I Married a Monster From Outer Space (1958)

A Golden Age Science Fiction Movie from the 1950s

Jul 25, 2009

Despite its campy, corny, and somewhat awkward title, I Married a Monster From Outer Space starring Gloria Talbott and Tom Tyron is a decent low budget film.

Science fiction films reached their peak in the 1950s, a period sometimes referred to as The Golden Age of Science Fiction Movies. It was during this time that the genre was used to create anti-Communism parables; express concerns about the new Atomic Age; and/or contemplate mankind’s place in the universe.

I Married a Monster From Outer Space’s Story

A small town newlywed, Marge Farrell (Gloria Talbott), becomes disconcerted that her husband Bill (Tom Tryon) is not the same cheerful, outgoing, and loving man that had courted her. Instead, he has become sullen, cold, and unemotional. Furthermore, she is disturbed by her inability to get pregnant despite being assured by Dr. Wayne (Ken Lynch) that she is quite fertile.

Marge discovers that Bill’s body has been replicated and this new shell is inhabited by an alien creature. The “Bill” that she now knows has no feelings or emotions. The “Alien Bill” eventually tells her that his race has lost its females and his purpose, and that of other aliens, is to mate with female earthlings in order to save their dying planet. The only problem: Alien scientists have not solved the problem of cross pollination.

When the young woman discovers that many of the town’s men have also been replaced, she turns to Dr. Wayne for help. Together they join forces with other townsmen, all recent fathers who are still believed to be human, in fighting the extraterrestrials.

Special Effects and Script for I Married a Monster From Outer Space

The special effects are mixed. The interior of the alien spaceship is not impressive. Nor are the alien ray guns which look like flashlights. However, the shimmering, vaguely featured aliens are well done and the deaths of two of them, considering the time period, are quite gruesomely portrayed .

The story has its flaws. For example, the aliens in their natural forms supposedly cannot survive in Earth’s atmosphere, but they frequently appear in that environment. And, the plot assumes that men who have recently become fathers are human. However, their bodies could have been possessed after conception.

Plot holes aside, the movie has many strengths. The screenplay by Louis Vittes features dialogue that is tight, natural, intelligent, and sometimes humorous. There are even some risqué lines, rarely heard in 1950 movies (One hooker in a bar to another: “Those guys ain't even giving us a hard look.”).

Vittes’ script is also excellent in that it gives depth to the lead characters. By the movie’s end, the “Alien Bill” has begun to develop true feelings, perhaps even love, for Marge. At the same time she has developed a degree of compassion toward him and is truly affected by his death.

The Acting in I Married a Monster From Outer Space

The true strength of the movie is in the acting. Gloria Talbott was never a great actress, but she was a very good one. The character of Marge appears to be the typical girl-next-door, but Talbott plays her with a trace of anger and hardness lying just below the surface. By so doing, the actress creates a vulnerable but strong-willed individual who is determined to discover the truth.

Tom Tryon also does a nice job. Tryon was an actor of limited range and, ironically, playing a stiff, unemotional character brought out the best in him. His performance as Bill may have been his finest. [Tryon later found his niche as a best selling author whose books included the horror novels The Other and Harvest Home.]

The supporting cast is also good. Jean Carson as Marge’s man-hungry friend, Helen, and ex-boxer Maxie Rosenbloom, as a bartender, add humor to the story. Valerie Allen, in a small role as a hooker who is murdered by an alien, is also good.

The Meaning of I Married a Monster From Outer Space

The movie, obviously patterned after the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), is regarded by some film students as, like Invasion…, a story of the conflict between Freedom and Communism. Others see it as an allegory on marriage and how husbands and wives can grow apart. Others simply see it as a good, entertaining 1950s “B” science fiction movie.

I Married a Monster From Outer Space DVD

The movie DVD is no longer being produced by the manufacturer, but used, and even some new, copies are available from several sources.

The copyright of the article I Married a Monster From Outer Space (1958) in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Films is owned by John K. Davis. Permission to republish I Married a Monster From Outer Space (1958) in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.