Forbidden Planet! It Came From Outer Space!

When the atomic age gave audiences a thirst for science fiction films, the major studios mostly tried to stay out of what they considered to be a lower genre. Most of the science fiction productions from that era came from Poverty Row. Universal Pictures, despite its sprawling studio backlot and semi-major status, was more than willing to cash in on this gimmicky genre. In 1953 it dipped its toe into the sci-fi lagoon with It Came From Outer Space, a film that boasted a higher pedigree than these films normally had; its treatment was written by Ray Bradbury.

Unlike similar films where the monsters or aliens were designed with whatever the filmmakers could find around them (The Creeping Terror was just an obvious carpet) Universal put its resources behind the film. Professional designers came up with two different monsters that the studio executives could choose from. The first design was rejected, but it was used in a later Universal film- This Island Earth.

Sorry, Charlie- you’ll have to wait for your spotlight.

The second design was approved and became one of Hollywood’s legendary monsters. While neither design was particularly realistic, they were still miles ahead of the monsters produced by Poverty Row.

The film was highly profitable and inspired Universal to make more of these types of movies. While these films would be popular and mostly profitable, they wouldn’t escape the genre ghetto until the late 1970’s after George Lucas shocked Hollywood and the world with Star Wars.