I Married a Monster from Outer Space

[Scaarge@aol.com]

All right, the Good Sgt has seen and reviewed this movie!  Of course, the film isn't bad, it's great (aside from the title) but it belongs on badmovies.org anyway.  A very unsettling movie, because, basically, it's TRUE.  When men and women marry, alien cultures meet.  (Men, ask yourself why your wife hates the 3 Stooges....women, ask yourself why your husband hates Joni Mitchelll...)
Sleep tight!  Heh heh heh heh!

[Squishy]

Oof, I love Gloria Talbott (who also starred in "The Leech Woman," as seen on MST3K, and little-seen Bert I. Gordon nyuk-fest "The Cyclops"). She juts! ...and has nice screen presence too. Remade just recently as "I Married A Monster" for NO REASON WHATSOEVER. This one's more fun--much more. (Why are the aliens sucking on ping-pong balls?)

[pmh]

This is a good,effective chiller. I like Marge; she is brave, unravels the mystery of her "monster husband" and saves the world from aliens. There are some good,albeit low budget effects, like the flashes of lightning that reveal the monster's true identity. The creeping sense of paranoia is well done. I guess I'm just a sucker for these types of 1950's paranoia-scifi movies.

[jason hyde]

terrific little movie, this one. and it's got gloria talbott, who was in the mamie van doren/mel torme classic girls town, and just about every television western in the fifties. once, it seems, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting gloria talbott in something. god bless the fifties. next to terry the bad girl from teenage crimewave, gloria was just about the cutest thing the decade had to offer.
this is actually an atmospheric, intelligent film hiding under a sensational b-movie title (a great title, following the great tradition of "i...." titles).the alien's pretty keen, too.

[Ala]

Why didn't they just call it "I married a Homosexual Communist" ? Terrible, truly terrible.

An excellent film!

[Vince]

"I Married a Monster from Outer Space" has just recently been shown here in Australia very late at night and enjoyed by yours truly.  I'd love to know what ever happened to Tom Tryon and I'd also like to know who was that ultra-handsome policeman who smiles as he gets shot by that idiot of a private detective.  Does anyone know?

[BoyScoutKevin]

I mean to add in my last comment, that Tom Tryon had a career as a writer as well. Writing "The Other" among others. Enjoy them as well.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Another good "bad" movie, I have waited along time to see. So, let me see if I can answer a couple of the questions asked. We know that the aliens needed a circuit to maintain their human face. And we know that lightning sometimes affects electricity. Therefore, if we presume the aliens used an electrical circuit, we can then presume that the lightning affected the electrical circuit, which means the aliens could not maintain their human face, which caused their alien face to appear for a few moments, when lightning struck. As for Tom Tryon. Deceased. Cancer. 9/4/91. L.A. CA USA. They don't make films like this anymore. So enjoy.

[redbird]

Love Gloria Talbott.  What kind of bras did women wear in the 50s?  Makes her look like she's got a pair of torpedos in there....

[Mark]

Great film.

A couple of things about Tom Tryon.  He continued acting and was very active in the 1960s in non-horror roles,  the most important one was the starring role in Otto Preminger's 1963 epic "The Cardinal".  Tryon was the lead and was billed above established stars like John Huston, Patrick O'Neal, Ossie Davis, Robert Morse and Carol Lynley. Some credit the film being made in 1966.  After a few other roles, he turned to writing and became a fantastic and highly successful gothic horror novelist.  He most famous work was "The Other", which was made into a very spooky and successful film in the early 1970s.  Sadly, Mr. Tryon died a few years ago of cancer, I believe.  There are some web sites devoted to him and his literary/acting career.  Look around.

On to the flick... I saw this one as a little kid on the tube and is scared me to death.  Director Gene Fowler did an amazing job with a shoestring budget.  Note the glowing obscurity of the aliens (and the brevity of their appearances).  It keeps us from seeing what otherwise would be a laughable outer space costume.  The monochromatic filming adds another neat twist... even the daylight scenes appear dark and ominous.  The acting was a highlight... Tryon was good, and Gloria Talbot was even better as his frustrated, gutsy wife.  

Locations were great too!  Dig that crazy country club on the edge of  town.  Everyone in town was getting blasted at the bar, unaware of the alien danger that lurked between them and their way home.  Spooky!  

Slapsy Maxie Rosenbloom was the bartender and what cool cars!  This one has it all... even the goofy title ropes you in until you realize this one is a keeper all the way.

I saw this before I saw "Body Snatchers", and although the Don Siegel film is better,  it just doesn't seem as scary or effective to me.  

Watch this one, but not alone.  Wait.. could it be YOUR spouse is an alien?  On second thought, watch it alone... or better yet, with your dog.

[Dan Lyon]

The B&W horror flicks deserve respect (always respect your elders!) plus the dames wear those nose-cone bras, another major plus. Married is just great. Stereotypical ex-prizefighter bartender, trendy beachwear, firearms... everything you need for a weekend bash. Higly recommended, it's in my collection and was not easy to find. I think I would have left some of the townsfolk in distress but that's just me - bitter, bitter, bitter.

[Bruce]

Cool thing: The human disguise generated by the aliens to hide their faces disappears when lightning flashes. And the alien spaceship is just a DOOR in the woods! - Now THAT'S low budget!

[Now an old man]

Didn't know Gloria Talbot was dead. Always enjoyed her acting and fell in love with those wide eyes so many years ago. I guess if I were able to swap my wife for another, it would have to be Gloria. I am so glad we have her movies to remember her by. Did she have a family?

[Greg]

Just read that Gloria Talbot died back in 2000... As a teen, I fell in love with here, and believe she is one of the most under appreciated actresses.  Years ago when Tom Snyder had his radio show, Tom Tyron was on and I called in asking about  his experience making "I married..." He indicated that she was a wonderful person and they had time to talk about the movie and that movie and Gloria convinced him he could do better and that led him to start writing.

Sorry I never met her...

[mike52t]

During the 1950's, a woman's sexual appeal could be measured by her ability to fill out a tight sweater. 'Sweater girls' were very popular. Even a pre-adolescent like yours truly was interested, though not yet sure of what.
Gloria Talbot was hot!