Sci-Fi Films From the Fifties Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Crawling Eye

When I was a child my mom forbade from watching this movie. Since then I have watched it several times because I could. It isn't the best sci-fi film out there but it does have its moments. It featured Forrest Tucker, who went on to star in the TV comedy series "F Troop", and British actress Janet Munro. For most of the film the creature is hidden behind a cloud hovering on a mountainside.

The giant eye is finally revealed at the end.

Answer: Them!

The nuclear testing at Alamogordo, New Mexico has caused ordinary ants to mutate into really big ants. From the New Mexico desert to the sewers of Los Angeles, two scientists and an FBI agent search for the nest so military troops can destroy it. James Arness, star of the long-running TV western "Gunsmoke", is one of several actors starring in this film. Leonard Nimoy had an uncredited role.

Answer: Invaders From Mars

Alien beings taking control of Earth and its inhabitants was a common theme for movie-making in the 1950s. In this film the uneasy feeling one gets comes from not knowing what's under the sand just over the hill and not knowing why so many of the town's residents suddenly undergo personality changes.

When we finally get to see the alien intelligence, a head encased in a clear bubble, we realize that these aliens are anything but benign.

Answer: Attack of the 50 Foot Woman

This film is cheesy but still one of my favorites. A woman with a bad marriage and a drinking problem has an encounter with an alien. Later, after she has turned into a giant from being exposed to radiation, she chases down her husband and finds him in a bar with his girlfriend.

The giant lady wrecks the bar and her rival is killed in the process. Long story short, the woman gets her man back in the end but not in the way you'd expect.

Answer: Creature From the Black Lagoon

Two actors played Gill-Man, one for the scenes on land and one for the underwater shots. Apparently Gill-Man was a crowd-pleaser since this film spawned two sequels: "Revenge of the Creature" and "The Creature Walks Among Us".

Answer: The Incredible Shrinking Man

I am a fan of Richard Matheson and this movie. After being exposed to a mysterious cloud, a man begins to shrink in size. Unfortunately a promising cure fails and the man grows so small that his cat attacks him and his wife assumes he has been killed by the animal.

By the end of the film he has grown so small he can fit through the tiny squares of a window screen. The film is thought-provoking and a philosophical exploration of man versus his environment and his relationship to God. I have seen this movie several times and each time I get a bit teary-eyed at the end. If you haven't seen it yet it's worth a watch.

Answer: The Thing (from Another World)

What the scientists discover after releasing a humanoid from the ice will terrify them all. Of course the goal is to survive and destroy the creature but one of the scientists wants to study the creature before they do. Death and destruction follow. Standing 6'7" tall, James Arness was perfect for the role of the hulking "Thing". A remake was made in 1982.

Answer: The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms

The short story that inspired the movie is called "Fog Horn". As far as science fiction movies go, this one will hold your attention. The final scene that takes place at Coney Island Amusement Park is one of the best scenes of the movie. Watch for a young Lee Van Cleef, a villain in numerous westerns, as a military sharpshooter who shoots a radioactive isotope into the monster.

Answer: Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Jack Finney wrote the 1954 science fiction novel "The Body Snatchers" upon which the movie was based. Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) does his best to warn residents of the dangers of falling asleep since that is when they become "pod people", perfect clones of the town's residents. Does he succeed? You'll have to watch the movie to find out.

The movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Answer: Godzilla, King of the Monsters

The 1954 film was the beginning of a lucrative franchise for the pop culture icon known as Godzilla. The monster appeared in many films in various incarnations. Raymond Burr, star of the TV series "Perry Mason", had a small role as a reporter who bravely follows the approach of the monster and reports it even as it destroys the building he is in. Haruo Nakajima played the role of Godzilla.