510:, this is a modest and unpretentious film. Very restrained for a science fiction subject, it is, perhaps, too conscientious in its attempt to underplay the sensational incident associated with the genre; with a country inn as its main setting, it has much in common with the average photographed play, until the brief flying saucer climax, which does succeed in building up some tension even though the outcome is obvious. The setting for the action is apparently intended to be some unnamed state; but most of the characters behave so as to leave no doubt that they are Britishers. Patricia Neal, with little to do, displays considerable charm; Helmut Dantine's visiting Venusian is likeable though humourless."
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destructive consequences. Nuclear explosions create very dangerous magnetic field effects that threaten Venus and the other planets. Should fifty hydrogen bombs be exploded in the same general location in a future atomic war, they could alter the Earth's orbit, affecting its gravitational field and thus the orbits and gravity of all other planets in the solar system. The stranger makes a promise that if Earth eliminates these dangers, Venus will share some of its higher scientific knowledge. During the meeting, however, the alien concludes that humanity is far from ready to receive such advanced knowledge and announces this conclusion to the
British officials.
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pulse. The stranger also asserts that he is responsible for saving the life of a recently missing car accident victim, Susan North. She later walks into the inn a little dazed, but with her crash wounds nearly healed. After the mysterious stranger announces that he comes from the planet Venus, a guest at the inn, Arthur Walker, a high-ranking
British government official (and Susan's fiancé), calls the Ministry of War to inform them of the alien's arrival. The area surrounding the inn is quickly cordoned off by the government.
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alien is able to warn away the approaching spaceship and an interplanetary conflict is avoided. Discussion with all of Earth's leaders has been derailed by the
British government's short-sighted greed and treachery. The future now uncertain, and his peaceful mission to Earth a failure, the stranger from Venus speaks one final time to Susan North and vanishes without a trace.
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Should the government carry out this warlike action, the stranger assures Walker that an immediate retaliation from an orbiting mothership would terminate all life in
England. Walker tries to dissuade the war ministry, without success, so he acquires the stolen communication disc and returns it. The
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Journalist
Charles Dixon tries to learn more about the alien from Venus. Dixon discovers that the stranger is able to fluently speak multiple human languages, and that his civilisation has learned about humanity from listening to our radio broadcasts and viewing our television transmissions. He also
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The stranger later enters a country inn very near where the accident took place. He is able to read people's thoughts, and when asked his name, he says he has no name. Dr. Meinard, a local having a drink at the inn, introduces himself and is able to examine the stranger, and discovers that he has no
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is seen in the sky above the
British countryside by various eyewitnesses, including an American woman driving in her car. She crashes after being blinded by the spaceship's landing lights and deafened by its loud propulsion system. A stranger walks up to the crashed car and sees that she is badly
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wrote: "The picture has an original idea but fails to compete technically with the slap-up streamlined
American coloured pseudo-scientific jobs. Helmut Dantine takes his part seriously as the stranger, Patricia Neal is adequate as Susan, Derek Bond acts with polish as Arthur, and the supporting
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When governmental officials arrive at the inn, the stranger from Venus outlines his purpose for coming to Earth: to prepare the way for the arrival of his superiors, who have a dire warning for humanity's leaders. Humans are developing dangerous technologies without measuring their long term
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players, too, obviously have stage experience, but their easy manner and agreeable elocution are indifferent substitutes for spectacle. Grounded by dialogue, its story of flying saucers is, in short, definitely not everybody's cup of tea."
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explains how
Venusians use "magnetic brilliance" to power their spaceship propulsion, supplied by the magnetic energy fields of the other planets in our solar system, as they revolve in their various orbits.
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can never take place. The
British military soon arrives and cordons off the spaceship's landing site. They turn it into a magnetic trap in order to seize the Venusian saucer for its advanced technology.
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gave the film 1/5 stars, writing: "Burt
Balaban adds a mere hint of American zip to the stiff upper lip atmosphere and limited public house setting. ... This is lacklustre and too restrained."
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After his communication disc, allowing him to contact the approaching spaceship, is removed from his room by a policeman, the alien quickly realises that an interplanetary
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Space Sirens, Scientists and Princesses: The Portrayal of Women in Science Fiction Cinema
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was released on VHS by Englewood Entertainment. On September 5, 2000,
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716:(2467): 24. 7 October 1954 – via ProQuest.
692:(240): 164. 1 January 1954 – via ProQuest.
729:British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959
524:British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959
475:. This was due to a fear of legal action from
262:. It was produced by Balaban and Gene Martel.
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431:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
570:Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009).
389:(1951), which also starred Patricia Neal.
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610:British Film Institute Collections Search
451:Learn how and when to remove this message
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868:English-language science fiction films
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362:Graham Stuart as Police Chief Richards
393:US theatrical and television releases
429:adding citations to reliable sources
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350:David Garth as First police officer
338:Marigold Russell as Gretchen Harding
554:released the film on Region 1 DVD.
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838:Films shot at MGM-British Studios
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16:1954 British film by Burt Balaban
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368:as man on telephone (uncredited)
347:Kenneth Edwards as Charles Dixon
853:American black-and-white films
833:Films directed by Burt Balaban
818:American science fiction films
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383:It was a low-budget remake of
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658:. McFarland. pp. 203–4.
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508:The Day the Earth Stood Still
506:"With a theme reminiscent of
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386:The Day the Earth Stood Still
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813:1950s English-language films
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353:Stanley Van Beers as General
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828:1950s science fiction films
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727:Quinlan, David (1984).
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763:. 2017. p. 885.
704:"Stranger from Venus"
680:"Stranger from Venus"
606:"Stranger from Venus"
858:1950s American films
573:The British 'B' Film
425:improve this section
236:science fiction film
230:second feature ('B')
863:1950s British films
788:Stranger from Venus
552:Image Entertainment
548:Stranger from Venus
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209:Stranger from Venus
24:Stranger from Venus
733:B.T. Batsford Ltd.
473:Immediate Disaster
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226:independently made
215:Immediate Disaster
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709:Kine Weekly
535:Radio Times
515:Kine Weekly
357:Nigel Green
256:Hans Jacoby
72:Gene Martel
67:Produced by
60:Hans Jacoby
41:Directed by
808:1954 films
802:Categories
731:. London:
582:Bloomsbury
576:. London:
558:References
543:Home media
379:Production
321:Derek Bond
252:Derek Bond
183:75 minutes
167:1954-12-31
149:Eros Films
132:Production
125:Eric Spear
94:Derek Bond
51:Written by
496:Reception
412:does not
275:injured.
188:Countries
111:Edited by
441:May 2024
198:Language
121:Music by
77:Starring
62:(writer)
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418:sources
201:English
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414:cite
303:Cast
266:Plot
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