It Came from Outer Space

Year:  1953

Director:  Jack Arnold

Screenplay:  Harry Essex, from a story by Ray Bradbury

Starring:  Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush

Running Time:  80 minutes

Genre:  Science-fiction

Writer and amateur astronomer Frank Putnam (Carlson) and his schoolteacher girlfriend Ellen Fields (Rush) witness what seems to be a meteor crashing in the Arizona desert.  When they discover, they discover that it is, in fact, a large spacecraft.  Of course, nobody believes them, but then local people begin acting very strangely.

This is one of the finest moments of the 1950s science-fiction craze.  To modern audiences the alien creature may be more likely to provoke giggles than screams, and the film's low budget is very obvious in places, however under celebrated science-fiction director Jack Arnold, it still conjures up some memorable images, and the desert landscapes are evocative.  Based on an original screen treatment by legendary science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury, and scripted by Harry Essex, the film is well written with intelligent dialogue.  Unusually the film's shape-shifting aliens are not malevolent, all they want is to repair their ship and leave.  Richard Carlson gives a strong performance as the increasingly stressed astronomer, even if Barbara Rush is a little underused as his loyal girlfriend.  Charles Drake plays the town's aggressive sheriff who is also Putnam's rival for Ellen's affections.  The film was originally shown in 3D which is why so many objects are thrust at the camera.  

It Came from Outer Space