5 Favorite Sci-Fi Classic Movies from the 1950s-1960s

GODZILLA

This movie was originally filmed in 1954 and called "Gojira." At the tender young age of five (1956), I remember going to the drive-in movies with my parents to see the American version, called"Godzilla."

Actor Raymond Burr starred as an American reporter named Steve Martin. This moive fascinated me to no end! The scenes where Godzilla takes on the high tension electrical wires remains a classic in my mind. One week, one of the local Los Angeles television stations ran the movie Monday through Friday at 6PM. I think I watched it at least four of the five nights!

There were many other scenes that I would call "favorites," to numerous to mention. I even learned how to scare my little sister by reproducing the sound of Godzilla walking through Tokyo, as I hit my heel on the metal frame of my bed at night and told her Godzilla was coming.

INVADERS FROM MARS

This movie is still one of my all time favorites. A 12 year old boy, interested in astronomy, sees a flying saucer land in sand dunes near his house. No one believes him, but one by one, starting with his father, people disappear and return zombie-like after they go investigate the sighting. The Martians are pretty hilarious looking, but I love the way the film ends --- deja ju ~ the boy sees a saucer land again. Was it all a dream the first time, a premonition, or ....????

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

Aliens from outer space have sent massive seed pods containing creatures that can assume the physical characteristics of anyone they choose. When people go to sleep, the pod creatures take on the shape of the victim and then destroy their body. The aliens look the same as the person, but don't have any emotions and only want to reproduce themselves.

 WAR OF THE WORLDS

Yet another invasion by Martians in southern California!  This film was released in 1953, well after the infamous 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles.  If you recall, this radio broadcast created widespread panic, as many listeners that tuned in after it started and thought they were hearing a real "live" broadcast of an catastrophe!  That fact in itself is the reason I did not really appreciate the film until I was a lot older.  I did not want to watch such a disturbing movie as a kid.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

This movie came out in 1951 and I remember seeing it years later. I liked Gort, the robot who protects Klaatu. Klaatu has a message for all of mankind, but no one wants to listen. He shuts down all the electrical power, except to hospitals and planes in flight, to make his point! I have not watched the remake of this movie, but I was told that the original is still the best!