It Conquered the World (1956)

Though Roger Corman was still new to sci-fi in 1956, he made up for lost time with the above-average quickie It Conquered the World. Peter Graves heads the cast as Paul Nelson, who suspects that his best friend, eccentric genius Tom Anderson (Lee Van Cleef), is up to no good. Sure enough, Tom has contacted the denizens of the planet Venus, who hope to exploit Tom's weak nature in order to take over the world. Before long, the Venusians have taken over the minds and bodies of virtually all of Tom's friends and loved ones. It is up to Paul and a handful of un-brainwashed earthlings to halt this subversive alien invasion. Scripted by Charles Griffith (of Little Shop of Horrors fame), It Conquered the World is a thinly disguised attack on totalitarianism, from both the Left and Right. Corman regulars Beverly Garland, Dick Miller and Jonathan Haze make brief but significant appearances. The film represented first "monster" creation of Paul Blaisdel, whose Venusian leader looks like a surly carrot. It Conquered the World was remade--badly--as Zontar, the Thing from Venus (1968). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi