Aliens come to Earth seeking scientists to help them in their war.Aliens come to Earth seeking scientists to help them in their war.Aliens come to Earth seeking scientists to help them in their war.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination
- Dr. Adolph Engelborg
- (as Karl L. Lindt)
- Photographer
- (uncredited)
- Dr. Hu Ling Tang
- (uncredited)
- Pilot
- (uncredited)
- Express Deliveryman
- (uncredited)
- Metaluna Inhabitant
- (uncredited)
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
- Photographer
- (uncredited)
- Neutron--Cat
- (uncredited)
- Mutant
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Joseph M. Newman
- Jack Arnold(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn a magazine article, the special effects department admitted that the "mutant" costume originally had legs that matched the upper body. They had so much trouble making the legs look and work properly they were forced by studio deadline to have the mutant wear a pair of trousers. Movie posters show the mutant as it was supposed to appear.
- GoofsWhen Faith Domergue and Rex Reason first enter their new lab and see the orange cat, Faith tells Rex the cat is named "Neutron" because "he's so positive". Any scientist, especially a nuclear fission expert, should know that the proton that is positive; a neutron has no charge.
- Quotes
[a mysterious catalog is delivered]
Dr. Cal Meacham: This isn't paper, it's some kind of metal!
[reads]
Dr. Cal Meacham: "Interociter incorporating planetary generator". "Interocitor with voltarator". "With astroscope".
Joe Wilson: Here's something my wife could use in the house. An "interocitor incorporating an electron sorter."
Dr. Cal Meacham: Oh, she'd probably gain 20 pounds while it did all the work for her. You know, Joe, according to this, there's no limit to what it can do. Laying a 4-lane highway at the rate of a mile a minute would be a cinch.
Joe Wilson: Cal... maybe we've been working too hard.
Dr. Cal Meacham: "Complete line of interocitor parts, incorporating greater advances than hitherto known in the field of electronics." What exactly is an interocitor?
Joe Wilson: I don't know, and I don't want to know.
Dr. Cal Meacham: Well, I do. I want to know what it is and what it does. Order the list of parts on these pages.
- Alternate versionsWhen originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'U' rating. All cuts were waived in 1987 when the film was granted a 'PG' certificate for home video.
- ConnectionsEdited into War of the Planets (1958)
The colourful images are amazing! The sets! The miniature effects! The mutant! The mystery! The suspense! The explosions! The musical score! Jeff Morrow as Exeter is one of my very favourite aliens to appear on the screen ever. This and Forbidden Planet (1956) are the hands down best science fiction films of the 50s. Granted this decade produced some total gems (Creature from the Black Lagoon, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, etc) but such gems were often in black and white - and set on earth!
This Island Earth and Forbidden Planet went into space - in glorious colour!
This Island Earth is close to perfect with the only mild flaws being too much egghead talk in the first half of the movie and beginning the flick badly (Mr Egghead makes corny unfunny jokes to a bunch of reporters).
I have always been bothered when so called film experts tell us that 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968) was the true start of space movies and all that came before was close to nothing???!!! Total rubbish. Note, I am not putting down 2001, just saying some people have built it up too much.
When first seen in my 1970s childhood, it was movies like this (and Irwin Allen TV) that turned me into a lifelong sci-fi nut. Everything about this film remained locked in my memory for a lifetime!
If you wish to get another look at quality 50s spaceship effects I would suggest the Republic movie serial titled Rader Men From The Moon. We never got a sequel to This Island Earth but atleast we got to see Jeff Morrow play the slightly sinister guy again in The Creature Walks Among Us.
I can't speak highly enough about This Island Earth and Forbidden Planet.
- StuOz
- Sep 5, 2016
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Bloodlust in Outer Space
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $800,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 26 minutes