It Came From Outer Space (Full Screen)

The plot revolves around John Putnam, an amateur astronomer who is eyewitness to what he initially believes to be a meteor crash in the Arizona desert. However, when he and his girlfriend, Ellen Fields, go to investigate, they discover that there is a large extraterrestrial vehicle buried at the bottom of the impact crater. No one from the nearby town will initially believe Putnam or Fields, of course, but when strange events start happening around town and in the surrounding desert, the local sheriff and his posse decide there might actually be something to the spaceship story and head out to confront the aliens (referred to as Xenomorphs). Putnam makes contact with the aliens first, however, and they convince him that their visit to Earth was an accident and all they want to do is repair their vehicle and leave. They explain to Putnam that they are isolationists and do not want to make further contact with the people of Earth, and they therefore ask him to intercept and stave off the approaching posse until the spaceship is ready to depart. But if he is unsuccessful and the posse gets through, Putnam is warned, the future existence of the Earth and its inhabitants will be in jeopardy.

Although the script for IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is based on a short story by Ray Bradbury--that venerated and prolific American writer whose science-fiction and fantasy stories have been the fodder for innumerable movies and TV shows--it is not quite as literate or as deep as THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. But like the other film, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE also has a strong subtextual message, to wit, it is wrong to prejudge or reject others simply because they are physically or culturally different. As mentioned, the film was created and released in the years of McCarthyist paranoia and anti-communist fervor in the U.S., so it was pretty bold at that time to disseminate a message of intercultural or political tolerance. (Then again, science-fiction has a long tradition of using the guise of fantasy to address controversial and disputatious social and political issues without invoking the wrath of the powers that be.)

The movie's director is Jack Arnold--who would the next year direct THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, the eponymous character of which was the last to earn a spot in Universal's classic-monster pantheon--and he does a fantastic job of creating the cold and eerie atmosphere required for the story. The cast is also pretty good. As John Putnam, Richard Carlson--also to later be a part of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON--is not the most dashing of leading men, but he actually fits the role of science nerd quite adequately. The comely Barbara Rush, who plays Ellen Fields, makes a beautiful heroine-in-distress, and buxom Kathleen Hughes is also delight to watch (albeit her acting is marginal and her role a minor one). Ardent fans of classic TV will also get a kick out of seeing Russell Johnson in an early role. Johnson would go on to gain great fame in the 1960s playing the Professor on TV's GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, but here he portrays a telephone lineman whose mind is temporarily taken over by the extraterrestrials.

There have been rumors that the movie was filmed in widescreen, this in spite of the fact that its filmed aspect ratio is 1.37:1 (essentially, the standard 1.33:1). Some rumors address the aspect-ratio question by insisting that, like Orson Welles' TOUCH OF EVIL, the frame layouts were arranged in such a way that the film could later be matted top and bottom and projected as widescreen. Unlike with TOUCH OF EVIL, however, there is no cogent evidence to support this theory.

It is true, though, that IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE was filmed in 3-D, but it has not been released as such for home video. It works very well even without the 3-D effects, so don't let the lack of 3-D deter you from buying the film. If you ever get a chance to see it in 3-D, though, do it! There are lots of entertaining details that play wonderfully in 3-D, and it adds just a bit of flair to the viewing experience.

So overall, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is a surprisingly entertaining movie that stands out above the typical 1950s space-opera schlock, and it certainly deserves a spot in the collection of any science-fiction fan or lover of classic Hollywood movies. Universal's DVD release offers a few cool extras, not the least of which is an interesting feature commentary by film historian Tom Weaver. Well worth the price of admission.