

2003
May
21: USA - DVD release (Universal Studios Home Video (20435))

POSTER TAGS

Amazing Sights Leap at You in 3-DIMENSION

Amazing! Exciting! Spectacular!

A helicopter's churning blades whirl inches from your head!

In scientifically perfected, eye-resting, full sepia Monocolor!

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Atomic Monster - working title
Besök från yttre rymden - Swedish title
Destinazione Terra - Italian title
Gefahr aus dem Weltall - Austrian / West German title
Inconnus d'un autre monde - French Belgian title
Invasion fra Mars - Danish title
Invasion från Mars - Swedish title
Llegó del más allá - Spanish title
Le météore de la nuit - French title
Onbekenden uit een andere wereld - Flemish Belgian title
Strangers from Outer Space - working title
The Meteor - working title
Vieraat ulkoavaruudesta - Finnish title
Yön meteori - Finnish title

LINKS

SEQUEL
It Came from Outer Space II (1996)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
The American Nightmare (2000)
Back to the Black Lagoon: A Creature Chronicle (2000)
Hollywood Aliens & Monsters (1997)
Monsterama Sci-Fi Late Night Creature Feature Show Vol 1 (1996)
The Nomi Song (2004)
Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (1994)
Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us (2005)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Starlog no.217 (August 1995) (USA)
illustrated interview with William Alland (The Producer from Outer Space by Tom Weaver)

Video Today December 1984 p.22 (UK)
illustrated review

KEYWORDS

3d, aliens, astronomers, car accidents, craters, deserts, dynamite, helicopters, landslides, meteors, mines, roadblocks, shapeshifters, sheriffs, spaceships, teachers, telescopes, ufos

Last Updated: 1 March, 2009