Classic 50s Movie: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”
May is Classic 50s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Rick Dyke.
Movie Title: Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Year: 1956
Writers: Daniel Mainwaring (screenplay), Jack Finney (Collier’s magazine serial), Richard Collins (uncredited)
Lead Actors: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates
Director: Don Siegel
Plot Summary: A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.
Why I Think This Is A Classic 50s Movie: The main theme of this film is fear, the fear of change and the fear of the unknown. The 1950’s was a period of growth, success and conformity for America, but there was an undercurrent of fear. The rise of communism, the Cold War, fear of nuclear war, and the space race were all elements that caused fear in our society. This film does a great job of contrasting normal, everyday life in America with the fear of this hidden invasion of pods and the changes they bring.
You can’t ignore the parallels between this film and the fear of communism expressed through the McCarthy hearings. In this film ordinary people are changed into non-feeling beings out to change everyone in the world. The McCarthy hearings caused people to abandon loyalties and ethics out of fear of communism and pressure of the hearings. While Don Siegel, the film’s director, has stated the film is not a direct reference to the McCarthy hearings, he also agreed the similarities cannot be ignored.
This film fits in perfectly with other classic 50’s sci-fi films like The Thing, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Blob, and Them, but it offers a deeper, more horrifying enemy. Instead of some outside monster threat, this threat comes your family and friends. Your very soul is being taken away against your will.
In 1994 Invasion of the Body Snatchers was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” It has inspired 3 remakes in the years 1973, 1993, and 2007.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie: I’ll mention three moments:
The pods are discovered in a greenhouse as friends are having a cookout. A seemingly fun and casual event turns to horror as this unknown menace is discovered in one couple’s very own back yard. The tilted camera angle emphasizes the fear and disorientation.
Mile Bennell and Becky Driscoll, the couple that have fallen in love during the movie, are running from a mob of the pod people. They hide in a cave and Dr. Bennell goes to find a way to the highway and freedom. When he returns and they try to escape, they fall into the mud and begin kissing. It is then that he realizes that the woman he loves has become one of them — the pod people. Talk about sheer terror!
I love the original ending with Kevin McCarthy running through traffic screaming a warning to everyone, only to be ignored and considered a nuisance. The final frames are a close-up of his face screaming straight into the screen, “They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next!” This ending was considered too intense, so a happy “Hollywood” ending was added where the invasion is discovered and the officials send forces to stop its spread.
My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: Miles Bennell speaks for us — the viewer — expressing our fears and concerns.
Dr. Miles J. Bennell [having returned from finding that large numbers of pods are being grown in greenhouses, to Becky who, exhausted, had fallen asleep in his absence] I’ve been afraid a lot of times in my life, but I didn’t know the real meaning of fear until… until I had kissed Becky.
— —
Dr. Dan ‘Danny’ Kauffman: Love, desire, ambition, faith — without them, life’s so simple, believe me.
Dr. Miles J. Bennell: I don’t want any part of it.
Dr. Dan ‘Danny’ Kauffman: You’re forgetting something, Miles.
Dr. Miles J. Bennell: What’s that?
Dr. Dan ‘Danny’ Kauffman: You have no choice.
— —
Dr. Miles J. Bennell: In my practice, I’ve seen how people have allowed their humanity to drain away. Only it happened slowly instead of all at once. They didn’t seem to mind… All of us — a little bit — we harden our hearts, grow callous. Only when we have to fight to stay human do we realize how precious it is to us, how dear.
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: The cinematography. Black and white stark images straight from film-noir. A typical B-movie about middle America becomes a horror film and the dramatic images emphasize the fear. Tilted frames, close-ups, strong shadows and quick cuts add to the horror.
The pacing of the film picks up as the story progresses. What begins as a slow, normal day in small town America turns into a frantic race for personal safety and saving humanity. The editing and speed that things happen all speed up as the action and tension build.
The power of this film comes from contrasting the everyday and normal with terror and the overtaking of all humanity. Sleep, peaceful and necessary, becomes the agent for taking away your humanity. Your friends and family, whom you love, become your mortal enemies bent on stealing your soul. No-one can be trusted. A kiss turns from love to terror. Sleepy, small town America becomes the center for the destruction of humanity.
Thanks, Rick! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
We already have a set of classic 60s Movies, 70s movies, 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, we’re working on 50s movies.
Here is an updated list of 27 fine folks who have already volunteered [those who I put in bold have already sent me their posts]:
12 Angry Men — Ipsita Barik
A Place in the Sun — Zach Jansen
A Star is Born — Melinda Mahaffey
A Touch of Evil — Vincent Martini, David Joyner
All About Eve — Ricardo Bravo
American in Paris — stefani1601
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof — uncgym44
File on Thelma Jordon, The — David Joyner
Harvey — Felicity Flesher
High Noon — Jeff Messerman
Invasion of the Body Snatchers — Rick Dyke
Kiss Me Deadly — John Henderson
Marty — jetwillie69
Night of the Demon — David Hutchison
Night of the Hunter — Mark Twain
On the Waterfront — Bilbo Poynter
Pickpocket — Zach Jansen
Quiet Man, The — Traci Nell Peterson
Rear Window — Roy Gordon
Searchers, The — mkm28
Seven Samurai, The — Paul Graunke
Singin’ in the Rain — Maegan Kelly
Some Like It Hot — Will King
Stalag 17 — James Schramm
Sunset Blvd. — Rick Dyke
Tokyo Story — Jeff Messerman
Vertigo — Jason Pates
I’m looking for 31 guest posts, one for each day of May. Why not pitch in to help add to this online resource to inspire writers to learn about and — most importantly — watch great movies.
If you have a classic 50s movies on which you’d like to do a writeup, please either post in comments or email me.
Thanks in advance!
For the original post explaining the series, go here.
For all of the 50s movies featured in the series, go here.