I Married a Monster from Outer Space (Paramount, 1958). Lobby Card (11" X 14").
The seemingly laughable title somewhat obscures what is now thought of as one of the better sci-fi films of the late 1950s, and a worthy variation on "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," with its theme of aliens replicating the appearance of humans.
Starring Tom Tryon, Gloria Talbott, Chuck Wassil, Maxie Rosenbloom, Ty Hardin, Peter Baldwin, Steve London, and Valerie Allen. Directed by Gene Fowler, Jr.
synopsis
It has now become a film-review clich to preface a write-up for I Married a Monster From Outer Space with the cautionary "Don't be misled by the title." The fact remains, however, that this one of the better and more intelligent horror outings of the late 1950s. The "I" of the title is Marge Farrell (Gloria Talbott), who can't help noticing that her husband Bill (Tom Tryon) has been acting very strangely since their dark-and-stormy wedding night. For one thing, the formerly demonstrative Bill behaves listlessly, as though possessing no emotions whatsoever; for another, though he spends much of his free time at Grady's Bar, Bill never takes a drink (now that is weird!) It isn't long before Marge discovers that Bill, along with several of his male friends, have been taken over by aliens from the Andromeda Nebula, who have arrived on earth to replenish their species. There's only one flaw to this plan: the aliens are unable to procreate! Once the authorities are alerted, a posse of non-possessed men attack the alien spaceship, paving the way for the not-altogether-predictable finale.
review
This smart, tidy little sci-fi effort is deserving of its cult reputation. I Married A Monster From Outer Space works primarily because it never tries to outdo the outrageous hard-sell of its title. Instead, Louis Vitte's screenplay builds the story up in a subtle manner, allowing the troubled marriage of its two leads to drive the story and building its alien-invasion plot around the edges of that main narrative hook. This approach also allows the filmmakers to offer some interesting thematic commentary: the film could be seen as a metaphor for how marriage can "change" a relationship. The film also benefits from strong, adult performances by a pair of leads who take the offbeat story seriously and play it straight: Tom Tryon never overplays the alien mannerisms of his character and withholds emotion to show the character's disconnection while Gloria Talbott makes a strong, resourceful heroine who is easy to root for. Finally, Gene Fowler's artful direction seals the film's appeal: he doles out shock effects where need be (mainly during the finale) but mostly concentrates on creating an atmosphere of paranoia through subtle performances and shadowy photography. All in all, I Married A Monster From Outer Space is a fine addition to the canon of 1950's sci-fi and well worth the time for cult film fans interested in this genre.
I Married a Monster from Outer Space (Paramount, 1958). Lobby Card (11" X 14").
The seemingly laughable title somewhat obscures what is now thought of as one of the better sci-fi films of the late 1950s, and a worthy variation on "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," with its theme of aliens replicating the appearance of humans.
Starring Tom Tryon, Gloria Talbott, Chuck Wassil, Maxie Rosenbloom, Ty Hardin, Peter Baldwin, Steve London, and Valerie Allen. Directed by Gene Fowler, Jr.
synopsis
It has now become a film-review clich to preface a write-up for I Married a Monster From Outer Space with the cautionary "Don't be misled by the title." The fact remains, however, that this one of the better and more intelligent horror outings of the late 1950s. The "I" of the title is Marge Farrell (Gloria Talbott), who can't help noticing that her husband Bill (Tom Tryon) has been acting very strangely since their dark-and-stormy wedding night. For one thing, the formerly demonstrative Bill behaves listlessly, as though possessing no emotions whatsoever; for another, though he spends much of his free time at Grady's Bar, Bill never takes a drink (now that is weird!) It isn't long before Marge discovers that Bill, along with several of his male friends, have been taken over by aliens from the Andromeda Nebula, who have arrived on earth to replenish their species. There's only one flaw to this plan: the aliens are unable to procreate! Once the authorities are alerted, a posse of non-possessed men attack the alien spaceship, paving the way for the not-altogether-predictable finale.
review
This smart, tidy little sci-fi effort is deserving of its cult reputation. I Married A Monster From Outer Space works primarily because it never tries to outdo the outrageous hard-sell of its title. Instead, Louis Vitte's screenplay builds the story up in a subtle manner, allowing the troubled marriage of its two leads to drive the story and building its alien-invasion plot around the edges of that main narrative hook. This approach also allows the filmmakers to offer some interesting thematic commentary: the film could be seen as a metaphor for how marriage can "change" a relationship. The film also benefits from strong, adult performances by a pair of leads who take the offbeat story seriously and play it straight: Tom Tryon never overplays the alien mannerisms of his character and withholds emotion to show the character's disconnection while Gloria Talbott makes a strong, resourceful heroine who is easy to root for. Finally, Gene Fowler's artful direction seals the film's appeal: he doles out shock effects where need be (mainly during the finale) but mostly concentrates on creating an atmosphere of paranoia through subtle performances and shadowy photography. All in all, I Married A Monster From Outer Space is a fine addition to the canon of 1950's sci-fi and well worth the time for cult film fans interested in this genre.