This blog was begun Wednesday night May 20, and completed the following evening :
Tonight's movie was a real find : "Invisible Invaders"(1959), starring John Agar and John Carradine. Two legends in one film, how lucky can we get, eh? I hadn't seen it on any lists before tonight, and I'm wondering if it's actually in the public domain because it's our first Quarantine Movie that we didn't watch on Youtube. Instead, it was on a website called DailyMotion. Maybe posted there on the sly, I dunno. Youtube only has the trailer, suggesting watchdog activity on the part of the copyright owners.
In any event, it starts off with a literal bang. Carradine, an Atomic Scientist, blows himself to smithereens while mixing chemicals in his lab. A mushroom cloud expands overhead. That there is no blast radius and Carradine seems to be the lone casualty is a mystery second only to the observation that his body has remained intact. We know this because, after his funeral - attended by many from the scientific community - he appears one night at the doorstep of Dr. Adam Penner (Phillip Tonge), his former colleague.
Except.........it isn't exactly Carradine who has come calling. He's dead, remember? Some exclamations are in order, then : Holy Jiminy and Great Jumpin' Jehosephat! It's Carradine's body at the door, but the guy inhabiting it is an Alien and a domineering s.o.b. at that. The Carradine/Alien explains to a stunned Dr. Penner that he comes from a race outside the galaxy, stating further that his civilization took over the Moon twenty thousand years ago, wiping out it's people in an apocalyptic war. This is the reason the Moon looks like it's made of Green Cheese nowdays. Carradine then lowers the boom on the terrified Dr. Penner by giving him an ultimatum for the people of Earth : " You tell them this : either they will surrender in twenty four hours or we will take their planet by force".
Penner is in disbelief. After all, this is his friend, whose funeral he's just attended.
"How can any of this be true"?, he asks. "How can you be who you say you are? You can never take over the Earth! Our countries have atomic weapons, you will be destroyed"!
"But we are invisible", says Carradine. "That is why we have never been defeated". As proof of this, Carradine disappears in front of Penner's eyes, then walks away. In one of the great special effects in sci-fi history, we see his footprints dragging in the dirt. This is used several times during the movie. Watching it last night, I could swear I'd seen it before, probably as a kid, and I knew it must've scared the bejeezus out of me : beware the dragging footprints.....(oh man........help!).
Dr. Penner has seen enough. He tells another colleague, "Dr. Lamont" (Robert Hutton), that they have to warn humanity, but of course Lamont thinks he's off his rocker. But Lamont is engaged to Penner's daughter (an Absolute Law in sci-fi states that the younger scientist must always be married or engaged to the daughter of the older one). The daughter (Jean Byron) sides with her Dad, forcing Dr. Lamont to take the case to Washington. The Joint Chiefs think he's crazy, too, but their reaction only holds for the next twenty four hours, because then, the Aliens make good on Carradine's threat. They begin to take over the Earth, and it's ain't pretty my friends. Director Edward L. Cahn has gotten ahold of some amazing stock footage that shows planes crashing, scenes of war on land and sea, tall buildings burning and collapsing, factories being demolished, and dams bursting. This is all real stuff, no models or other fx are used, so maybe it is from an actual Alien Invasion that happened some time in the past. I mean, you gotta see this for yourself. They're really busting up the joint! The people of Earth will soon be toast if action isn't taken pronto. The Pentagon sends Major Bruce Jay (Agar) out to a Special Underground Bunker inside the Bronson Canyon Cave. The bunker has been reinforced to withstand a nuclear attack. Agar will use it as a command post, from which he will launch a retaliatory strike, if Dr. Penner - who is with him - can devise a way to make the Invaders visible.
Now, some clarification is in order. The Invaders are using Dead Bodies to get around, so in that sense they are visible. But bullets, etc., have no effect on them. They're like Zombies, and once again I have to report on the Directorial Influence Phenomenon, because I absolutely guarantee you that George Romero saw this film and was inspired to make his own movie : "Night of the Living Dead". The look of the Invaders, right down to their stumbling walk, is close to identical to that of the Zombies in Romero's classic film. There is no way he didn't borrow it from "Invisible Invaders", which was made nine years earlier. Getting back to the clarification, Agar will not be able to start his counterattack until the Invaders can be driven out of their deceased human hosts and made visible in their own skins. To that end, Dr. Penner is working furiously with various ray gun prototypes and even an acrylic spray to coat the aliens with. But unfortunately, so far nothing is working.
The Invaders have discovered the underground bunker and have landed a Spaceship at the mouth of Bronson Cave. It too, is invisible, though director Cahn gives us a brief glimpse and it's fairly impressive in size and design, looking not unlike a Modern Football Stadium. Aliens in dead human bodies are closing on the bunker by the hundreds and will soon break inside, reinforced construction notwithstanding. Agar - who demonstrates his range by trading his usual Smug Persona for a Belligerent One - starts throwing his weight around. When Dr. Lamont, who is also inside the bunker, suggests they surrender, Agar gets into a punchout with him that is worthy of a Randolph Scott Western. John Carradine is outside, still offering the remaining People of Earth a chance to give themselves up. Lamont thinks they should take it; Agar disagrees. He wants to fight to the last man.
Just when it looks like all hope is gone, Dr. Penner has an Ingenious Idea. I can't tell you what it is, because this is one movie you've gotta see for yourself. Let's just say that it will give the Good Guys a chance. Agar will use it to play the Hero, for he would never ask his men to do something he would not do himself. The role of "Major Jay" is one of the best John Agar performances we've ever seen, which is really saying something! If you're not already an Agar fan, I urge you to seek out his movies. I can't emphasize enough his unique approach to acting.
I loved "Invisible Invaders". It's "big league" in every respect, and certainly must have been a first-run feature for United Artists. John Carradine gives an intimidating performance as the Alien Leader, taking the role seriously and not hamming it up for once (he must've gotten paid decent money this time). There's also a narrator who shows up periodically to keep us up to date on the grim consequences faced by Agar and company. When the Invaders are made visible, the effect is very well done and most importantly - not overdone. This is another movie I'm surprised I've never heard of. I give it Two Big Thumbs Up. It's a must for John Agar fans and also to see where George Romero got his inspiration. ////
That's all for the moment. I am finishing up this review at Pearl's. We just got back from a nice walk around the neighborhood. 'Twas a beautiful day.
See you later tonight at the Usual Time.
Tons of love! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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