Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Daniel Mainwaring (screenplay)
Jack Finney (Collier's magazine serial)

Release Date:

5 February 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

... there was nothing to hold onto - except each other.

Plot:

A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.

Plot Keywords:

Delusion | Psychiatrist | Doctor | Psychotronic | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kevin McCarthy	...	Dr. Miles J. Bennell
Dana Wynter	...	Becky Driscoll
Larry Gates	...	Dr. Dan 'Danny' Kauffman
King Donovan	...	Jack Belicec
Carolyn Jones	...	Theodora 'Teddy' Belicec
Jean Willes	...	Nurse Sally Withers
Ralph Dumke	...	Police Chief Nick Grivett
Virginia Christine	...	Wilma Lentz
Tom Fadden	...	Uncle Ira Lentz
Kenneth Patterson	...	Stanley Driscoll
Guy Way	...	Officer Sam Janzek
Eileen Stevens	...	Anne Grimaldi
Beatrice Maude	...	Grandma Driscoll
Jean Andren	...	Eleda Lentz
Bobby Clark	...	Jimmy Grimaldi

Also Known As:

Sleep No More
They Came from Another World (USA) (working title)
Walter Wanger's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Perspecta Sound encoding) (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | West Germany:16 | Australia:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #17567)

Filming Locations:

1200 N. Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Walter Wanger Productions

Trivia:

The tunnel scene where the hero hides briefly from the townspeople was filmed at Bronson Cave in Griffith Park, famous with locals as the Bat Cave.

Goofs:

Continuity: Water stains on the planks in the mine.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Harvey Bassett: Oh, Doctor Hill.
Dr. Hill: Dr. Basset. Well, where's the patient?
Dr. Harvey Bassett: I hated to drag you out of bed at this time of night. You'll soon see why I did.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 100 Greatest Scary Moments (2003) (TV)

Commie aliens land on Earth and disrupt our sleep patterns

Invasion of the Body Snatchers does have some workable and attention-grabbing horror themes, but they are more psychological than science-fiction - this is not quite the el cheapo silver-shipped, alien-infested 1950s matinee jaunt that many think it to be. The set-up is slow and more than a little mundane, but critical when you consider the closing scenes with Miles struggling to keep Becky awake so that she can retain her compassion and emotions; it's therefore important to establish their relationship and to introduce the people around them (this is more a film about transformations in people than startling events). By the end of the film we can empathise with Miles and Becky, understand the dilemma that faces them, and admire their determined idealism: the success of this really hinges on the film's set-up.

We've all heard that this movie is political allegory, and it certainly meets all the criteria. However whether it's railing against communist infiltration or McCarthyist witch-hunts I've never really been sure - perhaps it's both. The use of sleep as the defining point of transformation seems to suggest the former: as people lose consciousness and alertness, the pods/Reds claim another 'victim'. So too does Miles' monologue at the window of his office, looking down on the busy pod distribution network as it goes about its business. Then again, the relentless pursuit of non-podders, and the single, frantic and unheeded voice of Miles at the film's beginning could symbolise the divisive, intellectually-deadening effect of McCarthyism on society. It's quite possible the director intentionally aimed for this ideological ambiguity to appeal to different perspectives - the only thing that is clear is that Invasion of the Body Snatchers most assuredly reflects the political climate from which it sprang.

If you like corny monsters, spaceships, people being devoured or end-of-the-world scenarios, look elsewhere in the plethora of B-grade sci-fi jaunts that are around. But if you prefer your horror a little more subtle and a lot more cerebral, this could be the film for you. The acting is competent enough, the budget fairly healthy for this time of movie, and the writing is very good without being exceptional. As a package of ideas and scenarios, however, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is both entrancing and enlightening and, pleasingly, doesn't opt for a neat, cop-out Disney ending. Just don't go to sleep.