The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Pauline Kael described this sci-fi classic as a "plain and inexpensive piece of science fiction [which] employs few of the resources of the cinema (to put it mildly), but it has an idea that confirms everyone's suspicions. People are being turned into vegetables—and who can tell the difference?" And in Uncle Ira's case, is there any difference?

A doctor from the small town of Santa Mira Miles Bennel (Kevin McCarthy) arrives in San Francisco in hysterical condition; he raves to a physician Dr. Hall (Whit Bissell) that his community has been invaded by aliens who have literally taken over the bodies of his friends and relatives. He's a candidate for the lunatic asylum, most agree, but Dr. Hall hears him out, and the story unfolds in flashback. Miles has returned to Santa Mira from a medical convention to find a great number of people jamming his office complaining that their loved ones are acting so strangely that it is almost as if they aren't the same people. He is sidetracked by the stunning beauty of Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter), an old girl friend who has returned home after being divorced, but, the next day, those same people who had been swamping his office with complaints tell him that there's nothing to worry about, that they were merely being silly.

Later that night, he and Becky have dinner with friends Jack (King Donovan) and Theodora (Carolyn Jones) and, to their horror, they find enormous pods growing in Jack's greenhouse, which open to reveal exact physical reproductions of each of them. Miles and Becky run for their lives; half the population of the town has been replaced. The police have been taken over, and even the once-friendly gas station owner refuses to sell Miles enough gas to get out of town, saying his pumps are empty. The phone system is also in the alien grip: when Miles tries to call federal authorities, he is told by operators that all the lines to Washington, DC, are tied up. He and Becky take refuge in his office, sleeping there overnight. At dawn, they see trucks filled with pods arriving in the town square and townspeople placing them in their cars, directed by police to take the pods to neighboring towns.

The local psychiatrist Dr. Dan Kauffmann (Larry Gates) arrives at the office carrying two pods which are placed in the next room. Dr. Kauffmann explains that all Becky and Miles have to do is go to sleep; they will awaken as one of the new creatures and will never again know pain, hate, worry, or problems. Miles counters that there will also be no joy nor love, and this he and Becky reject. They overpower the doubles and flee, running out of the town to hide in a mineshaft.

Later, Becky goes to sleep and is replaced. When Miles discovers this, she cries out for the aliens to come, and Miles flees. He manages to outdistance his pursuers and make it to the freeway leading into San Francisco. There he shouts and waves at passing cars, warning them of the coming aliens; it's a nightmare scene as hundreds of motorists simply ignore him, thinking him drunk or crazy. He is finally taken to Dr. Hall for examination. At the last moment, Dr. Hall learns that a truck from Santa Mira has overturned and strange pods have fallen from the vehicle. Dr. Hall alerts the authorities to seal off Santa Mira; the world is finally awakened to the alien invasion.

Much has been read into this story, some claiming it was a subtle attack on McCarthyism and political witchhunts of the era, others claiming it was strongly anti-communist, indicting the socialist state. This film was originally intended by producer Walter Wanger as a good B programmer, but director Siegel made much more of it, with writers Daniel Mainwaring and (uncredited) Sam Peckinpah. It's a quick paced chiller that captivates the viewer with every tension-filled scene. Wanger, upon viewing the film, had much of Peckinpah's black humor taken out, and several scenes were cut. The frame tale with Bissell was also added to lessen the feeling of hopelessness. In 1978, the film was remade with an enormous budget and lavish production values, but this version was nowhere near as frightening and effective as the original.

CAST:

PERFORMER, CHARACTER

Kevin McCarthy, Miles Bennel

Dana Wynter, Becky Driscoll

Larry Gates, Dr. Dan Kauffmann

King Donovan, Jack Delachuck

Carolyn Jones, Theodora Delachuck

Jean Willes, Sally

Ralph Dumke, Nick Grivett

Virginia Christine, Wilma Lentz

Tom Fadden, Uncle Ira Lentz

Kenneth Patterson, Driscoll

PRODUCTION:

Producer, Walter Wanger

Director, Don Siegel

Screenwriters, Geoffrey Homes and Sam Peckinpah, based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney

Editor, Robert S. Eisen

Cinematographer Ellsworth Fredricks

Composer Carmen Dragon