Rodan (1956)

Monster fun with good drama, action and direction by Ishiro Honda

Directed by Ishirō Honda
Produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka
Written by Ken Kuronuma (original story), Takeshi Kimura, Takeo Murata
Music by Akira Ifukube
Cinematography: Isamu Ashida
Edited by Kôichi Iwashita, Robert S. Eisen
Production company: Toho
Distributed by Toho
Running time: 82 min.

Cast

Kenji Sahara as Shigeru Kawamura, colliery engineer
Yumi Shirakawa as Kiyo, Shigeru's lover
Akihiko Hirata as Professor Kyouichiro Kashiwagi (biology)
Akio Kobori as Police Chief Nishimura
Yasuko Nakata as Female Honeymooner
Minosuke Yamada as Colliery Chief Osaki
Yoshifumi Tajima as Izeki, reporter of Seibu Nippou
Kiyoharu Onaka as Male Honeymooner, Sunagawa's friend
Haruo Nakajima as Radon / Rodan
Shôichi Hirose as F-86F pilot
Ichirô Chiba as Chief of police station
Mike Daneen as American Soldier Typing
Tazue Ichimanji as Haru, Kiyo's neighbour
Saburo Iketani as News Reader
Saburô Kadowaki as Sunagawa's colleague
Tateo Kawasaki as Tsunesan, miner
Kanta Kisaragi as Suteyan, miner

Trailer

Rodan, was released in Japan as Sora no Daikaijū Radon or "Radon, Giant Monster of the Sky." This 1956 Kaiju film was produced by Toho Studios and was the studio's first Kaiju movie filmed in colour. Rodan was one of a series of giant monster movies that gained popularity outside of Japan. In the United States, it was originally released as Rodan! The Flying Monster!

Spoilers Follow below!

The Sky Monster 

Visions appeared to me of a future of which I dare not think, 

Of a time when our world will quake from war’s jolt, 

When in far-off Cipango the rising sun begins to sink 

And is burned and blinded by an Eagle’s bolt; 

Humanity will huddle when it happens to hear

And feel the horror of Earth’s raged-filled roar; 

For then the only feeling will be that of fear 

As all run from oaths and obscenities that pour 

Out of cruel long deep wounds gouged by knives of greed  

In a headlong haste for more and more, 

Only to awaken the wing’d beast to ruin and feed………

[Said To Be From a vision of the 15th Century Italian Dominican friar, preacher and prophet, Girolamo Savonarola.]

Bill Bannerman: An uncanny prophetic vision of the events that took place in post-war Japan just 60 years ago by a excommunicated republican and religious reformer who was active in Renaissance Florence? Or is this, as many now suggest, just the product of a hoax perpetrated by a mischievous modern-day blogger? The fragment of the prophesy we do have is supposed to be a copy of a copy of a copy of the original. The jury is definitely out on this one…

Good evening, I’m your host, Bill Bannerman and welcome to tonight’s program, Probing The Past where we will be examining the 1956 incident referred to by many in Japan as, “Radon, Giant Monster of the Sky.” Of course we in the West know it by the name of “Rodan.”

As you are aware, just two years prior to Rodan’s appearance, Japan reeled under the onslaught of another monster who we know as Godzilla. Just two short years later our story of Rodan began in the small mining village of Kitamatsu, on the outskirts of Kyushu.

Suddenly the air is rent by the wail of a siren signalling a shift change at a mine. Two miners, Goro and Yoshi, had been fighting that day-a day laden with an inexplicable dark cloud of tension. After they entered the mine to start their shift, the shaft of mine number 8 suddenly flooded. Head of mine security, Shigeru Kawamura went below to investigate and discovered Yoshi's lacerated body. He appeared to have been "almost hacked to pieces" and was quickly rushed to the hospital. The doctors were particularly concerned about his head wound.

The cause of Yoshi's death was found to have been a series of deep gashes inflicted by an abnormally sharp object. Of course suspicion began to fall on Goro, who was still unaccounted for.

Two local miners and a policeman, who were later stationed inside the mine, were attacked and killed by someone or something wielding a sharp object that virtually sliced them to pieces.

Shigeru Kawamura who is now in his eighties, takes up the story as part of an interview we conducted with him about his involvement in the incident.

“I remember that I was with Kiyo my then girlfriend and now my wife, when suddenly we were attacked by a horrible huge insect-like creature. Fortunately we both managed to escape, but two police officers who had been hunting the creature were killed and dragged off into the mine by it. Later I, together with the police, found the two officers and discovered that their wounds matched the wounds of the previously murdered men.

After this discovery, I along with a group of metro police and army personnel entered the mine to confront the insect creature and hopefully locate Goro, either alive or dead. As it turned out further down the mine we found the body of Goro who had been butchered and was lying on the floor of the mine. As we approached, the giant insect emerged and pursued us back up the mine shaft. I instinctively grabbed hold of a mine cart, and released it causing it to roll down the shaft and collide with the giant insect and hopefully crush it.

Our troubles were not yet over. As preparations were being made to remove Goro's body, several giant insects were found to be observing us. As the soldiers began firing at them with ‘with machine guns and other pieces,’ an earthquake occurred causing the cave tunnel to collapse, trapping me in the mine. After that I could not remember anything. I was later discovered wandering around and I had amnesia due to a blow to my head. I was not given much of a chance of recovery by the doctors at that time. But as you can see, I am still here after all this time!”

Bill Bannerman: The next day, during an investigation of the incident as described by Shigeru Kawamura, Professor of biology, Dr Kashiwagi identified the giant insect as a Meganulon.

FACT FILE 

Meganulon: 

A prehistoric giant species of dragonfly larvae from the Palaeozoic era which escaped extinction by burrowing.

It appears that these insects had been reanimated by the mining operations in Kitamatsu village. To make matters worse, an earthquake suddenly struck that very area, and rumours began to spread that Mt. Aso the nearby volcano was about to erupt.

Now let us recall that extract of questionable authenticity supposedly from Savonarola. During the Renaissance period we find the term “Cipango” used in the writings of such people as Marco Polo and Columbus. This was the name usually given to what we now know as Japan.

Coincidence? 

The line “our world will quake from war’s jolt” could be a reference to the Second World War which did in fact jolt our world! The “rising sun” reference could allude to the rise of Imperial Japan under the flag of the ‘Rising Sun.’

Coincidence? 

What of being “burned and blinded by an Eagle’s bolt?” Could the eagle represent the USA with the bolt being the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thereby leading to Japan’s surrender and defeat and bringing an end to the Second World War? 

Coincidence? 

All this occurred a mere decade prior to the events of 1956, but still was a prelude to these events and constituted a kind of national wound or scar that would take time to heal and could even run the risk of being reopened.

When we hear of “Earth’s rage-filled roar” we can’t help thinking of the earthquake and volcanic activity at the time and which Japan is susceptible to due to its location on the Ring of Fire, an area where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean.

Of course, there is more than a hint of human responsibility in all of this. Many have suggested that such activity as atomic bomb testing helped to unleash the monster, Godzilla in 1954. At the time of the events of 1956 we had a Japan that was beginning to forge a new national, political and economic identity for itself. The reference to “cruel long deep wounds gouged by knives of greed / In a headlong haste for more and more” could represent Japan’s post-war headlong drive for economic expansion with such activities as the type of mining that was undertaken playing a part.

Coincidence? 

So what of the last line of the ‘prophesy’: “Only to awaken the wing’d beast to ruin and feed?” Perhaps, as has been suggested, “we had dug too deeply……and awakened it to destroy us all."

Let’s see where the events of the 1956 “Rodan” incident take us…….. 

At about this time strange reports both in Japan and around the world concerning a strange UFO began to appear such as the following;

Seibu Nippou

Jet Destroyed By UFO! 

There are unconfirmed reports that an air base in Kyushu, received an alert from one of their jets. The pilot is reported to have observed an unidentified flying object performing incredible manoeuvres at supersonic speeds. 

The unnamed pilot was ordered to pursue the object at a distance, but as he did so, the object suddenly altered course and began flying straight towards the jet causing the jet’s destruction. 

A JSDF source has reportedly revealed that the only things that have been recovered are the pilot’s oxygen mask and his blood-stained helmet. 

By Izeki Shibaguchi

In addition to this, a BOAC flight was also reported to have been attacked by the UFO and destroyed leaving no survivors. Reports were also received of the UFO attacking various cities throughout Asia; including Beijing and Manilla. There were even rumours of a secret military weapon test and there was the case of the disappearance of a newly married couple in Japan together with several head of cattle around Mt. Aso.

When the authorities developed the film from the missing newly-weds' camera, they discovered a photograph of what appeared to be a gigantic wing. It appeared to resemble a drawing of a Pteranodon, an ancient reptile thought to be extinct millions of years earlier. The notion of a Pteranodon as being responsible for what happened to the newly-weds was soon dismissed as being implausible.

FACT FILE

• “Pteranodon” consists of the Greek words for "wing" and "toothless" or "wing without tooth."

•They formed a genus of pterosaurs which included some of the largest known flying reptiles related to the dinosaurs.

•Pteranodons lived during the Late Cretaceous period and became extinct in the K-T extinction event.

• Pteranodons had a wingspread of up to about 25 feet (8 meters). 

The story is taken up once again by Shigeru Kawamura…..

“One day, in my hospital room, Kiyo showed me some eggs that her birds had lain. Suddenly one of the eggs hatched, and as it did so, a horrible memory flooded my brain of me being deep down within the mine. I had a memory of waking after the cave-in and finding to my horror that I was surrounded by hundreds of Meganulon and that there in the middle of the cave was what appeared to be a giant egg!

Suddenly, the egg hatched and out of it emerged an enormous, winged creature and with its sharp beak it bent over and began to eat the Meganulon which was now simply food this terrible creature. It took the shock of this horrible memory to help restore my full memory….”

Bill Bannerman: The link between the creature that Shigeru Kawamura saw and the Pteranodon seemed to now have been established. From a fragment of the egg recovered later by Shigeru and a group of police and scientists from the mine and the cave where the egg had been, it was determined the egg was massive and was some 200 million years old.

At a later briefing, details were given by Professor Kashiwagi as to the size and nature of a fully grown “Rodan.”

· Wingspan: 270 meters.
· Body weight: 100 tons.
· Danger posed to humans: Being eaten & fatalities caused by sonic boom, waves and windstorms created when the creature is in flight.
· Reason for its appearance: Possibly nuclear bomb testing which loosened the Earth and opened up cavities, crevices and caves. Radioactive rainwater may have seeped into the underground caverns and caused a mutation.

To see how the events reached their climactic end, we now turn to archived radio and television reports from Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai or Japan Broadcasting Corporation:

TV reporter Kinji Ugaki: “After Rodan emerged from the ground near Mt. Aso, it took to the air and headed for Kyushu, with a squadron of the JASDF in pursuit. The Japanese Air Force is valiantly attempting to intercept and engage the creature but Rodan seems to be able to out manoeuvre the jets. But wait…. 

(Vision of Rodan destroying a number of aircraft and then of jets hot on his tail as they appear to be succeeding in forcing the creature into the river.) 

“We are now in Fukuoka after Rodan managed to emerge from the river. The entire city has been laid to waste due to the creature’s wings generating sonic waves and windstorms as well as from the attacking JSDF jets.

(Vision and audio of deafening explosive sounds of destruction as building are being ripped apart) 

Wait! I have just received a report from a JSDF source that a second Rodan has been sighted heading towards the city. Here it comes above the city….”

(More vision and audio of the city being leveled and in flames with a final shot of the two Rodan flying away)

Second TV report showing a JSDF official outlining the plan to attack the Rodans: “We have managed to determine that the Rodans are located at their old nest at the base of Mt. Aso. We therefore plan to shell the volcano that will hopefully trigger an eruption that will trap the two monsters under the lava and rock. Since regretfully Kitamatsu will be completely destroyed in this attack, it will be necessary to force the town to evacuate.”

Radio reporter, Masamichi Hakamada: “The military has begun its attack. The plan appears to be working as the volcano begins to vomit the contents of Hell into the sky.

One of the Rodans is now emerging, but is being overcome by the burning noxious and suffocating fumes. It is losing its battle with the volcano’s deities as it descends into the flowing lava in which its vile life-force is forevermore extinguished. The second Rodan is now also descending and seems intent in sharing the fate of its mate as it too also is consumed in the inferno of the lava that has spewed forth from the bowels of the erupting volcano.”

Bill Bannerman: And what of the rest of the supposed Savonarola prophesy? Did it too disappear as did the two Rodan creatures? If it is authentic, did it also foretell humanity’s triumph over the monsters that plagued it all those decades ago? Or did it warn us of future monsters, perhaps of our own making that have yet to emerge and be faced with resolve? Let’s end with the words of Shigeru;

“At the time I realized that ‘by the narrowest of margins, man had proved himself the stronger. but will it always be so? May not other and more terrible monsters even now be stirring in the darkness? And when, at last, they spring upon us, can we be certain we can beat them back a second time?’”

Until next week’s episode of Probing The Past, this is Bill Bannerman wishing you all one step back into the past and two steps forward into the future……

Points Of Interest

Rodan was the first of the Toho "Dai Kaiju" series in colour.

For the film’s dubbing, the voices of Paul Frees, Marvin Miller, Keye Luke (main narration provided by the character of Shigeru) and a young George Takei (Mr. Sulu from Star Trek) were used.

Rodan was made without the benefit of today’s CGI. Instead miniatures, a guy in a rubber suit, imagination, drama and action and the genius of Eiji Tsuburaya sufficed to create the on-screen magic.

The film was originally titled, Radon but a British toy company had a doll on the market with that name. When the film went overseas Radon became Rodan simply by switching the vowels in the name.

It has been suggested that it was the film Them! that provided the inspiration for Radon

The way in which the film’s story is structured serves to maintain the audience’s interest throughout. At the start we are introduced to the peaceful atmosphere of the mining village which is then quickly replaced by its inhabitants turning against one another. This is followed by a battle with something monstrous and a mystery involving Shigeru’s disappearance and amnesia. The story quickly moves to threats not only to the mining village, but also to the whole world. The rest of the story is taken up with the giant monster attack.

Notice that the creature Rodan does not make a full appearance until the movie is nearly over. When it does appear, it is in a flurry and whirlwind of noise and destruction. The film ends on a highly emotional note when Kiyo tells Shigeru that she's staying with him because she loves him and he holds her and says he loves her too. Their exchange almost mirrors or parallels the death of both Rodans and demands our sympathy for the two monsters that have shown such devotion to each other. Take for instance the observation of Shigeru at the end of the film;

“…and when, still calling to each other, one of them fell at last into the mountain lava stream, the other still refused to save itself. the last of their kind, masters of the air and earth, the strongest, swiftest creatures that ever breathed -- now they sank against the earth like weary children. each had refused to live without the other and so were dying together.”

The film seems to serve as a commentary on Japan’s past history especially during the Second World War, and its effects on the present as well as on the future. It highlights the dangers associated with nuclear testing and man's interference in the delicate balance of nature.

The character Shigeru is played by 24-year old Kenji Sahara who acted in some 57 movies up to 2002, including a record twelve Godzilla series installments.

Kiyo is played by 20-year old Yumi Shirakawa who was cast by Director Ishiro Honda in several of his subsequent movies, including the role of Etsuko Shiraishi in 1957's The Mysterians and of Chikako Arai in 1959's The H-Man, both of which will be featured in this blog later.

In most Japanese monster movies, the main characters are usually professional types such as scientists, doctors, journalists, military men and politicians. In Rodan, however, the protagonists are generally coal miners and working class people who occupied the bottom rungs of Japanese society’s socio-economic ladder.

In the scene where the Japanese Army arrives at the cave there is a group of infantry armed with three tripod-mounted light machineguns. These machineguns are American-made belt-fed M1919A1 .30 calibre weapons.

At the Japanese Air Force airbase we can see on the tarmac a group of jet fighters which are American-built F-86F Sabres.

In the original Japanese version of the film, the Rodans are about destroy the city of Fukuoka. For the overseas US version, it was felt that the name "Fukuoka" might come out sounding like "Fuck-oka" to American audiences. It was therefore decided to change the site of the attack to the much safer sounding name of “Sasebo,” a port city on the western coast of Kyushu.

You may notice that on one of the buildings being destroyed there is a sign that reads "The Tsuburaya Company." This was an on-screen nod and reference to the film’s special effects supervisor, Eiji Tsuburaya.

During the shooting of a scene in which Rodan flies over a bridge, the pulley from which Haruo Nakajima was suspended broke causing him to fall from a height of twenty-five feet! Luckily, the wings together with the foot and a half depth of water absorbed much of the impact.

Rodan grossed an estimated $450,000 to $500,000 during its opening weekend at 79 theaters in the New York City metropolitan area.

Please note, Meganulon has never existed! It is fictional and began appearing with the film Rodan. It continued to appear and evolve in subsequent films.

©Chris Christopoulos 2015

A Tribute To Morris Ankrum

Morris Ankrum:

A dependable and familiar character actor

Morris Ankrum (Morris Nussbaum) was born in Danville, Vermilion County, eastern Illinois on 28 August 1896. Ankrum graduated from The University of Southern California with a law degree and went on to an associate professorship in economics at the University of California, Berkeley.

The road toward a career in acting began at Berkeley when Ankrum became involved in the drama department and went on to teach drama and directing at the Pasadena Playhouse. Between 1923 and 1939, he acted in various Broadway stage productions such as “The Big Blow” and “Within the Gates.”

After signing with Paramount Pictures, Ankrum used the name "Stephen Morris" before changing it to Morris Ankrum in 1939.

Ankrum had the kind of presence and appearance that led him to be cast in supporting roles as an authority figure, more often than not as an army general or other military officer.

During Ankrum’s thirty year career that included some seventy mostly B-grade films, he had some notable roles. One such role was in Tennessee Johnson (1942) as Senator Jefferson Davis addressing the United States Senate upon his resignation to lead the Confederate States of America as its president.

Ankrum had numerous roles in western films and series such as Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942), Apache (1954), The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Bronco, Maverick, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Cimarron City, Rawhide and The Rifleman.

He is also well-remembered for his performances in science fiction genre films as a gruff, no-nonsense authoritative military officer assisting scientists as they fight off alien menaces to our planet. Most of these films have been and will be featured in this blog such as;

Rocketship X-M (1950), Flight to Mars (1951), Red Planet Mars (1952), Invaders From Mars (1953), Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), Kronos (1957), Beginning of the End (1957), The Giant Claw (1957), From Earth to the Moon (1958) and X—The Man With the X-Ray Eyes (1963).

From 1957 until his death in 1964, Ankram made frequent appearances in Perry Mason playing the role of a judge presiding over murder trials.

On September 2, 1964, Ankrum died of trichinosis. His final appearance in a TV series was on the Perry Mason, episode, "The Case of the Sleepy Slayer," and his last film appearance was in Guns of Diablo (1965), released after his death. 

Morris Ankrum in The Giant Claw (1957)

Big Bird Battle Scene (OMG!)

©Chris Christopoulos 2015

A Tribute To Whit Bissell

Whit Bissell: 

A solid supporting foundation for film & TV Sci-Fi

Whit Bissell was born in New York on 25 October. 1909. He died on 5 March, 1996 in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 86.

Whit Bissell began his career in the theatre where he appeared on Broadway in a production of "Hamlet" (1936), "Star-Wagon" (1937), "The American Way" (1939), "Cue for Passion" (1940), "Cafe Crown" (1942) and "Winged Victory" (1943).

In Hollywood, Whit Bissell acted in thrillers, Westerns and science-fiction films. In his many supporting roles, he came to be that familiar face of credible authority, invariably appearing in the role of a doctor, scientist, or general in some science fiction B-movie or TV series.

His many science fiction, horror and other film credits include;

• That Lady in Ermine (1948)
• For Heaven's Sake (1950)
• Lost Continent (1951)
• Target Earth (1954)
• The Atomic Kid (1954)
• Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
• I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
• I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957)
• Monster on the Campus (1958)
• The Time Machine (1960)
• The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
• Seven Days in May (1964)
• Fluffy (1965)
• Soylent Green (1973)
• Psychic Killer (1975)

He also appeared in various episodes of such popular TV series as;

• Out There (1951) 
• The 20th-Century Fox Hour (1955)
• Science Fiction Theatre (1956) 
• One Step Beyond (1959) 
• Men into Space (1959) 
• The Outer Limits (1963)
• The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1963)
• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1965)
• The Time Tunnel Series (1966-1967) 
• Star Trek (1967)
• The Invaders (1967)
• Land of the Giants (1970)

Whit Bissell managed to convey a sense of maturity, integrity, consistency and reliability as an actor who seemed to never tire of essentially playing the same part again and again.

There were, however, some memorable stand out roles for Whit Bissell. The other day I saw a solid but brief performance of his in the film, Brute Force (1949) starring Burt Lancaster. In this film, Whit Bissell played the part of one of Lancaster's cell-mates who was forced into taking his own life due to the cruel pressure placed on him by the sociopath prison guard captain.

Whit Bissell managed to leave behind a legacy that included some 300 film and television appearances. In 1994, he received a Life Career Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films for his work with those genres.

Whit Bissell in Creature from the Black Lagoon

©Chris  Christopoulos 2015

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

A mix of superb Sci-Fi adventure and imaginative, intense and suspenseful thriller!

Directed by Don Siegel
Produced by Walter Wanger
Screenplay by Daniel Mainwaring
Based on The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney
Music by Carmen Dragon
Cinematography: Ellsworth Fredericks
Edited by Robert S. Eisen
Production company: Walter Wanger Pictures, Inc.
Distributed by Allied Artists Pictures Corporation
Running time: 80 minutes
Box office: $3,000,000

Cast

Kevin McCarthy as Miles Bennell
Dana Wynter as Becky Driscoll
Larry Gates as Dan Kauffman
King Donovan as Jack Belicec
Carolyn Jones as Theodora "Teddy" Belicec
Virginia Christine as Wilma Lentz
Jean Willes as Sally Withers
Whit Bissell (uncredited) as Dr Hills
Richard Deacon as ER doctor

The film you are about to be acquainted with is called Invasion of the Body Snatchers which was adapted from the screenplay from Jack Finney's 1954 science fiction novel, The Body Snatchers.

Trailer

Spoilers Follow.....

Picture a small fictional Californian town by the name of Santa Mira. Like many other towns, Santa Mira moves at its own leisurely pace and folks travel well-worn paths through life governed by the predictable surety of routine… That is… until one day when the neat folds Santa Mira’s routine were torn asunder by an extra-terrestrial invasion that began with spores from space that grew into large seed pods, which were capable of reproducing duplicate replacement copies of the good folks of Santa Mira. Each pod, as it reached full development, could assimilate the physical characteristics, memories, and personalities of any sleeping person placed in close proximity.

What emerged from this duplication process were mere husks from which all human emotion had been snatched away from the sleeping citizens of a sleepy little town in a slumbering nation. 

Join us as we follow a local doctor, Dr Miles Bennell who attempts to uncover this invasion and hopefully stop it from spreading….

The introduction to Invasion of the Body Snatchers with its forceful and strident music heavy with brass instruments and drum roll suggests the approach of something ominous. The direction from which the danger is approaching is suggested by the sky-ward direction of the camera shot and the clouds rolling rapidly across the view.

A dishevelled and seemingly delusional Dr Miles Bennell has been arrested on a California highway and taken to the local hospital's psychiatric ward. There he pleads with a psychiatrist, Dr Hill and the attending physician, Dr Bassett, “You must listen! You must understand me! I’m not insane!” He then relates to them a story that “started last Thursday”…..

Flashback……

“Something evil had taken possession of the town.”

Miles had been called home to Santa Mira from a medical convention by his nurse, Sally Withers who told him that several patients had called in insisting that their relatives and friends were not who they seemed to be.

Jean Willes as Sally Withers

While driving to the office, Miles and Sally almost ran over young Jimmy Grimaldi who was fleeing from his mother. According to Mrs. Grimaldi, “It’s nothing, he just don’t wanna go to school.” Rather an understatement considering the level of Jimmy’s panic! Added to this, the Grimaldis had unexpectedly and uncharacteristically shut down their vegetable stand, apparently because it was too much work.

The mystery deepened when Miles learned that many of the patients no longer needed his services even though he was told by Sally that previously “they couldn’t wait to see you!”

Dana Wynter as Becky Driscoll

A fabulous vision of fifties femininity in the form of former girlfriend, Becky Driscoll wafts into the office. Becky informs Miles that her cousin, Wilma “has a…delusion” and believes that her uncle, Ira “is an imposter.” Miles assures her that he’ll visit Wilma later.

Later on, a terrified Jimmy Grimaldi is dragged kicking and screaming to Miles's office by his grandmother. He cries out “don’t let her get me!” and declares that his mother is not really his mother. For Miles, the suspicions grow as more dots are joined.

“There’s something missing.” 

Miles and Becky pay a visit to Ira and Wilma. Wilma’s highly expressive face tells the story and adds force to her belief that as far as she is concerned “that special look is missing” from Ira and that “there’s no emotion…just the pretence of it.” Miles explains away her concerns by suggesting that “the trouble is inside of you.” He also suggests that Wilma agrees to see a psychiatrist friend of his.

"Epidemic of mass hysteria?" 

Later that night on their way to dinner, Becky and Miles encounter the town psychiatrist, Dan Kauffman who mentions that he had seen many unusual cases of people claiming that their loved ones had somehow changed. He puts it down to it being a “strange neurosis” stemming from people “worrying about what’s going on in the world.”

The next scene reveals an empty restaurant, where Miles and Becky learn that it has “been this way for two weeks.” Suddenly Miles is called to the house of Jack and Teddy Belicec where they discover a seemingly lifeless and featureless parody of a human being on the pool table. Their jangled nerves (and ours) are given a further jarring when the cuckoo clock’s sudden clashing cacophony erupts into the tense breath-holding stillness of the scene.

The inert body has “all the features” of a man “but no detail.” Added to this mystery is its lack of finger prints. In answer to Jack’s wife’s question, “whose face…tell me that?” it slowly becomes obvious that the body is taking on Jack's features. We know the answer to the question posed, “How much does it weigh?” when it is discovered that It bleeds from a hand as did Jack when he cut his own on a piece of glass. As Miles tends to Jack’s cut, he almost ironically comments, “I’m afraid you may live.”

For the audience, Miles’s words to Jack now begin to take on new meaning when he takes Becky home to her father's house. Her father seems normal but notice as he emerges from his basement, stating that he was working in his workshop, the sinister sounding music suggests something far less innocuous. 

  

Now switch scenes to Jack’s place to hear his wife hysterically scream out to her husband, “It’s you! It’s you!” Suddenly she sees the body’s eyes snap open causing her to shriek out in a manner akin to Dr Frankenstein from a classic horror movie, “It’s alive! It’s alive!”

Carolyn Jones as Theodora "Teddy" Belicec

While Jack and his wife are at Miles’ place, Miles suddenly “had the feeling that Becky was in danger.” He quickly decides to rush over to the Driscoll place where he felt that “something was wrong in this house.” He then breaks into the basement and discovers another humanoid creature transforming itself into Becky. He soon discovers Becky asleep upstairs and carries her away from the house and danger.

“Reality becomes unreality”

Miles and Jack enlist the help of Dan Kauffman but both the bodies at the Belicecs' and Driscolls' are missing. Dan suggests that “what you saw was the body of a murdered man” in Jack's poolroom and that the lack of finger prints could be explained by the fact that the dead man “took them off with acid.” In addition, according to Dan, the cause of death had been too small for Miles to notice in his initial examination. He also explains that Miles thought he saw Becky's double because he had been so unnerved by the presence of the body at the Belicecs'. The conclusion: “The mind is a strange and wonderful thing!”

When Police Chief Grivett arrives at the Drisscoll house after being called by an indignant and outraged Mr Drisscoll, he informs the shame-faced gathering in the basement that a burning body matching the description of the mystery body at the Belicecs’ was found burning outside of town.

Everything seems to be back to normal until our hearts start to pump furiously when Miles hears a sound in the basement which turns out to be…….the gasman! Miles’ comment, “I guess I’m a little jittery” sums up the lingering pervasive fear that is generated by an event such as the one they experienced-real or not! Can even the gasman be trusted?

The next day things seem to be going well, perhaps too well. At “Le Grifon” antique shop, Wilma tells Miles that she feels better about Ira and doesn’t need to see Dan. Next, Miles sees Jimmy sitting happily next to his mother in his office waiting room! Sally makes the pertinent comment, “he certainly made a quick recovery.” If something seems too good to be true, it usually is….

“Something or someone wants this duplication to take place”

Later that night, at a barbeque with Becky and the Belicecs, Miles stumbles upon seed pods in his greenhouse. The pods open and disgorge unformed humanoids that begin to take on the form of those at the barbecue.

It is the pitchfork held by Jack that guides the camera and us to each of the bodies in turn. Miles hurriedly tries to call the FBI in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Washington D.C. but is not surprisingly told by the operator that “all circuits and dead or busy.” We don’t need three guesses as to why that is so!

Miles surmises that the pods may be the result of “atomic radiation” or they are some kind of “weird alien organism.” At any rate Miles destroys the creatures, but understandably struggles and hesitates when it comes to destroying the body that resembles Becky.

Miles and Becky and the Belicecs decide to split up and get help from outside of town. While Miles and Becky stop at a petrol station, Miles tries to reach the FBI again. As he does so, the gas station attendant places two pods in the boot of his car. Fortunately Miles was aware of what happened and he incinerates the pods further down the road.

The full horror of the alien invasion becomes apparent when at Sally's house Miles witnesses through a window that not only has Sally been transformed, but that she calmly acquiesces to having a seed pod placed in the crib of her newborn baby!

Suddenly Miles is discovered by a police officer and the chase is on as Miles and Becky are pursued by the police and numerous pod people.

In a marvellous piece of film noir, we have the couple being pursued through the dark shadows of streets made slick by a recent shower of rain.The suspense is heightened as Miles and Becky hide out in Miles's office. As they take cover behind a storage cupboard door, a guard or police officer peers through a grill set in the door. All the while their faces are lit from above by the light from the room outside coming in from the grill. Adding to the suspense and sense of danger, the scene is played out to the accompaniment of an ominous drum roll.

“It’s a malignant disease spreading through the whole country.”

Miles and Becky understand that the pods’ ability to function effectively depends upon people being blissfully asleep and therefore….unaware. Realizing that they can’t close their eyes all night, Becky and Miles take amphetamines to stay awake. Meanwhile, Miles ponders on how it is possible that we can “let humanity drain away,” and how we can “harden our hearts” and grow callous.”

The next morning could almost be “just like any Saturday morning.” Except on this day Miles and Becky witness through a window an almost (I will not use the word surreal!) bizarre scene from a slow-motion movie or dream as people from all around move as one toward at a large traffic island where they gather.

Miles sees people that he has known all his life and knows by name now obviously transformed accepting pods to distribute to their relatives in nearby cities. “Newtown – third truck!” While this is going on the suspense is ramped up by the incessant ringing of the telephone.

Suddenly Jack, Dan and Chief Grivett enter the office and it soon becomes apparent that they have all been transformed. Jack and Dan inform Miles and Becky they can’t let them go as “you’re dangerous to us.” They go on to explain that “out of the sky came a solution,” that the transformation was painless and that soon everyone will be reborn into a better way of life “where everyone is the same.” In this new form of existence, “there’s no need for love…only the instinct to live.” Any attempt to contradict or argue with this proposition is curtailed with the comment, “You’re forgetting something Miles. You have no choice.” Becky retorts with a burst of emotion, “I want to love and be loved” and seals this with a passionate kiss with Miles.

Jack and Dan have brought pods into Miles's waiting room. While locked in the office with Becky, Miles fills three syringes with a sedative. He then creates a diversion that brings Dan and Jack into the office allowing Miles to overpower and drug them with Becky’s help.

Becky and Miles leave the office and pretend to have been transformed by appearing emotionless, Becky, however, betrays her emotions when she witnesses a truck almost hit a dog and cries out in concern.

To the accompaniment of the harsh blaring of the town’s siren, the chase is on again as the pod people pursue Becky and Miles into the hills surrounding Santa Mira. They try to evade capture by hiding out in an abandoned mine. Suddenly and unexpectedly, the sound of beautiful singing is heard. Becky declares, “I’ve never heard anything so beautiful.”

Miles leaves Becky to investigate and try to find help. In a bizarre and unexpected twist, Miles soon discovers that the music is coming from radio station KLCAA’s “platter parade” and is emanating from a truck radio and that the truck is being loaded with pods!

Miles returns to the mine and calls for Becky. We know she has fallen asleep and our fears are confirmed by her tone of voice when she replies, “I’m here, Miles.” Miles tries to carry her to safety but when he kisses her it is obvious from the look of horror etched on his face that she had been transformed. Pod-Becky tells him to “stop acting like a fool….and accept us.” As Miles begins to run away, Pod-Becky screams out, He’s in here! He’s in here! Get him!”

“You fools. You’re in danger!”

Miles’ narration informs us that his only hope is to get away from Santa Mira, “to warn others of what was happening.” With pod people in pursuit, Miles makes for the highway where he becomes a lone solitary voice pleading with motorists to stop. However, the tide of cars moves inexorably on in the same direction heading for the same fate as intimated by a truck full of pods making its way towards Los Angeles. Like a mad-man Miles is left to wander the highway, ranting and raving, "They're already here! You're next!"

And so the flashback ends and we return to the point from which our story started. Dr Hill and Dr Basset conclude that Miles is insane and must undergo treatment. Suddenly an ambulance stretcher is brought in containing a truck driver who has been involved in an accident. As fate would have it, his truck was carrying a load of unusual pods, and had also been on the road from Santa Mira. It appears that Miles is telling the truth and Dr. Hill immediately arranges to call the police, every law enforcement agency and the FBI.

Points Of Interest

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."

One difference between the original novel by Jack Finney and the film’s screenplay is that the novel ends with the alien invader eventually leaving Earth in the face of strong resistance from the humans. In addition, the "pod people" have a limited life span of no more than five years.


It was originally intended to have Invasion of the Body Snatchers shot over a 24-day period on a budget of US$454,864. It was later proposed to reduce this to 20 days of shooting on a budget of $350,000. However, the film did eventually go three days over schedule.

Sierra Madre, Chatsworth, Glendale, the area around Los Feliz, Bronson and Beachwood Canyons, were locations used to make up the town of "Santa Mira" for the film. Much of the film was also shot in the Allied Artists studio on the east side of Hollywood.

It was also originally intended for the film to be called The Body Snatchers, but it too closely resembled the title of the 1945 Val Lewton film, The Body Snatcher. They Come from Another World was selected followed by Better Off Dead, Sleep No More, Evil in the Night and World in Danger. Finally, the studio settled on Invasion of the Body Snatchers in late 1955.

The film was originally meant to end with Miles frantically screaming as truckloads of pods pass him by but the studio insisted on a less pessimistic conclusion by adding a prologue and epilogue to the movie suggesting a more optimistic outcome to the story. And so we begin with a ranting and raving Miles Bennell in custody in a hospital emergency ward. He then via flashback tells his story. In the closing at a highway accident, Miles’ warning is confirmed by the presence of pods. Finally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is notified, suggesting that there is a chance to save the Earth.

The film made more than $1 million in the first month, and in 1956 made more than $2.5 million in the U.S.

Director Don Siegel started off at Warner Bros. doing special effects on such films as Casablanca (1942) and Edge of Darkness (1943). His first feature as director was the Sidney Greenstreet classic, The Verdict in 1946 and then in 1954 he directed Walter Wanger's classic prison drama, Riot In Cell Block 11.

Don Post and Milt Rice's special make-up effects and props produce the required menacing and threatening effect without overdoing things with too much detail.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of those films that should not be tampered with by having it colourized. The black and white photography, specific use of shadow and editing all combine to add to the menacing mood, claustrophobic atmosphere and frantic pace of the film. Added to this is Kevin McCarthy’s skill at conveying his character’s mental, emotional and physical struggles to uncover the mystery and take the audience along with him.

The film has many facets leading viewers to see it as presenting different or conflicting messages and ideas. For some people. it can be seen as being a commentary on the dangers facing America for being blind to the danger posed by McCarthyism and its associated anti-communist paranoia involving fear of communist infiltration of America of the time.

For others, Invasion of the Body Snatchers can also be seen as highlighting the trend towards conformity and the loss of personal autonomy and freedom, then seen as being part and parcel of life under a Soviet or communist system.

Even in our own times in the early part of the 21st Century, the film has resonance for us as we grapple with forces that seek to dehumanize and rob the individual of his / her identity. We worry about people’s ability these days to feel pain, sorrow and empathy for their fellow human beings.

In our modern world, what is it that defines our individual personal identity? Just who is each of us really? Is it determined by how we look or act? Is it indicated by what we say or think? Or is it truly reflected in our capacity to love, to feel compassion and express emotion?

Now more than ever we need to heed Miles Bennell’s warning; 

THEY'RE HERE, ALREADY! YOU'RE NEXT!

Each of us needs to be aware that there is a fine line between having one’s identity and individually influenced by other people, institutions and social, historical and political forces and having one’s identity and individuality subsumed, crushed and replaced by such forces with something that suits their interests. While we slumber, it can be all too easy for us to sleepwalk and be led into ways of looking, saying, thinking, believing, acting and relating by political parties, systems, ideologies and entities; media; religious / sectarian groups; military; corporations; gangs; family, tribal and peer groups and so on.

And so, how do we reclaim any sense of our true personal identity and individuality, if there is such a thing? Possibly part of the answer may lie in our understanding that,

“Only when we have to fight to stay human do we realise how precious it is to us, how dear.”

©Chris Christopoulos 2015