Even with the combined screenwriting efforts of Curt Siodmak (I Walked with a Zombie, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, Son of Dracula, House of Frankenstein) and George Worthing Yates (Them!), director Fred Sears fails to achieve his goal of making a gratuitous sci-fi alien invasion apocalypse. Due to verbosity, inconsistency in the special effects, and numerous continuity errors, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers crumbles under its own weight.
At Operation Skyhook, Doctor Russell Marvin (Hugh Marlowe, All About Eve, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Meet Me in St. Louis) sends rockets into the Earth’s atmosphere as probes for later space missions. However, Russell’s father-in-law, Brigadier General John Hanley (Morris Ankrum, The Postman Always Rings Twice), reports that all of the rockets except the one launched most recently, have mysteriously been destroyed, their debris found strung around the United States. Shortly thereafter, an alien invasion ensues as an all-out attack begins upon the national’s capital.
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is yesteryear’s Independence Day yet isn’t as competent as its successor. Even though there is a large amount of scientific, astrological, and physical jargon atop an invasion during the McCarthy Era, the film is merely an exercise in special effects, a few of which are interesting but many missing their mark.
Sears opens the film with Russell and his wife, Carol (Joan Taylor) driving to Skyhook. Before arriving, they are buzzed by a flying saucer. Russell over rationalizes the occurrence and brushes it off for fear that the powers that be might raise an eyebrow and yank his position. However, we soon discover that those working in and around Skyhook are accustomed to flying saucers. The audience’s eyebrows then jut up at the nonchalant, laissez-faire attitude of the characters as UFO’s continue to dart back and forth amid Skyhook’s activities.
The special effect of Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Clash of the Titans, One Million Years B.C.) work only a portion of the time. However, when they run aground, Harryhausen don’t chance anyone issuing him benefit of the doubt. For example, the aliens’ translation devise resembles a paper rose and the aliens themselves are unapologetic throwbacks from Robert Wise’s Klaatu. This isn’t to imply that I am merely viewing the work by modern day standards. When we first see a flying saucer onscreen, it is quite riveting, as I’m sure it was for audiences in 1956. My peeve is the inconsistency in the level of the effects. The death ray the aliens use appears trite, the on-again, off-again crash scenes when a saucer is brought down, and the unimaginative aliens pale counter the impressive UFO’s. Bottom line, as most any special effects artist will tell you: If you can’t pull the entire effect off convincingly, you should find another way to present the piece or otherwise abandon it. Regrettably, Harryhausen, even though Earth vs. the Flying Saucers was early in his cinematic tenure, fails to take such sound advice. (This lethargy coming from such a master might be due to the fact that Harryhausen later cited this production as his least favorite.)
The upside to the film is that it proposes a full-scale invasion and it delivers. As such, the film attempts to fulfill its agenda: to create an escapist piece of sci-fi action eye candy. Surprisingly, given the time of the film’s release, we are treated to the Washington Monument collapsing on fleeing bystanders. Yet, there is quite a few of continuity problems throughout the work as a consequence of its overenthusiastic action itinerary. We watch as a saucer chases after a B-29. When it hits its target, the plane then becomes a pummeling B-17. In the opening sequence, a jet is presented onscreen, yet we hear the air being cut by a propeller. Also, there seems to be some confusion with the newly married Marvins. Russell states the couple have been married for two hours yet, later that day, they inform Hanley that they were married the night before.
Overall, the work falls short because, in lieu of the action, Sears becomes too preoccupied with validating the events onscreen via scientific jargon, thus negating the film’s program as an action flick. It is analogous to talking to a person with a runny nose who has to pause every few moments to stop and wipe. Right when we believe that Sears has finally bypassed the verbosity, as a contented sigh comes from Mr. Sniffles, he brings the drenched tissue back up for another round. In this regard, it is not until the film’s climax do the characters finally clam up and, unfortunately–Harryhausen then given the opportunity to shine–the effects come off as lethargic as well as inconsistent. Interestingly, though I never thought I’d see the day I’d make such a proclamation, if you’re looking for a pure escapist, sci-fi alien invasion in which to take your vicarious anger out on Washington, go to Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day.
-Egregious Gurnow
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