A spaceship from another world crashes in the Arizona desert and only an amateur stargazer and a schoolteacher suspect alien influence when the local townsfolk begin to act strangely.A spaceship from another world crashes in the Arizona desert and only an amateur stargazer and a schoolteacher suspect alien influence when the local townsfolk begin to act strangely.A spaceship from another world crashes in the Arizona desert and only an amateur stargazer and a schoolteacher suspect alien influence when the local townsfolk begin to act strangely.
- Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations
- Posseman
- (uncredited)
- Dugan
- (uncredited)
- Man
- (uncredited)
- Sam
- (uncredited)
- Dave Loring
- (uncredited)
- Dr. Snell
- (uncredited)
- Perry
- (uncredited)
- Posseman
- (uncredited)
- Bob - Dr. Snell's Assistant
- (uncredited)
- Toby
- (uncredited)
- Posseman
- (uncredited)
- Mrs. Daylon
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough credited to Harry Essex, most of the script, including dialogue, is copied almost verbatim from Ray Bradbury's initial film treatment.
- GoofsWhen the alien first goes walking about in the desert, the camera cuts to a startled owl, which tries to fly away only to be jerked back by the visible string tied to its leg.
- Quotes
Sheriff Matt Warren: Did you know, Putnam, more murders are committed at ninety-two degrees Fahrenheit than any other temperature? I read an article once - lower temperatures, people are easy-going. Over ninety two, it's too hot to move. But just ninety-two, people get irritable.
- Crazy creditsThe credits are at the end rather than at the beginning. They include shots of the characters with the cast names, and the pictures would mean nothing if seen before the film.
- Alternate versionsThere is an Italian edition of this film on DVD, distributed by DNA Srl: "IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE 3-D (1953) + L'UOMO DAL PIANETA X (1951)" (2 Films on a single DVD, with "Destinazione Terra!" in double version 2D and 3D), re-edited with the contribution of film historian Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available for streaming on some platforms.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Monolith Monsters (1957)
This is a thoughtfully crafted film, which like other good science fiction films of this era starts out portraying the aliens as monsters, only to reveal that they are benevolent and superior (how does this fit into the "Red Menace" theory?).
The screenplay was penned by Ray Bradbury and is full of very good dialog and ideas, especially the notion that we are not ready to meet such advanced civilizations. The scenes in the high desert are very atmospheric and creepy, and although the renderings of alien technology at first seem somewhat adolescent, there is a genuine sense of wonder when the internals of the alien ship are revealed. Something missing from today's, blase, computer generated, over the top, excesses.
The 3D is a useless appendage, and not worthy of discussion.
If you like science fiction pre-scifi channel and post-golden age, rent this movie and enjoy the atmosphere.
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $800,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $270
- Runtime1 hour 21 minutes
- Color