Invasion of the Animal People
| Space Invasion of Lapland | |
|---|---|
| File:Invasionoftheanimalpeople.jpg | |
| Directed by | Virgil W. Vogel |
| Written by | Arthur C. Pierce (screenplay and story) |
| Produced by | Bertil Jernberg Gustaf Unger |
| Starring | See below |
| Cinematography | Hilding Bladh |
| Edited by | Shirley Citron Tom Rolf |
| Music by | Harry Arnold Allan Johansson |
Release dates |
1962 in U.S. |
Running time | 73 minutes (Sweden) 55 minutes (USA) 81 minutes (U.S. TV) |
| Countries | United States Sweden |
| Languages | English Swedish |
Space Invasion of Lapland (Rymdinvasion i Lappland in Sweden and later Invasion of the Animal People in the United States) is a 1959 Swedish-American black-and-white science fiction-monster film released to Swedish cinemas on 19 August of that year.[1] The film was produced by Bertil Jernberg and Gustaf Unger, directed by American Virgil W. Vogel,[2] and stars Barbara Wilson, Robert Burton, and Stan Gester. The film, partly presented in English, was written by Arthur C. Pierce.
For its U.S. theatrical release, Space Invasion of Lapland was shortened by distributor Jerry Warren to 55 minutes from its original 73 minutes. New footage was shot with an on-screen narrator (John Carradine) that opens and closes the film, bookending its revised storyline. New footage was also shot with star Barbara Wilson about an earlier UFO incident that involved her character "Diane Wilson". After other original plot details were reedited or cut entirely, this new version was distributed in America under the title Invasion of the Animal People on a double bill with Warren's Terror of the Bloodhunters.
When Invasion of the Animal People went into U.S. television syndication, additional added footage increased its running time to 81 minutes.
Plot (Invasion of the Animal People)
While asleep, a young woman, Diane Wilson (Barbara Wilson), experiences an extraterrestrial visit, awakening to a horrible, ear-splitting sound that only she can hear. Overcome by confusion, panic, and pain, she runs outside in her nightgown and sees a weird light in the sky. By the time paramedics take her to the hospital, she is catatonic and no longer able to explain what she has experienced. Doctors cannot explain her mysterious seizure. Local newspaper headlines wonder if what happened to her has something to do with a reported UFO sighting in the same area the night of her experience. Before it can be determined, she quickly recovers completely from her coma. She leaves the hospital and flies to Switzerland.
While traveling in Switzerland, Diane Wilson meets up with her uncle, famous geologist Dr. Vance Wilson (Robert Burton), who has come there to help investigate the recent landing of what appears to be a large meteorite. Diane is courted by her uncle's associate, Dr. Erik Engstrom (Sten Gester), though she aggressively plays hard-to-get at first. A romance develops, and eventually their journey is interrupted by the discovery of a large herd of mutilated reindeer in Lapland. Both scientists immediately fly to the site of the meteorite crash, far north in the Arctic mountains of Lapland. Much to the irritation of both scientists, Diane stows away aboard their airplane. When they arrive, it is determined that the meteorite is actually a round alien spaceship, and she suddenly realizes just how dangerous a decision she has made.
An enormously tall, hairy biped creature, with powerful jaws, tusks, and large round feet, under the control of three humanoid aliens in the spaceship, comes out of nowhere and begins menacing the scientists and the native Lapland villagers. The tall beast destroys the scientists' aircraft, killing the soldier guarding it, and begins tearing apart Laplander houses with its bare hands. As Dr. Engstrom and Diane are trying to ski away to safety, the hairy monster attacks again and is able to capture Diane. She screams and faints.
Meanwhile, a search party has been formed, now carrying fire torches as night begins to fall. They hear Diane's screams and go toward the sound. Dr. Engstrom arrives and watches as the hairy monster carries her off. He hurries toward the torch-carrying Laplanders and tries to alert Dr. Wilson, who is with them, that the creature now has Diane. Carrying her to the snow-buried alien spaceship, the extraterrestrial monster suddenly begins displaying tenderness toward his captive, a result of mind control exerted over the creature by the humanoid aliens. She runs into an adjoining ice cave and screams and faints again when the aliens come near. The aliens leave the cave and see the mass of lighted torches coming their way. The hairy monster picks up Diane and heads away from the buried spaceship.
The Laplanders give chase and are finally able to confront the huge creature, who is now standing with its back to the edge of a deep snow cliff. Angry villagers begin throwing their fire torches, and the tall monster carefully places Diane on the ground, where she is able to roll several few feet away. More torches are thrown and the hairy creature catches on fire. It falls backward over the cliff to a fiery death, starting an avalanche as it tumbles down into a steep chasm. The aliens, seeing this on their viewscreen, reverse course, launching their spaceship back the way they came.
Cast
- Barbra Wilson as Diane Wilson
- Sten Gester as Erik Engström
- Robert Burton as Dr. Frederick Wilson
- Bengt Blomgren as Col. Robert Bottiger
- Åke Grönberg as Dr. Henrik
- Gösta Prüzelius as Dr. Walter Ullman
- Doreen Denning as Anna, Dr. Ullmans secretary
- Ittla Frodi as girl in the sports car
- Brita Borg as the singer
- Lars Åhrén as the monster
- John Carradine as narrator (U.S. version)
Soundtrack
The Swedish film's original end-title ballad, "Midnight Sun Lament", is based on an old Swedish melody (music and Swedish lyrics by Gustaf Unger, English lyrics by Frederick Herbert).
Home video
A Special Edition DVD of the original Swedish theatrical film, under the new title Terror in the Midnight Sun, was released by Something Weird Video on July 10, 2001. It includes the reedited U.S. theatrical release from 1962, Invasion of the Animal People.
References
- ^ "Rymdinvasion i Lappland" (in Swedish). Swedish Film Database. 19 August 1959. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ Elin Fjellman Jaderup (22 April 2005). "Superobskyrt" (in Swedish). Sydsvenskan. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
Bibliography
- Warren, Bill. Keep Watching the Skies: American Science Fiction Films of the Fifties (covers films released through 1962), 21st Century Edition. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009 (First Edition 1982). ISBN 0-89950-032-3.
External links
- Invasion of the Animal People at IMDb
- Template:Amg movie
- Rymdinvasion i Lappland at the Swedish Film Institute Database
- Terror in the Midnight Sun is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
