Cheap I Married a Monster From Outer Space (DVD) (Tom Tryon, Gloria Talbott) (Gene Fowler Jr.) Price

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The lovely Gloria Talbott portrays Marge, an average woman who
marries the man of her dreams (Tom Tryon) only to discover that
he is not the man she thought he was--in fact, he's not a man at all,
but a hideous alien who has assumed human shape in order to
breed more of his species! How she deals with this knowledge
makes for a taunt tale of suspense. Who can she trust? Who will
believe her? Will she have to mate with this creature?

She escapes this fate, of course, since this was 1958 and even
human sex, let alone alien sex, was only briefly hinted at, or slyly
suggested, in the movies at that time.

Gloria Talbott's career started out in a promising way, with
featured parts in such A-movies as We're No Angels, with
Humphrey Bogart and Peter Ustinov, but her later career was
mostly in low-budget westerns, TV roles, and horror films like
The Leech Woman, The Cyclops, and Daughter of Dr. Jekyll
(all of them interesting films, by the way.)

Solid scifi thriller
Despite having one of the worst, most misleading titles in movie history, "I Married a Monster From Outer Space" is a solid, often chilling science fiction movie, with some very good acting and an excellent script. You won't find a mindless us versus them story here, which makes it all the more effective.

Bill Farrell ((Tom Tryon) was having a last drinking spree with some pals, the night before his wedding. But the next day, Bill arrives late to the church, and on the honeymoon he seems strangely preoccupied and distant. His new bride, Marge (Gloria Talbot), is a bit worried by her husband's sudden change, but tries to keep going as if nothing has happened. But a year passes, and Bill is still acting weird -- so, for that matter, are his pals.

One night (after the mystery deaths of a couple of animals), Marge follows Bill into the woods -- only to see a strange glowing alien emerge from his body and enter a spaceship. Terrified, Marge tries to get help, but she has no way of knowing who's an alien and who isn't. And when she learns why the aliens have come, and why they've impersonated human males, she enlists the help of the remaining humans to help her.

"I Married A Monster" is an example of story triumphing over budgets and special effects. While the script isn't flawless (if the aliens can't tolerate alcohol, why doesn't Marge use that as a test?), the gradual buildup of tension, and the feeling of helplessness, is wonderfully done. Things as small as stumbling over a dead cat are imbued with horror, and the "less is more" exposure of the aliens in their true forms adds a great low-key tone to it. The special effects and costumes, though primitive by current standards, are surprisingly convincing.

One of the best aspects of this film is the handling of the aliens. They're not evil, just desperate to perpetuate their own kind. They're not invading for its own sake; they have a motive. But at the same time, they are clearly not acting acceptably, since they also kill off some humans (a young woman at a bar, and a nosy lech). Still, it's hard not to feel a pang when any of the aliens die, or when "Tom" explains their plight. Another nice touch is one of the aliens looking wistfully into a shop window.

Tryon does an excellent job, since he has to play an alien pretending to be a human -- cold, stiff, and a bit off-key. He does it wonderfully, with the right tinge of emotion when it's needed. Talbot does an equally good job. It would be too easy to make Marge an over-the-top hysteric, but she keeps the character reined in, so you can feel her panic.

It's a smart, well-written movie, like "Invasion of the Body-Snatchers" but with more suspense and more three-dimensional aliens. Recommended highly -- don't let the title scare you away.

I Married A Monster From Outer Space
This little gem from 1958 has always been one of my favorites along with The Monster That Challenged The World and Them! The special effects are typical 50's but still great fun. Maltin gives it 2 1/2 stars and I give it 3 simply because I can salivate an extra half a star just in anticipation of it's release. Oh, by the way my next salivation will come when they release The Incredible Shrinking Man, can't wait.