******SAUCER-SHAPED SPOILERS!******
Inspired by a report of “flying saucers” as described by pilot Kenneth Nelson in June 1947, and followed by the infamous Roswell incident in New Mexico that same year, UFOs (UAPs now) were all the rage in mid-century America. That trend was amplified in the 1950s with prominent sci-fi films such as producer George Pal’s loose Cold War adaptation of H.G. Wells’ sci-fi classic novel “The War of the Worlds” (1953), and “Invaders from Mars” (1953); the latter of which capitalized on the paranoia of McCarthy-era communist witch-hunts. Fear of the mysterious, untrusted “other” always gets attention–whether from different political persuasions, or another planet.
Stop-motion legend Ray Harryhausen’s flying saucers were characters in their own right in “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers.”
At the crest of that fearful wave was a 1956 movie about an all-out attack from UFOs called “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers,” a movie I keenly remember from my childhood in the 1970s. Featuring spectacular special effects from the late stop-motion maestro Ray Harryhausen (1920-2013), “Earth…” concerns a group of military personnel and scientists (everyone in this movie has a title) who fight back against a fleet of flying saucers piloted by beings from a dying planet who’ve chosen our planet for colonization. The opening act sees the aliens ravage a US military base before taking their attack to the world’s landmarks. This low-budget stop-motion flick preceded the bigger, star-studded crowdpleaser “Independence Day,” aka “ID4,” by 40 years. They’re surprisingly similar.
Dr. Russell Marvin (Hugh Marlowe) argues to the brass for communication with the aliens (or we can just blast them, whatever).
The film stars Hugh Marlowe (“The Day the Earth Stood Still”) as Dr. Russell Marvin, and Joan Taylor as his new bride Carol (Taylor would costar in Ray Harryhausen’s rampaging Venusian flick “20 Million Miles to Earth” a year later). The characters of this movie are all WASP-y, VIP government types who couldn’t be more starched if they were served with pasta and Wonder bread. This is not a movie about intriguing characters, or even lovable clichés (something that worked for “ID4”). This movie is all about Harryhausen’s breathtaking stop-motion flying saucer effects, as well as some genuinely eerie aliens. On that score, this movie does not disappoint.
For this retrospective, I’m sticking with the original 1956 black & white version, which is the version I grew up watching and loving as a kid. I’m aware there’s a colorized version on DVD and Blu-Ray, but I’d sooner toss it in an air fryer than load it into my Blu-Ray player. From what I’ve seen, the colorized version looks like crap.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at…
“Earth vs. the Flying Saucers” (1956)
The movie opens with fly-by encounters of UFOs, as experienced by pilots and ordinary folks around the world.
Note: As much as I love Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion flying saucers, it might’ve been better to save that surprise for the next scene with our main characters. The stock footage of meteorites flying through space was taken from “Rocketship X-M” (1951). The movie’s narration (“from the farms of Kansas to the rice paddies of the Orient…”) is read by William Woodson (1917-2017) who also read the famous opening narration for the memorable, short-lived sci-fi series “The Invaders” (1967-1968).
Government scientist Dr. Russell Marvin (Hugh Marlowe) and his new bride Carol (Joan Taylor) are driving back to work at Project Skyhook when a flying saucer appears overhead. With Carol at the wheel, Dr. Marvin records a log on his tape recorder, which captures the sounds of the saucer as it buzzed their car. Dr. Marvin takes the wheel as they drive back with their ‘evidence.’
Note: The scene with the UFO buzzing the Marvins’ car still holds up today, with excellent rear-projection of Ray Harryhausen’s dazzling saucer effects. Ray Harryhausen’s saucers could’ve been very dull visually, if not for their rapid, unpredictable movements, retractable elevators/weapons, and rapidly spinning discs. That locomotive spinning is represented in stop-motion as moving spoke lines extending from the inner to outer rings of the craft. As they are, the saucers, with their unearthly sound effects, are as alive as any of Harryhausen’s dinosaurs ( “One Million Years B.C.”) or creatures from Greek mythology (“Jason and the Argonauts”).
Back at Project Skyhook, Dr. Marvin and Carol play their tape, which clearly captured the sounds of the saucer, though Dr. Marvin is hesitant to offer it as conclusive proof.
Note: Personally, I’m a skeptic on the subject of UFOs/UAPs, especially in the 21st century; everyone has HD video cameras in their pockets, yet no one captures objectively clear video of these alleged alien visitations (same with ghosts, Nessie and Bigfoot). It’s always some blurry, black and white blob from a Navy fighter jet (maybe the Navy should spring for the same smartphone cameras we have?). I’ve caught rocket launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base with my iPhone, and I live over 200 miles away. To be clear, I have no doubt UFOs/UAPs exist, but my skepticism lies with their ‘alien’ origins. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, and I agree with the characters that even an accidental tape recording can be seen as faked.
Later, at a backyard barbecue, Carol and Dr. Marvin tell her father, General John Hanley (Morris Ankrum), about their encounter with a UFO. The general tells them Project Skyhook has lost contact with all eleven satellites they’ve launched into space. With that, their barbecue is interrupted by two glowing orbs–alien probes–that Russell initially mistakes for “St. Elmo’s fire.”
Note: A scientist like Dr. Marvin should know that St. Elmo’s fire isn’t seen in perfectly round spheres like that, let alone flying in tandem. There’s skepticism and there’s obtusity.
As a twelfth satellite is readied for launch at Project Skyhook, the base is visited by a flying saucer.
The lone saucer lands, and three aliens in clunky, metallic exo-suits step from a retractable elevator. The latter two aliens remain within a shimmering, protective forcefield. A single alien walks from the field towards the headquarters entrance, before it’s fired upon by armed sentries and killed.
Note: The shimmering forcefield around the saucer’s retractable ladder holds up well today, and was achieved through optical effects. Part of what gives this movie’s look such longevity is the no-nonsense black and white cinematography by Fred Jackman Jr. (“I Dream of Jeannie,” “The Partridge Family”), which negates a lot of issues, such as color timing mismatches, etc. This is one of the reasons I despised what I saw of the recent colorized version, which amounts to cinematic vandalism.
With the base’s defenses destroyed, the other two aliens emerge from the forcefield to retrieve their dead companion.
Note: That the aliens came back for one of their own implies they’re more than the conquering monsters they’re seen as in the rest of the movie. Their stiff, clunky exo-suits and opaque helmets make them look more like robots than biological beings, which the aliens might be using for intimidation in their conquest of Earth; their robotic exo-suits effectively hiding the frail, withered, dying beings inside.
The aliens fire rays from the rounded knobs at the end of their suit arms and vaporize the soldiers who fired upon their companion, before turning their rays on the entire base–destroying the Skyhook rocket and the base’s generator.
Note: A first contact scenario ruined by mistakes on both sides. The aliens failed to make themselves understandable in their “message” to Dr. Marvin, and the soldiers fired upon an apparently non-hostile alien. If there are any aliens out there? Avoid Earth. The human race can’t even handle differences within its own genome, let alone those of an alien species.
Their first contact gone awry, the aliens attack Project Skyhook with their ship’s energy beams, and leave it in smoking ruins. Trapped in the base’s airtight bunker for several days before they’re rescued, Russell land Carol hear a slowed down recording of the saucer noise, only to learn it was an attempt to communicate with them.
Note: The incredibly well-crafted and executed scene of the alien saucer destroying Project Skyhook is a direct antecedent to the scene of aliens destroying the El Toro Marine Base in “ID4,” some 40 years later. In many ways, “ID4” feels even more like a spiritual successor to “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers” than “War of the Worlds,” from which both movies share a basic premise.
Dr. Marvin and Carol survive the attack, but Carol’s father, General Hanley, is abducted by the aliens. He watches on a large view screen as the alien’s “interstellar conveyance” flies out of the atmosphere. An alien (voiced by Paul Frees) tell Hanley they understand him through a translator device above his head.
Note: The noir shadows and minimalism of the alien saucer interior are stark and beautifully executed. Even the aliens themselves are hidden behind walls that can decrease or increase opacity. The only bits of visible technology in the saucer’s center are the translator device protruding from the ceiling and a single large viewscreen. This minimalism effectively conveys a technology so alien to us that even simple controls, chairs, or other artifacts of human design are unnecessary.
The general refuses to cooperate with the aliens, so they absorb the contents of his brain–his memories uploaded into an “infinitely indexed memory bank” (a super-massive hard drive).
Note: The brain scan is a disturbing visual, and very effective for its time (hell, it still works today). Actor Morris Ankrum (1896-1964), who plays General Hanley, is a familiar face to fans of classic sci-fi, and has a long list of sci-fi credits to his name, including “Rocketship X-M” (1951), “Invaders from Mars” (1953), “The Giant Claw” (1957), “Kronos” (1957) “From the Earth to the Moon” (1958) and “The Man with X-Ray Eyes” (1963).
Surviving Project Skyhook’s destruction, the Marvins are sequestered to a hotel room under the guard of Major Huglin (Donald Curtis). As Carol sleeps, Russell returns their call on the same frequency they used to contact him earlier. Reestablishing contact, the alien (voiced by Paul Frees) gives him an exact time and place for a meeting.
Note: The uncredited Paul Frees (1920-1986) provided the still-used voices for Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean attractions. Frees also narrated the Wonderful World of Disney specials, and voiced characters in Rankin-Bass TV specials, such as “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (1970).
Realizing how critical it is to open a dialogue with the aliens, Russell knocks out the hotel’s motor pool guard, and drives himself to the beach. Carol chases after him with Major Huglin as a motorcycle cop chases both of their speeding cars–unaware of their rendezvous with the saucer. Arriving at the spacecraft, the alien beckons the four of them inside…
Note: The traffic chase between Dr. Marvin, Carol, Major Huglin, and the motorcycle cop adds a bit of earthly action to this brisk, 83-minute film right before the grand encounter with the saucer on the beach–a truly awesome sight. The scene was shot in Zuma Beach California in ‘day-for-night,’ which appears as strong moonlight in the starkness of black & white. This is one of the most surreal images from the film, and 70 years later, it’s still perfection.
The alien ship’s universal translator for the sake of its human visitors. Once there, the human ‘guests’ are told the aliens hail from a disintegrated star system, and seek to colonize Earth. When Dr. Marvin asks why they don’t simply take Earth by force, the aliens tell him a hostile populace would take too much time and effort to control.
Note: Just a personal observation, but the sculpted, flower-like translator device that protrudes from the ceiling of the saucer reminds me of the glass-blown art from Dale Chihuly; the artist whose work graces the ceilings of the hotel Bellagio in Las Vegas.
The aliens tell Dr. Marvin and company that the remainder of their fleet is circling the globe, waiting for landing instructions.
Note: As much as I love the stark minimalism of the saucer’s roomier-than-expected interior, it seems a lot bigger on the inside than it should be. For example, where do they hide the engines of this “interstellar conveyance”? Wouldn’t those take up a lot of room on such a small ship? And where’s the rest of the crew? Maybe the dying alien numbers are far fewer than they’re letting on…
To give Dr. Marvin ‘proof’ of their visit to take back to his people, one of the alien saucers obliterates a US Navy destroyer at sea, in order to supply Dr. Marvin with the exact coordinates of the sinking, so there can be no doubt.
Note: Aside from draining General Hanley’s mind into their computer, this is where the aliens truly break bad. There should’ve been an easier way to convince Earth’s leaders of their existence than sinking a naval destroyer just for the coordinates.
Wondering how the aliens know so much about them, the four guests hear various facts and statistics spoken in General Hanley’s voice, which is coming from the alien memory bank. Carol turns to see her father now reduced to a mindless zombie. Having had enough of the aliens, the young motorcycle cop (Larry J. Drake) unwisely fires his pistol at them before he’s gripped by their mind probe and drained of his memories, too.
Note: One of the issues I have with this movie is that none of its characters are relatable, everyday people. Nearly everyone wears a uniform, is top in their field, or has a title/rank of some kind. The closest we get to an “everyday” person is the motorcycle cop (again–wearing a uniform with a rank), who loses his cool and fires his gun aboard a spaceship (not the best idea when you’re in space).
After the arrogant aliens announce 56 days until their invasion begins in earnest, Dr. Marvin and company work on developing new counter weapons, including a portable sonic generator that can disrupt the electromagnetic fields of the saucers and bring them down.
Note: “ID4” directly lifts from this scene as well, with the survivors of the alien attack hunkered down in Area 51 bunkers devising ways to disrupt the aliens’ electromagnetic shields. Interiors and exteriors for both Project Skyhook and the weapons research lab were filmed on location at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Playa del Rey, a neighborhood of Los Angeles.
As they work on the sonic weapons, the scientists and Major Huglin are visited by more “St. Elmo’s fire.” Huglin shoots it down with his gun, and it fizzles like fireworks. Carol says it’s one of alien probes that’s been spying on Skyhook since its inception.
Note: An unintentionally funny moment after Major Huglin shoots down the probe, when Dr. Marvin quips, “I always thought it was St. Elmo’s fire… I’ll have to change my mind about that.” Duh, doc.
Homing in on its probe, a saucer lands near the weapons research lab. Russell realizes it’s time to test their new sonic weapon.
Three aliens exit the craft, as a single scout enters the building. As the sonic weapon is fired, the two aliens standing guard outside reenter the ship, which takes off, but wobbles erratically due to the sonic weapon’s disruption of its EM field.
Note: The erratic flight of the saucers when they’re pinned by the sonic ray weapon almost suggests the stride of a wounded animal, as it loses balance and lists from side to side; this is one of the subtle ways that Ray Harryhausen imparts life to inanimate objects.
Realizing it’s been left behind, the scout alien vaporizes one of the human scientists in panic before being shot to death by Major Huglin. As he and the others surround the alien corpse, Russell removes its helmet–its shriveled body quickly evaporates before their eyes.
Note: The rapid evaporation of the alien after being exposed to Earth’s atmosphere without its protective helmet suggests an innate self-destruct system in the event of its capture. The detailed design of the withered, dead alien’s head is truly remarkable. No one is directly credited with construction of the alien, though I wonder if it’s another Ray Harryhausen creation.
The malfunctioning saucer manages to destroy one of the sonic weapons and the entire research facility before taking flight. Luckily, Russell saved the weapon schematics before they fled. As a final middle finger to the humans, the saucer opens its landing elevator door to drop the corpses of General Hanley and the motorcycle cop before zipping off. Carol is devastated.
Note: Dropping the zombified bodies of General Hanley and the motorcycle cop from the saucer was a wicked touch. Clearly the aliens are just as capable of pettiness as we humans.
Back at their new base of operations, Russell, Carol and the military examine the alien exosuit helmet, which Russell discovers amplifies their atrophied hearing and vision. It also contains a translator which helps them decipher the aliens’ attack plans.
Note: Another unintentionally funny bit is actor Hugh Marlowe’s nonchalant line delivery while wearing the alien’s helmet–which looks absolutely ridiculous over three-piece business attire.
Reactions to the alien invasion from around the world are seen via stock footage of Italian, German, French, Chinese and Russian crowds huddled around radios, listening to the demands for Earth’s surrender in their native languages.
Note: One of the fleeting crowd shots featuring a prominent Indian man appears to be directly lifted from “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951), which was directed by Robert Wise (“The Andromeda Strain,” “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” “West Side Story”) and costarred Hugh Marlowe.
A squadron of alien saucers descend upon Washington DC.
Note: Ray Harryhausen once made a demo for an unproduced version of “War of the Worlds,” featuring stop-motion Martians which resembled his Venusian “Ymir” from “20 Million Miles to Earth” (1957). That footage can be seen in the bonus features of the Criterion Blu-Ray of “War of the Worlds.” In a way, “Earth…” is Harryhausen’s chance to do his own take on H.G. Wells’ classic story.
Carol barely manages to escape from a quaking building only to see a saucer overhead. She finds Russell, as he coordinates with the military to deploy multiple sonic weapons on a convoy of trucks for mobility. A battle royale ensues between the saucers and the military, with Washington DC as humanity’s last stand.
The sonic weapon makes its first kill, as a saucer is disabled and crashes right into the Potomac. Despite the aliens vaporizing several trucks carrying the sonic weapons, enough of them survive to destroy the alien invaders, who unfailingly crash into landmarks.
Note: Much of the footage and background plates of Washington DC were shot on location in the city itself, which adds a great deal of production value to the film. The shot of the first saucer going down in the Potomac (another stunning visual from Ray Harryhausen) is accompanied by both bubbling and hissing sounds, which implies escaping air from the craft and/or intense heat–as if the alien’s gravity drive creates great friction.
Carol and Russell embrace in victory as the last of the saucers crashes upon the steps to the US Capitol in Washington DC, doing nearly as much damage as the insurrectionists on January 6th.
Note: The battle royale of the movie’s climax is an underrated landmark in visual effects, and is too often eclipsed by the Oscar-winning visuals of its more celebrated, color predecessor, “The War of the Worlds” (1953). Nevertheless, the battle between sonic disruptor cannons and flying saucers over the skies of Washington DC is still stunning, even 70 years later.
In that warm California sun…”
Newlyweds Russell and Carol finally get a day at the beach together. Project Skyhook is being rebuilt, with Russell still in charge. Carol worries the aliens might return. Russell insists they won’t return “on such a nice day.” Both rejoice that Earth is “still ours.”
Note: Humans rejoicing about the world being “still ours” might not seem like a happy ending for the hundreds of thousands of species driven to extinction (and many others currently threatened by extinction) during modern homo sapiens’ relatively short, 300,000 plus-year tenure on this planet.
The End.
Summing It Up
“Earth vs. the Flying Saucers” is a scrappy, low-budget, quasi-remake of “The War of the Worlds” helmed by B-movie director Fred F. Sears (“The Giant Claw”) from a script by Bernard Gordon (1963’s “Day of the Triffids”) and George Worthing-Yates (“Them!” “The Amazing Colossal Man,”), from a story by Curt Siodmak (1941’s “The Wolf-Man”). The cast is led by Hugh Marlowe and Joan Taylor, but the true stars of the movie are the stunning stop-motion special effects created by the legendary, one-man FX house Ray Harryhausen (1920-2013). Working with longtime producing partner and friend Charles H. Schneer, Harryhausen takes an economical flying saucer flick and transforms it into a landmark of visual effects wizardry.
The movie’s impossibly whitebread characters are not its strong suit, however, and that’s okay, given the movie’s scant 83-minute runtime and FX-driven thrills. However, one of the biggest nits I have with this film is that none of its characters are relatable people. They’re all top scientists, top brass, or top government officials. With the sole exception of Carol, everyone in this movie has a rank and/or title before their name; doctor, general, major, etc. This is an issue rectified with alien first-contact movies of following decades, including Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), which featured broader classes of people.
Another issue with this movie is its absolute lack of social commentary. Social commentary was a defining trait of sci-fi, once upon a time. H.G. Wells’ classic novel “The War of the Worlds” (1898), which inspired countless imitators (including this movie), was a stinging rebuke of British and Western colonialism. Even “ID4” (as shallow as it was) had various characters from different backgrounds finding strength in unity after a global cataclysm.
“Earth vs the Flying Saucers” has no such depth or introspection. As the title implies, it’s an enjoyable, spectacle-driven popcorn movie, and nothing more. But oh, what spectacle…
Ray Harryhausen (1920-2013)
Meeting Ray Harryhausen at San Diego Comic Con in 2005.
At the ripe old age of 38, I met Ray Harryhausen at 2005’s San Diego Comic Con. Harryhausen was a childhood idol of mine from when I first read his name in “Famous Monsters of Filmland” magazine at age eight. They say never meet your heroes. Sometimes they’re wrong.
Where to Watch
“Earth vs. the Flying Saucers” is currently available to stream for free on Tubi, and can be purchased digitally via Amazon, YouTube Premium and other streamers (prices vary). The movie is also available to buy in own in physical media (DVD, Blu-Ray) in both B & W and colorized versions (yech!) via Barnes & Noble.com or Amazon. Good hunting!
Love all of those Harryhausen movies. Also, all of those 1950s Red Scare sci-fi movies.
A good read, brings back memories of seeing this film on TV in the 80s.