I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE

US, 1958, 78 minutes, Black and white.
Tom Tryon, Gloria Talbot, Robert Ivers.
Directed by Gene Fowler Jnr.

I Married a Monster From Outer Space has a penny-dreadful title, popular for horror films of the late '50s. However, the film is a neat science fiction B-thriller, reminiscent of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Produced and directed by Gene Fowler in ten days, it often shows the rapidity with which it was made, especially with some of the special effects. However, the characters are much better developed than is usual in this type of film, and the situations presented with some persuasiveness and credibility. Later novelist Tom Tryon was at the beginning of his screen career at this time. Of its time, but quite good of its kind.


1. Popularity of this kind of film in the late 150s? Title? Expectations? Drive-in audiences? its growing reputation - a B-budget cult film?

2. The echoes of science-fiction themes of the '50s: invasions from other planets (The War of the Worlds)? The taking over of aliens - The Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The subsequent development of these themes in films?

3. B-budget, rapidly-made? Black and white photography, sets, locations? Editing and pace? Special effects for the monsters and their taking over the townspeople?

4. The basic situation: the credits sequence and Earth, the approach of the aliens? Their arrival, taking over Bill's body? Taking over other people? Living in the town? Their not being human and having human ways? The spaceship? The hopes, the establishing of a colony? Hoping to develop female monsters? Their attack and defeat? Going to another planet?

5. Bill and the boys, the drinking, his driving home, the prospective wedding, his being taken over, his behaviour at the wedding, his wife's uncertainty on the marriage night, after a year? Not drinking? Stern? His behaviour? The contact from other aliens? The wife and her upset? Bill having to cope? His gradually being humanised? The discussions with his wife? His teaming with the group, trying to save them against the attack? His coming back to normal? His wife, the marriage, her concern, after one year, picnics etc., her going to the police, trying to communicate and her telegram being torn up? Her getting help from the doctor? The attack? The happy ending?

6. The friends in the town, their gradually being taken over, their communicating with one another? The drink in the bar when they didn't drink? Trying to work out what to do? The irony of the police and the stranger in the town trying to investigate? The Head of Police? The friendly doctor and his realising that those with children could attack the aliens? The wedding and its build-up, the wife trying to persuade her girlfriend not to marry?

7. The finale with the build-up, police, the attack. the monsters dissolving and oozing? The finding of the human bodies in the spaceship? Everything as normal? The optimism of the late 1950s?