Directed and produced by Roger Corman, Not of This Earth is a lean, 67-minute sci-fi horror hybrid that fuses atomic-age paranoia with gothic tropes. Released by Allied Artists on February 10, 1957, it stars Paul Birch as a mysterious alien emissary from the planet Davana, sent to Earth to harvest human blood for his dying race. With a budget of just $85,000–$100,000, the film grossed nearly $1 million, proving once again that Corman could turn pulp into profit.
Plot Summary
The alien, posing as the enigmatic Mr. Johnson, arrives in Southern California with a suitcase full of gadgets and a mind-control stare that kills on contact. He hires a nurse, Nadine Storey (Beverly Garland), to administer transfusions while he secretly drains victims to send their blood back to Davana. As bodies pile up and suspicions grow, Nadine and a local cop begin to unravel the truth—leading to a final confrontation that ends with Johnson’s death and a chilling twist: another alien arrives to continue the mission.
Cast Highlights
- Paul Birch as Mr. Johnson
- Beverly Garland as Nadine Storey
- Morgan Jones as Officer Sherbourne
- William Roerick as Dr. Rochelle
- Jonathan Haze as Jeremy Perrin
- Dick Miller (uncredited) as a vacuum cleaner salesman
Behind the Scenes Trivia
- Corman shot the film in just 10 days, using leftover sets from Attack of the Crab Monsters and War of the Satellites.
- Paul Birch reportedly walked off the set during filming, frustrated with the contact lenses and low-budget conditions. His remaining scenes were completed using a stand-in shot from behind.
- The film’s script, by Charles B. Griffith and Mark Hanna, was written in under a week and includes sly commentary on medical ethics, government secrecy, and Cold War fear.
- The alien’s death ray was created using optical effects and sound design, with Corman insisting on minimal cuts to preserve tension.
- The film was remade twice: in 1988 by Jim Wynorski (starring Traci Lords), and again in 1995—both with tongue-in-cheek tones that leaned into the original’s camp legacy.
Legacy
Not of This Earth is a cornerstone of 1950s sci-fi horror, notable for its blend of clinical horror, alien infiltration, and budget ingenuity. It’s one of Roger Corman’s most enduring works, influencing everything from The X-Files to They Live. For archivists and genre historians, it’s a prime example of atomic-era anxiety filtered through exploitation cinema—where blood is currency, and Earth is never truly safe.
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