ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

A campy, comic version of "Invaders from Mars" (in spirit), aimed at America's teen audience. The setting is Hicksville, where a group of nasty little bug-eyed, bigheaded aliens (designed by makeup ace Paul Blaisdell) land and begin their efforts to take over Earth.





Things don't go too well; one of the aliens is gored in the face by a bull, and another one is run over by a drag-racing hot rod! The teens leave one of their cars at the scene of the accident and depart to report it to the police.





The alien's body disconnects a hand (complete with extra eyeball) and sends it crawling over to the car, where it punctures a tire with hypodermic needles that extend from the fingers. The other aliens use their needle-hands to inject the teens with alcohol. Naturally the authorities don't believe the teens when they claim they haven't been drinking.





Directed by Edward L. Cahn. The cast is as camp as the plot; Frank Gorshin (the Riddler from Batman) plays a con man who wants to keep one of the dead alien bodies in a freezer, planning to sell them. His cohort is Lyn Osborn (Cadet Happy from the TV series Space Patrol).





Also on hand are sci fi veterans Ed Nelson (star and director of The Brain Eaters) and Russ Bender (The Amazing Colossal Man, It Conquered the World). What a movie!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pye-Rate]

Sorry, but I can't take these aliens seriously. Mayo, paprika, a few drops of lemon juice, they're coleslaw!

[Bud Brewster]

Absolutely, Pye-rate. This was a comedy, through and through. Everything from the design of the aliens to the title work itself — nothing was meant to be taken seriously.

The titles were on the pages of a book that were unfolded. This says it all, I think.



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[orzel-w]

When I saw this in a theater as a kid, I didn't realize it was a comedy. I was too concerned with being ready to "hide my eyes" when the aliens appeared.
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...or not...

WayneO
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[Bud Brewster]

The Youtube video turned out not to be as good as I thought, so I'm still waiting for a decent version of this movie.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[MetroPolly]

If you think these guys are hard to take seriously, try watching the remake, Attack of The (the) Eye Creatures.

That will make you appreciate this so much more.

[Gord Green]

You're right Polly!

This movie also featured Lynn Osborne (Cadet Happy, from TV's SPACE PATROL!) .

Still, this was a fun, tongue in cheek spoof of the best kind! I found it fun to watch in the 50's and loved the aliens' makeup . AND the poster was just right; one of the best of the era!

[Krel]

I haven't seen this movie, since the late 60s. It is based on the story, "The Cosmic Frame" by Paul W. Fairman. I read the story years ago, so the details are fuzzy. But the title should give you a hint about how the story ends.

David.

[Gord Green]

The screenplay by Robert J. Gurney Jr. and Al Martin was based on the 1955 short story "The Cosmic Frame" by Paul W. Fairman.

His short story "The Cosmic Frame", published in the May 1955 Amazing Stories, was made into the 1957 science fiction movie Invasion of the Saucer Men and was remade, although uncredited, in 1965 as The Eye Creatures

The film was made by Malibu Productions. Film rights to Fairman's short story were purchased through Forrest J Ackerman's Ackerman Science Fiction Agency.

Special effects technician Paul Blaisdell, who provided the alien make-up and flying saucer, recalled that Invasion of the Saucer Men was originally intended as a serious film but gradually developed into a comedy.

[Bud Brewster]

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Wonder of wonders, Youtube now has the best version of this movie I've ever seen! I suggest you folks download it before Youtube pulls the video, which we've all seen happen pretty often.

Savefrom.net will download it in minutes!
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________________ Invasion of the Saucer Men

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

[Gord Green]

No one has ever claimed that this was a "great"movie in the vein of FORBIDDEN PLANET or THIS ISLAND EARTH. What it is is that it's a 50's drive-in "romp".

Just for fun----A few laughs thrown in. Frank Gorshin and Lyn Osborne are hardly Shakespearean thespians. That's a clue right there!

Take it for what it is. 50's Sci-Fi exploitation Teen drive-in fodder!

Still, Paul Blaisdell created a true 50's icon of aliens that was seldom achieved in other movies of this genre!
The story does have moments of seriousness: just enough to lull you into relaxing before the next silly bits.

IMAGINE - Aliens that get you drunk! Just the ideal excuse when the State Patrol pulls you over!

"I wasn't drinking officer---It was these big headed aliens that got me blotto!
That naked girl in the backseat?
She's your daughter?
Well, she crtainly can't handle her liquior can she sir?"

[Bud Brewster]

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Well heck, I wish I hadn't written that nasty statement in the post above. I was WAY too hard on the movie, and I was downright rude to the folks here who said they've enjoyed it.

I apologize.

My only excuse is that there were six strange-looking beverage cans in the fridge, and I think a telepathic alien made me drink the contents. The beverage had a mind-altering effect!

Honest, it wasn't my fault!

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Krel]

Bud, shouldn't the label on the can read Roswell, rather than Miller?

New product idea, Roswell Beer! I wonder if you could tint the beer green.

David.

[Bud Brewster]