Not of This Earth (1957)

 

Though already working for 20^th c. FOX, Producer/Director Roger Corman’s Film Career really began when he penned the script story for the “Gunman” (1950). When he was denied his on-screen credit, he quit, and that could’ve easily been the end for him in cinema.

 

Instead, he then went to School under the GI bill, studied in Literature in Paris, which expanded the scope of his Storytelling, and became a fan of the bolder European Filmmaking. Though he remained rooted in a most Populist, even Exploitive, styles of USA cinema for the rest of his Career, he would draw from these Foreign Models for enrichment again and again.

 

Returning to the USA he secured his first Screenwriting credit with Crime film “Highway Dragnet” (1953) and then his first Producing credit with the SF “Monster from the Ocean Floor” (1954). In 1955 he earned his first Directing credit(s) and began a period of Insane Prolific-ness; in that one year he Directed three feature-length pictures (one SF and two Westerns). 1956 his topped that with four (one SF, one Crime, and two Westerns). And in 1957, the year of “Not of this World,” he topped it again with eight (one Horror, two SF, two Crime, three Teen movies). By then he was then 29-years old. He’d stay crazy like that until after 1967, then began to shift more into Producing. His final Directorial Credit was 1990 and his last (so-far) Producing Credit was 2018 when he was already past 90-years-old. 

 

The insanely tight Shooting Schedules and cripplingly small Budgets (this one was so cheap, instead of buying wrap-around sunglasses they modified regular ones with gaffer’s tape) made it imperative he use the same people in film-after-film both in front of, and behind, the camera. Almost everyone attached to this film were attached to more than one of Corman’s then-fifteen Directorial outings and add to that number the film’s he’d only Produced and this constituted and amazing tight Theater Troupe.

 

Corman and Crew were simply amazingly good at working amazingly fast, but that wasn’t always a virtue. The strongest performance in this film was provided by Paul Birch (his third Corman Directed film) but decisions Corman made to keep up with the insane Schedules led to a conflict between the two and that prolific Actor would never work with under Corman again (I’ll get to that).

 

 

Corman was, Unapologetically, a B-Movie guy, borrowing others’ ideas and reusing his own. But he had an Original Vision which he infused into even his most marginal films; were distinctive from all others on his level and their mannerisms were of no interest of any Filmmaker on a level above, or at least not for a few decades. He was more borrowed from than borrowing. He was no Auteur, he didn’t grant himself enough time to treat his films with that much Care, but was schooled by the European Masters (and in time would become their most important USA distributor) and had a keen understanding how USA Genre cinema had Sold Itself Short and knew what and where to pull from to make his Cheese smell better.

 

This was most true in the films he, himself, Directed and was learned by the many of the Director’s he’d mentored in the ‘60s and early ‘70s (a ridiculous number of Oscar Winners got their first jobs with him).

 

In 1970 he founded his own Studio, New World Pictures, and only a year later stated, "Directing is very hard and very painful. Producing is easy. I can do it without really thinking about it.” This bitter statement had a context, he said it after he’d moved up the ladder to Bigger Budgets and more Critical respect, but was increasingly exhausted and had just finished shooting “Von Richthofen and Brown” (1971) which killed Veteran Stuntman Charles Boddington, I think the only production-related death in any Corman-Directed film. Though he didn’t quit at that point, and would Produce and/or Direct many fine films after that, but by the mid-1980s that expressed sentiment really began to show in the product.

 

“Not of this …” was decades before that prominence and decline. It concerns Evil Alien Invaders from the Planet Davanna. They want to Drink Our Blood (a Scientifically problematic conceit). They look Human enough to pass for us, but not if examined too closely. They have learned our Language and Social Manners adequately, but imperfectly. They also have a handful of useful, but limited, Super Powers. By 1957 these themes were all Cliché ideas in SF cinema, but Corman and Screenwriters, Charles B. Griffith, easily Corman’s best during that era, but they’d have a bitter break-up over rights to the live-play version of “Little Shop of Horrors” (film 1960, play 1982) and the almost as prolific Mark Hanna (both of whom were on their fourth Corman Directed film) wove these things together with a Delicious Weirdness.

 

One new thing in the movie was the inclusion of a Teleportation Device. Though this had been explored in SF at least as far back as Author Edward Page Mitchell’s short story "Professor Vehr's Electrical Experiment" (1885) and as a Magical Folklore Millenniums before that, but this maybe only the second SF cinema to take that imaginary Science on, after “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” (1936). These two are lesser-known examples than “The Fly” (1957) and its manner its used, and it fallings, anticipated TV’s “Star Trek” (first aired 1966)

 

They made the Villian (Birch), known only by his AKA of Paul Johnson, a strongly Sympathetic Character despite his Exploitive and Genocidal (really Xenocidal) Intents, and made the Hero a woman, Nurse Nadine Storey (Beverly Garland, fourth Corman Directed film and the film’s second strongest performance), not her boyfriend, Motorcycle Cop Harry Sherbourne (Morgan Jones, second Corman Directed film).

 

The choice to de-Monster-ize the Monster was probably to address the Savagery of the Nazis. The last of the Nuremberg Trials was unfolding at the same time and there must have been the expectation that the Audience would make the connection. In a less-than-a subtle trick, the Aliens’ dialogue is full of non-English words for measurements of time, distance, other things, but then oddly slip in “Sub-Human” for their description of the Human Race, as if the Aliens perceive themselves not a wholly separate, just Superior.

 

Very Human-looking Aliens is generally a Low-Budget necessity, but also can be a Thematic point. When the Aliens are very Human-looking for Thematic purposes, the scripts address their Otherness as if they were more Foreign than truly Alien. This is usually more evident in Benevolent Aliens than Malicious ones, like Klaatu from “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951), which cast Michael Rennie in-part because of understated slight English accent; Mr. Spock from “Star Trek,” which Orientalized Vulcan Culture, seemed most influenced by Taoist Buddhism, then was further infused by the Actor’s, Lenord Nimoy’s, Judaica; and the annoyingly Benevolent Aliens in “The Monitors” (1969), a film made the Second City Comedy Troup, who were seemingly English again, so Spoofing of “The Day the …”

 

The Davanna’s aren’t Benevolent but still presented more as Foreigners than wholly Alien: In the film Characters frequently wonder what Country Paul came from because of his odd manners and syntax. Even after he’s Exposed as non-Human, he’s still spoken of in terms of a both a Refugee and a Foreign Adversary:

 

Officer Harry, standing over Paul’s grave: “In a way I feel sorry for him.

Nadine: “Why sorry?”

Harry: “Buried so far from home. So far from everyone he knew.”

Nadine: “I can’t feel sorry for him. He had no emotions as we know them. It was a foreign thing coming here to destroy us. Thank God he tried too hard.”

 

But we learn Paul does have emotions, he’s just expected to suppress them. Among other things, he’s obviously lonely. Though we never get to visit Planet Davanna we learn enough, Paul’s Government is Totalitarian and Paul’s Monstrous Mission is a last desperate attempt at saving the Species; that Mission is plagued with futility even as the bodies of his Human Victims keep piling up. Davanna is dying because of the Environmental Disaster unleashed by Endless War and Worldwide (maybe more than one World) Radioactive Poisoning. Paul’s side seems to be losing but there’s little hope of anything being left for any Victor. All, on both sides, including Paul, are withering away because of a Radiation-induced Blood Disease called Una.

 

Paul comes off more Duty-Bound than Fanatical, and though he’s been ordered to either Enslave or Kill us all, he treats Humans with respect when not speaking to Others of Own Kind. He even does, modestly, rebel. He encounters a woman who from Davanna (Anna Lee Carroll), a Defector speaks of the Chaos on the Home World worsening.

 

He scolds her for speaking emotionally.

 

She answers “These are emotional times.”

 

Duty insists he Turn Her In or Kill her, but instead he’s moved by her plight, she’s dying even faster than he. “If I do not receive blood within four chronoctons of time, I will have no need of emotion.”

 

He takes steps to save her.

 

And he botches the job, accidently Killing her, Exposing himself, and setting the Climax in motion.

 

His Superpowers are impressive, Telepathy, Mind Control (the demonstration of his Mind-Control over Doctor F. W. Rochelle (William Roerick) was demonstrated is especially well-handled), the shooting Death Rays out of his Pupil-less Eyes (which are Invisible, probably because of the Budget), but the last third of the film is the fast-accumulating demonstrations of those Powers’ Limitations. The Suspense starts becoming more about the noose tightening around the Monster’s neck than the fate of Humanity.

 

Paul: [speaking Telepathically, starting to Shout in His Brain] “It is impossible for you to escape. Come to me!”

The intended victim (Corman’s Assistant Director, Tom Graeff), escaping though previously others had not: “I hear you! You can't hurt me now! It doesn't work now!”

Paul: “It’s a lie! I am not so injured!”

 

The film also distinguishes itself by injecting some Humor in despite its Serious Tone, most obvious in the scene with Vacuum Cleaner Salesman, Joe Piper (Dick Miller, fourth Corman Directed Film) which was entirely ad-libbed. As Corman noted, “It was one of the first movies I mixed horror with traces of humor. The mix proved so successful I continued it in later films.”

 

This is probably part of the film’s lasting Popularity because many Dead-Serious SF films of the ‘50s have been reduced to Camp as time has made their Conceits increasingly Dubious, but this film’s often clumsy Comedy made the transition from SF/Horror to Camp a bit smoother.

 

I should say that one of the better Fish-Out-of-Water jokes is lost on Modern Audiences. Paul hires Nadine to be his live-in Nurse for $200 a week, or as Nurse Nadine says, "No nurse would dream of getting $200 a week!"

 

She not kidding, according to a 1957 report, Nurses in the Los Angeles and Long Beach areas averaged around $75 per week so, after adjusted for inflation, Nadine would be taking in $2,200 a week in 2023 USC (more an the average current Nurse’s salary which is a National disgrace).

 

Despite the conceit being Scientifically dubious over-all, the movie was more Scientifically correct than your average ‘50s SF film. You can thank Griffith’s wife Marmory James for that. She was a Registered Nurse and provided her husband with a great deal of information about Cancer, Blood Testing, and other Medical information.

 

Corman’s blindingly fast Production Schedules taught him how to create taunt Suspense through Economical Story-Telling, and his feature films at the time hovered around one-hour in length. The best demonstration of his hidden Genius was how his Super-Fast productions were not-incompetent while sometimes superior Directors often went astray when under the same pressure. Most others were so trapped they learned ignore when a scene went hopelessly wrong and just moved on to the next one. Director William Beaudine was one of the Greats of the 1920s but his product started to decline in quality in the 1940s, earning him the unflattering nickname "One-Shot." The gifted Dan Curtis was similarly mocked when he was time-burdened by the impossible Schedules for TV Soap Opera “Dark Shadows” (first aired 1968) but was able to rise above that and displayed greater Craftmanship in the 1970s.

 

 

Here, the tight economy had an odd consequence, the theatrical print for “Not of this …” was 67-minutes, making it too short for sales to TV. Another Director, Herbert L. Strock, added a Post-Credit Introductory Scroll of white text on a black background:

 

"You are about to adventure into the dimension of The Impossible! To enter this realm you must set your mind free from earthly fetters that bind it! If the events you are about to witness are unbelievable, it is only because your imagination is chained! Sit back, relax and believe ... so that you may cross the brink of time and space ... into that land you sometimes visit in your dreams!"

 

That wasn’t enough so Strock also repeated some scenes, unaltered, to pad the running time. The most obvious was a Pre-Credit scene with dialogue wherein Paul receives instructions from his Commander (voice by Birch and played by an uncredited and unmoving Jan Boleslavsky who was also an Assistant Director). Later, we see that exact same scene where it was originally placed in the story-line. This should have been too stupid to tolerate, but worked surprisingly well. The scene felt like a Preview and immersed the audience in the Bizarreries without any lead-in so it was Appealingly Disorientating.

 

Less obviously, other footage did double-duty to extended the chase scenes.

 

One Crtic (whose name I have lost) described it this way, “More than one associate of Roger Corman has opined that the man was more interested in speed and thrift than quality. I sympathize with these actors and artisans, who believe that if Corman had taken his time and more care he could have achieved greatness rather than mere goodness ... but isn't the charm of Corman's early work that it is so hand-to-mouth … Corman's innate stinginess imparts a lean-and-hungry aspect to these films that gives them a greater sense of immediacy and urgency.”

 

But this did have repercussions, everybody got paid less-than what they were worth, making it a bit of a shocker how many remained so loyal to him for so long. The documentary, “Some Nudity Required” (1998) explored how Exploitive the content of some of his later films were, and more than touched on how Exploitive the treatment of his Employs could be. The film was made by Corman Collaborator Johanna Demetrakas with Corman’s enthusiastic support, and even though she Trashed him, it was obvious she also Adored him.

 

Which bring us to the unfortunate incident with Actor Birch, that was Corman’s own fault, but related to the brutal Shooting Schedule. Character Paul’s Pupil-less eyes were cheap, plastic contact lenses and painful. Corman made the situation worse by insisting Birch wear them the entire shooting day so Birch could step before the camera at a moment’s notice. The discomfort became unbearable and Birch complained loudly, "I am an actor, and I don't need this stuff... To hell with it all! Goodbye!" This became a shoving match between Corman and Birch and Birch stormed off the set. Birch’s last few scenes were shot with Lyle Latell doubling for him.

 

Corman was also blessed with a fine Cinematographer, John J. Mescall; this was his last feature film after a thirty-five-year Career that began in the Silents. He’d a been a major contributor to the Classic Era of Universal Monsters and had a previous Oscar Nominee. He’s almost certainly responsible for the Expressionistic Shadows (there’s no Lighting credit) that only deepened and expanded as the film stock degraded. Some of this film’s transfers are better than others but this is a rare case, like Director James Whales “Old Dark House” (1932), wherein the poor transfers actually enhanced the mood.

 

During that insane year of eight features, Corman also Directed another of his early greats, “Attack of the Crab Monsters” which released as a Double-Bill with “Not of this …” They enjoyed a 400% profit during their first week.

 

Over-time this film proved unreasonably Enduring and Endearing. Wrote Critic Geoff Andrew, "Low budgets give little reason for regret when the often tacky effects are surrounded by so much imagination, good humour, and sheer joy in film-making as here. ‘Not of This Earth’ is a minor sci-fi gem, with an alien …  infinitely superior to the moronic middle Americans on view.”

 

Michael Weldon, “Corman's most enjoyable science fiction film"

 

“The Aurum Film Encyclopedia, Volume 2: Science Fiction” called it, "Marvellous."

 

“Lexikon des Science Fiction Films” argued, "although not necessarily first rank, still belongs, bearing its low budget in mind, to the best science fiction films of the Fifties.”

 

It was remade officially two, and in reality, three times. None were Directed, but all were Produced, by Corman.

 

The best known was 1988 because ex-Porn Star Traci Lords was cast as Nurse Nadine. The film fails because it tried to mostly Play-It-Straight, and error spoken of by Critic Peter Nichols who said it, “cannot cope with cultural and cinematic changes over the intervening three decades.” Worse, the Direction by Jim Wynorski and Cinematography by Zoran Hochstätter were indifferent. But Actress Lords proved the best thing in the film, though her range was limited (so was no Garland) she still had obvious Comedic talent and worked in Humor that the film desperately needed more of. The Trailer makes the film look far more like a Spoof than it actually was and really should’ve been.

 

Corman’s studios at the time (Miracle Pictures Pacific Trust, Concord-New Horizons, and New World) rarely enjoyed his Directorial skills and as Producer his output was declining in quality with the two later versions that appeared in 1995 and 1998. The final one, “Star Portal,” was the last film penned by Screenwriter Hanna and Corman reused footage from a film he’d Directed, “Battle Beyond the Stars” (1980).

 

Trailer:

NOT OF THIS EARTH (1957) Movie trailer - YouTube