‘Every man its prisoner… every woman its slave!’
It Conquered the World is a 1956 sci-fi horror film about a well meaning scientist who guides an alien monster to Earth from Venus, so that he can rid mankind of feelings and emotions – but only death and sorrow results.
The movie was produced and directed by Roger Corman from a screenplay by Lou Rusoff and [uncredited] Charles B. Griffith (Creature from the Haunted Sea; The Little Shop of Horrors; The Undead; et al). The movie stars Peter Graves, Lee Van Cleef and Beverly Garland.
Plot:
Doctor Tom Anderson (Lee Van Cleef), an embittered scientist, has made contact with a Venusian creature while using his radio transmitter. The alien’s secret motivation is to take complete control of the Earth by enslaving humanity using mind control devices; the alien claims it only wants to bring peace to our troubled world by eliminating all emotions.
Anderson agrees to help the creature and even intends to allow it to assimilate his wife (Beverly Garland) and friend Dr Nelson (Peter Graves). The Venusian then disrupts all electric power on Earth, including motor vehicles, leaving Dr Nelson to resort to riding a bicycle.
Choice dialogue:
“Look I don’t know whether you can hear me but if you can, you listen good! I hate your living guts for what you’ve done to my husband and my world. I know you for the coward you are and I’m gonna kill you! Do you hear that? I’m gonna kill you!”
Cast and characters:
Peter Graves … Doctor Paul Nelson
Beverly Garland … Claire Anderson
Lee Van Cleef … Doctor Tom Anderson
Sally Fraser … Joan Nelson
Russ Bender … Brig. Gen. James Pattick
Jonathan Haze … Pvt. Manuel Ortiz
Dick Miller … Sgt. Neil
Taggart Casey … Sheriff N.J. Shallert
Paul Harbor … Floyd Mason
Karen Kadler … Ellen Peters (as Karyne Kadler)
Charles B. Griffith … Doctor Pete Shelton (as Charles Griffith)
Marshall Bradford … U.S. Secretary Platt (as Marshal Bradford)
Thomas E. Jackson … George Haskell (as Tom Jackson)
David McMahon … General Carpenter
Jim Knight … Bazooka Soldier
Paul Blaisdell … The Monster [uncredited]
Filming locations:
2693 N. Beachwood Drive, Los Angeles, California (Clarion newspaper office) (now a cafe)
2740 N. Beachwood Drive., Los Angeles, California (Nelson house)
Beachwood Market, 2701 Belden Drive, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California (evacuation street scene)
Bronson Cave, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park – 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California (alien in hiding)
Universal Studios – 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California (studio)
Filming dates:
From 5th April 1956
Technical specs:
1 hour 11 minutes
Audio: Mono (Ryder Sound Services)
Black and white
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
Release:
The film was released theatrically by American International Pictures on a double-bill with The She-Creature.
Trailer:
Clip:
Highlights:
Documentary about AIP:
Free online on YouTube:
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