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As usual there are spoilers ahead!

This film is silly. And I love that for me. I hope many of you will enjoy something much more lighthearted after the heavy topic of nuclear annihilation from the last episode.

Teenagers from Outer Space (1959) was the work of Tom Graeff who wrote, produced, directed, edited and acted in the film.

As previously mentioned, the film is silly but I found it very enjoyable. Stilted dialogue that is often out of sync, special effects that are very simple and yet effective, space fascists with rayguns and a sweet hearted rebel finding his way in the unfamiliar new world of Earth. How many sci-fi tropes can you possibly fit into a film made on the tightest of budgets?

The film made me laugh a lot which admittedly isn’t too difficult to do but it was a much needed laugh after the beautifully bleak misery of On the Beach.

I am not the only person who has a soft spot for this film. I am very lucky to be joined by two wonderful guests who are definitely avid fans of this alien invasion adventure.

Marc Longenecker is an Associate Professor of the Practice of Film Studies at Wesleyan University.

Blair Davis is a Professor of Media and Cinema Studies at DePaul University. He has written a lot about cinema and comics and including the book The Battle for the Bs: 1950s Hollywood and the Rebirth of Low-Budget Cinema.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:37 Why do you love this film?

08:41 Distribution and reception

12:48 “Bad” film

18:15 The tragic life of Tom Graeff

25:53 Derek the hero: the rebel anti-fascist with daddy issues

33:10 Special effects

38:17 Chekov’s Gargon: the lobster monster!

40:58 Space adventures on Earth and teen appeal

44:28 Thor! A bad guy with great comedic value

47:04 The ending

50:18 King Moody: from space fascist to Ronald McDonald

50:54 Recommendations for the listener

NEXT EPISODE!

Next time we’ll be discussing the film The Tingler (1959) starring Vincent Price. The film is readily available on multiple streaming services to rent or buy and also on some free services in some regions. The Just Watch website gives a good overview of where you can find films in your region.

As always there are spoilers ahead!

Trigger warning for a lot of discussion of suicide with analysis of the plot along with a side of dark humour.

If you would like to support the podcast and get ad free versions you can subscribe for $3 or £3 a month at https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm

You can follow the podcast on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.

If you want to watch the film before you listen you can check the Just Watch website to see where it is available in your region. On the Beach is available online to buy and rent from Apple and other sources in many places.

I can’t believe I am almost done and dusted with this film! I did really like the film and have to admit that perhaps I have been giving it a hard time. Perhaps because it gave me a hard time! There are moments of fun, flirtation and enjoyment but it is all within the backdrop of undeniable impending annihilation. I am definitely someone who prefers some depth and thematic discussion of the ethics of humanity in my science fiction (as well as some good old pew-pew led heroism) but I did find this film to be so very sad. Luckily I have two absolutely wonderful guests to keep me company and help me keep a stiff upper lip in the face of doom.

Thomas Doherty is a professor of American Studies at Brandeis University, he is a cultural historian with a special interest in Hollywood cinema on which he has written extensively.

John Wills is a Professor of American Media and Culture at University of Kent. He has written lots about popular culture including 1950s American and Nuclear film.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:10 Nuclear war is apparently not fun

08:09 Not your usual sci-fi

09:21 Scope, scale and cultural impact

13:43 We are ALL doomed

15:58 Gregory & Ava: Dwight & Moira

20:51 Fred Astaire as the scientist!

23:45 Peter and Mary contemplate suicide and murder

27:27 Love in the time of annihilation

30:03 Submarine: Signals and San Francisco

36:58 The Final Ferrari Race

39:30 Suicide

46:16 Legacy

49:09 Recommendations

Correction:

At 9:54 Tom mentions the film has not been revived but a joint US-Australia TV film released in 2000 was made.

NEXT EPISODE!

Next episode we will be discussing Teenagers from Outer Space (1959). It is a low budget indie film which seems to fit into the “bad film” category and so will not be for everyone! But I found it a relief full of lots of sci-fi tropes, funny parts, a coherent plot and likeable characters.

The film is in the public domain. You can watch it on the Internet Archive website and there is also a weirdly colourised version of the film on YouTube where you can also find the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode on the film. I found that very funny too.

As usual there are spoilers ahead!

You can follow the podcast on social media: Instagram, Threads and BlueSky.

You can support the podcast and get ad-free episodes on Patreon.

Please be aware that we touch upon sexual assault in this episode due to the content of the film.

Description

USA in 1959 was on the brink of a decade that would see major changes in the country in terms of race. But never without opposition. It was also the year in which Harry Belafonte, at the peak of his fame, would star in The World, the Flesh and the Devil.

The film centres Belafonte’s character, Ralph Burton, as the last man on earth. A Black man at a time when the country was wrangling with desegregation. Ralph is joined by Sarah and Ben: White survivors who enter what was for a while his world. This episode focuses on race and racism and I am so lucky to have two amazing guests to help us put the plot and frustrations into context.

Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema.

Stéphanie Larrieux is the associate director of the Centre for the study of Race and Ethnicity at Brown University. She wrote about the World, The Flesh and the Devil as part of her PhD.

Chapters (times may vary slightly due to advertising!)

00:00 Introduction

01:07 Why is this film largely unknown?

03:10 Source material

10:05 Harry Belafonte

16:25 An empty Manhattan

18:53 The last man on earth

23:12 Double sight and racial panopticism

24:26 Cultured and capable

28:03 Sarah’s unnerving feet

31:31 The frustrations of this film

35:26 Free, white and 21: Ralph and Sarah’s relationship

39:25 The hair cutting scene

41:42 Ben comes to town: Mel Ferrer

45:31 The ending

47:09 Inger Stevens

48:29 Ben’s “idealism”

49:47 The title

50:28 Black protagonists in science fiction

53:36 Legacy

NEXT EPISODE!

Next episode we will be talking about On The Beach (1959) starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins.

You can visit Just Watch in your region to find out where you can watch this film although it seems to be easily available to rent or buy online.

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