The 9 Best B Sci-Films of the 1950s
"No. We haven't seen the end of them. We've only had a close view of the beginning of what may be the end of us."
- "Them!" (1954) by Gordon Douglas
Most B films weren't considered for the Academy Award when they were first released, but time was a fair judge.
Through the years, B films gained a cult following particularly among young viewers. They also have a special place in cinema, captivating generations of moviegoers. Blame it on those catchy titles. (The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Devil Girl from Mars. The Night the World Exploded.) Filmmakers like Tim Burton would be enthralled. Was there any similarity between "The Brain from Planet Arous" and "Mars Attacks!"? There seemed to be more to the trading cards, from which Burton based his movie from.
The science-fiction movies stood out, as most of them were about humongous creatures in search of prey. They could also be aliens from distant planets, wanting to invade Earth. Perceptive viewers would figure out that these films reflected the uncertainty - and excitement - of the era. Cold War. Nuclear testing. The beginning of the Space Race. It wasn't surprising, then, that the directors of these sci-fi flicks were aware that they were doing something special.
Dozens of B sci-fi films were released during the 1950s, some of which were memorable, if not exceptional. Here were nine:
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) by Robert Wise. This film, which was based from "Farewell to the Master", a short story by Harry Bates, could be mistaken for another piece of work by H.G. Wells. Unlike the other B films, which thinly disguised its political/environmental theme, this one was hard to tell, as a flying saucer's landing on President's Park could be interpreted in many ways. Was it a warning for mankind not to explore outer space? Could it be a grim vision of what the next century would be? Robert Wise, who won two Oscars for "West Side Story and "Sound of Music", created an engrossing, if not hair-raising, film. Patricia Neal, as the unlikely heroine, uttered three words in one scene, which could be the flick's unforgettable line. Klaatu barada nikto.
"When Worlds Collide" (1951) by Rudolph Maté. It seemed hard to believe that a star from another galaxy would collide with Earth, but this was the premise of the flick. Somehow, Rudolph Maté made it believable and fun to watch. Perhaps it was due to the fact that it was shot in Technicolor, as the hues kind of played tricks on one's imagination.
"The War of the Worlds" (1953) by Byron Haskin. The first theatrical production of Wells's novel was a loose adaptation (of the book), which English author would approve. Byron Haskin played, a bit too heavily, on the Earthlings-versus-Martians theme, which clicked during the film's time of release. Fans of the novel may complain that the aspect of scientific romance may be missing in the big-screen version, but it was frightening nonetheless.
"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954) by Richard Fleischer. Jules Verne's novel was captivating, as readers discovered a whole new world. The sea, which covered seventy percent of the Earth's surface, was mostly unexplored during the late nineteenth century. Verne's imagination brought readers to unchartered regions; the best would be the sunken continent of Atlantis, lighted by a lava cascading from a volcano. Walt Disney, who produced this film, omitted this chapter, but the scene where the giant squid appeared made up for it.
"It Came from Beneath the Sea" (1955) by Robert Gordon. This may be the only feature where the Golden Gate was attacked in dramatic fashion. The culprit was a gigantic octopus, who came all the way from the Mindanao Deep. Hydrogen bombing forced the cephalopod to leave its habitat, but this environmental theme may go unnoticed. Everyone was curious, and the squid delivered.
"Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" (1956) by Fred F. Sears. This movie looked like it was taken from a page of a book under Invasion literature. Based from Donald Keyhoe's non-fiction book, "Flying Saucers from Outer Space", Sears made it engaging, as moviegoers could relate to its good-versus-evil storyline.
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956) by Don Siegel. Many may have wondered why Jack Finney's "The Body Snatchers" was adapted to the big screen four times. It was about man's fear of the unknown, something he had no control of. It was fascinating yet scary. In this case, the inhabitants of a small town don't have a clue that extraterrestrials were taking over. Only Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) knew it, but he was unable to stop this silent invasion. He ended up screaming for help, which was the film's unforgettable moment.
"The Blob" (1958) by Irvin Yeaworth. This was notable for being Steve McQueen's first leading role. He would achieve later stardom by playing a tough loner, but this was no less memorable, about an amoeba-like alien that terrorized a small community. This would be THE Saturday night flick, when watching a sci-fi (or scary) movie was the best option.
"The Angry Red Planet" (1959) by Ib Melchior. The use of CineMagic technique, which was used for all scenes on the surface of Mars, didn't turn out to be successful during its year of release. But Melchior's feature, based from a story by Sidney W. Pink, deserved a second viewing. It wasn't the script, which was a bit flat. In fact, the movie was shot in low budget. It may have warned viewers that Mars may not be a good place for humans, but the political undertone was obvious.
