Invasion of the Body Snatchers [DVD] [1956] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Kevin McCarthy is marvelous as Miles, who runs a race against time and sleep to fight the pod people, and Dana Wynter is beautiful as Becky. There are others in the above average cast that will be familiar to old time TV viewers, like Carolyn Jones (Morticia of "The Adams Family"), Virginia Christine (Mrs. Olsen of the Folger's Coffee commercials), and Richard Deacon (Mel Cooley of "The Dick Van Dyke Show"). Among the credits, the great Carmen Dragon did the soundtrack, Ellsworth Fredericks the cinematography, and Daniel Mainwaring the bright and clever script.

The premise as I see it (and I think every viewer will bring his own interpretation to this film depending on his viewpoint) is still valid, as conformity is still king, and pod people are ever present. The 1978 remake is one of the few that lives up to the original, and is also highly recommended. Total running time is 80 minutes.

This film was the first and, to my mind, best adaptation of the book of the same name, written by the wonderfully inventive Jack Finney. The book s appears to have spawned a cottage industry all its own, as it has been adapted three times, thus far.

The film tells the tale of events that occurred in the small town of Santa Mira, California, as seen through the eyes of its young doctor, Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy). It seems the town is undergoing a drastic change that is as subtle as it is deadly. It seems that all the townspeople are not who they seem. They look the same. They sound the same. Their memories are intact. Still, they are just not the same.

Those who have noticed this, suddenly end up retracting their concerns days later. Something is not right in the town of Santa Mira, and Dr. Bennell knows it. Those large seed pods that are suddenly showing up every where are at the root of it. Their unearthly presence is connected to the profound changes that the people of Santa Mira are undergoing, and Dr. Bennell will stop at nothing to save his beloved town and the world from the invasion of the body snatchers.

Kevin McCarthy is sensational as the handsome young doctor, Miles Bennell. His all-American good looks underscore the perniciousness of what is going on in Santa Mira. The lovely Dana Wynter is excellent in the role of Becky Driscoll, Dr. Bennell's childhood sweetheart, infusing it with just the right amount of pathos. King Donovan and Carolyn Jones are perfect in the roles of Jack and Teddy Belicec, the couple who bring Dr. Bennell closer to discovering the truth about what is going on in the town of Santa Mira.

This is a great story beautifully directed by Don Siegel, who understood that less is more. Keeping special effects to a minimum and relying, instead, on a steady buildup of terror and paranoia through the wonderful performances by the entire cast, it succeeds brilliantly. The suspense is such that the viewer is kept riveted to the screen until the very end. It is no wonder that this film has developed a cult following, as it is a masterpiece for its genre. Bravo!

Those who enjoy this film should read the book, if they have not already done so. They should also view the other two film adaptations, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and Body Snatchers (1994).

This film is a classic, because it reflects a rather disturbing time in American history. Many believe that the pods are a metaphor for communism. So the pod people, who like McCarthy and the other red baiters, look like typical fine upstanding American's search out rebels like Dr Miles who refuse to conform to what has been newly defined as the American Way. They make an exact replica of your body but take away any rebellious nature or emotion. In other words they force you to conform to their ideals.

The pod metaphor and allegory for McCarthy-ism reflects a time in American history when the House Un-American Committee destroyed those who refused to knuckle under the pressure.

The film’s atmosphere resonates with this scary Communist backdrop as it is classed as horror, however sub genre’s are very apparent, such as science fiction because of the alien invasion. It is also sometimes referred to as a Film Noir because it’s shot in black and white on a very low budget, with dramatic lurking shadows and stark contrasts. Daniel Mainwaring who also wrote the classic Noir film Out Of The Past in 1947 in fact wrote the screenplay, and some of his Noir expertise can be seen in Invasion.

This film has been re-released many times since its original release. However none of the later remakes really compare. Watch this version to fully appreciate it.