Another from 1953 and Based On a Bradbury Story!

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE-1953-In Arizona, writer Johnny Putnam (Richard Carlson) and his girlfriend Ellen (Barbara Rush) think they see a meteor crash but it's not a meteor, it's an alien spaceship. Helicopter pilot Pete (Dave Willock) takes them to the crash site the next day. Johnny discovers the ship and is almost killed by an avalanche. No one believes him how-ever. He and Ellen have a brief encounter with a one eyed creature. Two telephone line workers Frank (Joe Sawyer) & George (Russell Johnson) get a weird noise on the wires and later encounter the creature. When they next meet Frank he seems hypnotized but it's actually an alien impersonating him. 

Later John catches alien clones of Frank and George stealing. After Ellen is kidnapped, Frank and the skeptical sheriff (Charles Drake) go to the desert where Frank meets an alluring alien version of his girl. Then he encounters an alien who tells him they are only repairing their ship and everyone will be ok if the humans don't interfere. The stupid sheriff who's sweet on Ellen wants to fight them. When he decides to attack. John goes to the mine to warn them. He's attacked by the Ellen clone. Snooping around he finds the alien base and meets a clone of himself. He convinces the aliens to let their captives go and they return to space. 

This eerie Sci-Fi classic (orig-inally shown in 3-D) was only the second full length feature directed by Jack Arnold and was adapted from a Ray Bradbury story by Harry Essex who in 1954 would team up again with Arnold to make THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON!

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Thanks for reading!

Metaluna

THIS ISLAND EARTH-1955-In this Technicolor science fiction classic Dr. Cal Beacham (Rex Reason; in THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US the next year) is saved from a jet crash by a mysterious beam. Later after receiving some weird directions he and his assistant Joe (Robert Nicols) build a communications device which puts them in touch with the high forehead alien Exeter (Jeff Morrow; also in THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US the next year) who wants Beacham for his “special group”. The doc takes a pilot-less plane to a meeting Exeter has set up. He meets the alien who explains that his home planet of Metaluna needs uranium in their war against their enemies called The Zagons. 

Exeter has gathered scientists from over the world to help solve the problem but it's obvious he has an ulterior motive. Beacham meets Ruth Adams (Faith Domergue; in CULT OF THE COBRA the same year) who he has met before but she doesn't seem to remember him. He also meets Dr. Carlson (Russell Johnson) and Exeter's sinister assistant Brak (Lance Fuller) who wants to put the trio under a “transformer” to control them. They try to escape but are attacked by a death ray and Carlson is killed. Beacham and Ruth almost get away by plane but a beam brings them back. They go to Metaluna which is under attack by The Zagons. There they meet Exeter's boss The Monitor (Douglas Spencer; Scotty in THE THING) and encounter the famed Metaluna mutants. Metaluna's real mission is also revealed. They want to relocate to Earth and subjugate the human race but when The Monitor tries to put Beacham and Ruth in the Thought Transference Chamber to make them mindless slaves Exeter rebels and helps them escape being wounded in the process by a mutant. Metaluna is destroyed and after a quick appearance by another mutant who stowed away on their ship, Beacham and Ruth are returned to Earth. Exeter stays on board as the damaged ship crashes into the ocean. 

The same year as THIS ISLAND EARTH was made producer William Alland (the reporter trying to figure what “Rosebud” meant in CITIZEN KANE) also served the same capacity on THE REVENGE OF THE CREATURE and TARANTULA. ISLAND seems a bigger type of production with a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo, nice SFX and of course the famed Metaluna Mutant (made somewhat more well known than it should have been in the pages of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND). For me it was always a little disappointing. 

The acting is ok but the story isn't that engaging. It's based on three short novels by Raymond F. Jones, a prolific science fiction short story writer at the time. Director Joseph Newman started out doing short subjects and eventually feature films like 711 OCEAN DRIVE and THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLATS. Science fiction was not a subject he was familiar with and Universal was unhappy with some of his scenes. They brought in Jack Arnold (who worked with producer Alland frequently) to re-shoot the Metaluna scenes. A sequel was planned but never made. ISLAND also features Richard Deacon, Olan Soule and Coleman Francis in uncredited roles. 

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