Invaders from Mars (1953 film)

Invaders from Mars
Invaders from Mars
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	William Cameron Menzies
Screenplay by	Richard Blake
Story by	John Tucker Battle
Produced by	Edward L. Alperson Jr.; Edward L. Alperson
Starring	Jimmy Hunt; Helena Carter; Arthur Franz; Morris Ankrum; Leif Erickson; Hillary Brooke
Cinematography	John F. Seitz
Edited by	Arthur Roberts
Music by	Raoul Kraushaar
Production; company	National Pictures Corp.
Distributed by	20th Century-Fox
Release date	April 9, 1953 (Detroit);
Running time	77 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$290,000

Invaders from Mars^[2] is a 1953 American science fiction film directed by William Cameron Menzies and starring Jimmy Hunt, Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Morris Ankrum, Leif Erickson, and Hillary Brooke. It was produced by Edward L. Alperson Jr. and released by 20th Century-Fox in SuperCinecolor.^[3]

The film follows David MacLean, a young boy who witnesses a flying saucer behind his home one night. When his father investigates, he returns a changed man; soon David's mother, his neighbors, and others begin to act in the same way. David's panicked story is heard by Dr. Pat Blake, who takes him to astronomer Dr. Stuart Kelston. David convinces Kelston that this is an invading vanguard from Mars.

Invaders from Mars recounts its story from the point of view of an older child in an adult world heading into crisis.^[4] It was developed from a scenario by Richard Blake and based on a story treatment by John Tucker Battle, who was inspired by a dream recounted to him by his wife.^[5] The film was rushed into production to be released before George Pal's War of the Worlds (also released in 1953), becoming the first feature film to show aliens and their spacecraft in color.^[6]

The film developed a cult following in the years following its initial release,^[7] and was championed by directors like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Joe Dante as a childhood favorite.^[7] A remake film was released in 1986, directed by Tobe Hooper. In 2024, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."^[8]

^ "Invaders from Mars - Details". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
^ Extremely detailed articles and book chapters covering all aspects of this film—from concept through production to release and reception—can be found in a variety of sources, including Bill Warren's Keep Watching the Skies!, Vincent Di Fate's “The Magic of Menzies” in Filmfax #106, Robert Skotak and Scot Holton's “Invaders from Mars” in Fantascene #4, and DVD Savant Glenn Erickson's https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s96InvadersA.html and also published in abridged form in his film overview volume Sci-Fi Savant: Classic Sci-Fi Review Reader.——From: Miller, Thomas Kent. Mars in the Movies: A History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2016. ISBN 978-0-7864-9914-4.
^ Credited as "In Color", only, not as SuperCinecolor; initial prints were indeed SuperCinecolor, from the Eastmancolor negative, but all reprints were Eastmancolor. Cinecolor's color consultant Clifford D. Shank was listed in the credits as such, underneath the DOP's credit.
^ Meehan 1998, p. 50.
^ Cite error: The named reference Warren was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Meehan 1998, p. 49.
^ ^a ^b Kaye, Don (2023-01-22). "Invaders From Mars: The Sci-Fi Classic That Inspired The Spielberg Generation". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved 17 December 2024.

[1] "Invaders from Mars - Details". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved July 30, 2018.

[2] Extremely detailed articles and book chapters covering all aspects of this film—from concept through production to release and reception—can be found in a variety of sources, including Bill Warren's Keep Watching the Skies!, Vincent Di Fate's “The Magic of Menzies” in Filmfax #106, Robert Skotak and Scot Holton's “Invaders from Mars” in Fantascene #4, and DVD Savant Glenn Erickson's https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s96InvadersA.html and also published in abridged form in his film overview volume Sci-Fi Savant: Classic Sci-Fi Review Reader.——From: Miller, Thomas Kent. Mars in the Movies: A History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2016. ISBN 978-0-7864-9914-4.

[3] Credited as "In Color", only, not as SuperCinecolor; initial prints were indeed SuperCinecolor, from the Eastmancolor negative, but all reprints were Eastmancolor. Cinecolor's color consultant Clifford D. Shank was listed in the credits as such, underneath the DOP's credit.

[Meehan_p._50-4] Meehan 1998, p. 50.

[Warren-5] Cite error: The named reference Warren was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[6] Meehan 1998, p. 49.

[:0-7] Kaye, Don (2023-01-22). "Invaders From Mars: The Sci-Fi Classic That Inspired The Spielberg Generation". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2025-04-09.

[8] "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved 17 December 2024.

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