It Conquered the World (1956) Movie Script
1
Unidentified object.
The plane should have been out of this
area 20 minutes ago.
Transcontinental flight 17 is off course.
Will you hold us that?
No, I'd be clear before launching.
Three minutes, 30 seconds.
You'd better be clear.
I hear that satellite
costs us 9 million bucks.
It'd be just great if she sideswiped an
airline.
Three minutes, 15 seconds.
The skies are clear.
Three minutes.
Power on.
And man is finally ready to move into
space.
General Talbinson, I'd like to have you to
meet Dr. Anderson.
I assume you two gentlemen have known of
each other.
Doctor, it's rare to meet so illustrious a
physicist.
Thank you, General.
I'm pleased.
But I'm sure you're just as distressed at
my presence here as Secretary Platt.
Oh, I wouldn't say distressed.
No, certainly not, Mr. Platt.
We're all in the state of high hilarity.
And we'll all wind up in
a state of high mortality
if you don't call off
his satellite project.
How many times have I told you?
That's impossible.
Not nearly as many times as I've warned
the government against such a course.
I said it when I was head of the perpetual
missile program.
I said it before that when I was working
on the Manhattan Project in War II.
Don't tell me you haven't read my papers
on the subject.
You've had a remarkable career,
doctor.
Every degree imaginable.
By the way, just what are you doing at
present?
Retired, I understand?
That's one way of putting it.
The world is full of fat heads,
Mr. Secretary.
Fool to overflow it.
I've got a great deal of respect for you,
Dr. Anderson.
But this has not convinced me the satellite
is a menace to the safety of the world.
What happened to the first one?
The small one.
It exploded in its own orbit.
Anyone know why?
Nobody?
I know why.
It was a warning.
I anticipated that fully three years
before the satellite was launched.
Uh, doctor.
You said something about the other planets,
wanting to keep the Earth in its place.
to keep her out of the skies.
But there's no life in the other planets
of this system.
I'm not arguing theory, General.
I'm only telling you this.
Alien intelligence watches us constantly.
It will see this satellite of yours and
know something must be done.
I'm here to ask you, to bake you,
to save your own world.
Well, Doctor, this has become just an
academic question.
In about eight seconds, the sphere will be
launched during the countdown right now.
Claude's pie is delicious.
Did you bake it yourself?
Oh, sure.
An old family recipe my grandmother sold
to the bakery.
Tom, do you want some more?
Only half a gallon this.
What are you acting so smug about?
It look like a man of just inherited
Texas.
You might not be too far off in the sense.
Tom?
Yes, dear.
I know.
I bet you finally decided you were wrong
about the satellite.
Hardly.
It's my greatest interest in life.
Second greatest.
Well, been up there for three months now,
nothing horrible has happened.
80 feet in diameter, 1,070 miles high and
circling the earth at 16,000 miles an hour.
Oh, look.
Can't you two talk about anything else?
I'm getting tired of hearing
about nothing but satellites,
isotopes, conical
graduations, and all the rest.
Maybe you've got something in space
medicine I could use for a headache, huh?
Oh, you have got something up your sleeve.
What is it?
I can't tell you, Paul.
My wife won't let me.
She thinks I'm crazy.
The whole world thinks you're crazy,
maybe even me.
Now what's the big secret?
Well... Tom, please.
Honey, this is too big.
But you promised.
Paul will understand.
Maybe nobody else on earth, but Paul will
understand.
I'll try.
Come into the other room.
Don't take it so hard, Claire.
See what you've got.
Come on, I'll wash and you wipe.
Where is one by the kit?
It'll be just a second.
I've got a second.
There, do you have any idea what you're
listening to?
London Philharmonic?
It's Venus.
Huh?
Why not?
We've bounced signals off the moon's
surface.
There's no reason that Venus shouldn't
radiate impulses.
I don't mean the static.
Can't you hear it the other thing?
What other thing?
Listen to it, Paul.
Listen to the voice.
Paul Nelson here.
Well, that's impossible.
Yes, I'll be right down.
Something wrong at the installation?
It's gone.
What's gone?
The satellite.
It took off on a direct tangent of the
space.
It's vanished.
He'd better get over there.
Joan.
What is it, Paul?
Some trouble at the installation we have
to run.
Good night, Claire.
Good night.
I know what you're thinking, Tom.
I don't appreciate it.
I've always thought Tom was a little long,
but tonight he went too far.
It's a genius.
Too much so, but I got more important
things to worry about.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Meet Jane, Sergeant.
Oh, sir.
I think maybe the general ain't so happy
tonight.
Raise the gate of the audio.
We might hear something.
It's a four decibel now.
The scientific achievement of the century
has disappeared.
We've got to find it.
You promised.
If this keeps up, I think we should get it
turnstile.
It's back.
Maybe the instruments failed and maybe
they didn't.
Anyway, we're going to find out.
Sorry, Doctor.
Well, it wasn't your fault, Ellen.
I'll be sure you get the reports to
Washington before morning.
Yes, sir.
Tell them we're bringing the satellite
down for full examination.
Yes, sir.
Can you handle recovery procedure all
right by yourself?
I'll have to do is wait till she's at 43
north, push a couple buttons.
Secretary Platt is gonna wanna know where
she went and why.
That means examination of every instrument
on board.
If anything else goes wrong, call me at
home.
Good night, doctor.
Good night.
This is Anderson.
Acknowledge.
Where are you?
Yes, yes.
It's true, I am your only friend.
and nobody else even knows you exist.
But they will.
It'll be the greatest day in the history
of mankind.
Come to bed, Tom.
He's here, darling.
He drew the satellite to his world,
to Venus.
And now he's back within an hour.
He's inside that circling laboratory just
waiting to come down to us, to save us.
Please come to bed.
You'll feel better in the morning.
I'm signing off now.
I'll reopen contact after sunrise.
Don't let it get a hold of you,
Tom.
You've dreamed and imagined for such a
long time.
Don't let your imagination bring itself to
life.
This is no image, darling.
It's what I've been predicting for years.
And this is good.
Instead of evil, I was by one uncertainty.
Well, don't think about it now.
You need some sleep.
I'm going to stay by the set tonight.
Whatever you say, Tom.
Good night.
Good night.
You're positive, you know what you're
doing?
Oh, I think we can manage without wrecking
it too much.
Well, what am I worried about?
I'm not paying for it.
They're ready, Mr. Secretary.
All right.
Nothing to do now, but bring it down.
I've got the car waiting downstairs.
Proceed with the operation.
Roger, 30 seconds.
Position 42 north, 58 minutes.
59 minutes, 43 north.
Locking and locked.
Decelerating.
Four gravities.
Too slow.
Six gravities.
Should be past 28 by now.
Something wrong?
I don't know, General.
The thing acts like it doesn't want to
come down.
Begin to send.
Dorsal rockets engaged.
Abandoning orbit.
It's not responding.
What's happening?
I don't know, General.
It's behaving very erratically.
Well, then send it back up.
Don't experiment with it.
It's too late now.
General, she's in pattern, or supposed to
be.
What's going to happen next?
I don't think I want to know.
Get Washington again, Carol.
Yes, sir.
Communications.
Yes, yes, I hear you.
He's alive, darling.
You survived the crash.
Tom, you're a son.
Sick man.
A whole world's sick, darling.
It always has been.
But that's all over now.
And last, every dream of man can be
realized.
Stop it, Tom.
Would you get pole on the phone?
I've got to tell him.
I'm going into town.
When I get back, I pray to God you'll be
rational.
Claire.
What's that?
Yes.
According to a rough
triangulation, I put you
in the mountains about
10 miles south of here.
I thought you filled it last night.
I did.
It's funny, it must be the battery or
something.
I'll have a look.
Paul, my watch is stopped.
I'll wind it up.
What's come over this place?
Everything's gone haywire.
There's been a power failure someplace.
I imagine I'll have it fixed in a few
minutes.
Phone's dead, General.
It sure is quiet outside.
It's always quiet these mountains.
Not this quiet.
What happened to the satellite?
Oh, it's dumb.
Just a little ways south of here.
The signals were full of static, but still
coming through when the power failed.
Gone.
$9 million in five years work.
No, I can't find anything.
Well, we can't just sit here for...
Paul!
Horrible.
They might want us as witnesses.
What time is it?
Well, I've still got three past three.
The darn thing won't go.
The car clock is stopped, too.
Same time.
I wonder why.
Coincidence?
No.
I've got a premonition.
I've got a stalled car.
For once, I'm glad time filled out here in
the country.
I'll walk up to his place.
Maybe he'll drive it to a garage.
Might as well.
You can't sit here all day.
Yes, I had the names of the key control
people in this vicinity.
Mayor of Beechwood, Andrew Townsend,
Chief of Police, N.J.
Shallet.
Chief security officer for the
installation, Brigadier General James
Paddock, head of the satellite project,
Dr. Paul Nelson.
Along with their wives, this makes a total
of eight.
Exactly the number of control devices you
will be able to produce at this time.
I'd like to see one of these devices.
I presume their electronic and function.
Just quit on me, no reason.
Fine, too.
There's not a car running in town.
What's happening in the rest of the
country, Mr. Haskell?
I don't know.
The wire service broke down.
Looks like this town was stranded in the
midst of nowhere.
Mrs. Anderson, your husband said this
thing was going to happen.
Now I ask him how well were we going to
get out of it?
Yes, I'll... I'll be sure do.
Keep moving.
Nothing to be afraid of.
Officer, my husband, he's in an iron lung.
It stopped.
You get back in there and operate it by
hand.
I'll get help to you.
There!
You're, Anderson.
I wrote your stuff.
You did this.
Come on you!
Haven't I got trouble enough enough?
Somebody got it.
Are you hurt?
No, come on, I got the car parked on the
edge of time.
Oh, none of the other cars are working.
Hours is at power control.
I thought you said Tom and Clare live
nearby.
They do when you're driving.
I'm not going to stop to ask it.
What an ugly creature.
I've never seen anything like it.
Neither have I.
Must be some kind of cave bat.
Remind me to ask Tom about it.
He knows zoology.
Well, let's go.
We'll never get there standing here.
What do you mean de-energize?
We start powered at source.
That means electricity, steam,
water, combustion engines, everything.
Water?
You mean the faucets won't work?
That's right.
Oh, that's nonsense.
Hey, cut that out.
I thought she said it wouldn't work.
Well, sure, that works.
It belongs to me.
At last.
Nice to see you folks.
Just get back from the Olympics.
Practically.
A car broke down about a hundred miles up
the road.
You chose the wrong day to go for a ride.
Can you run me down to Phil's garage?
I'm afraid that wouldn't do you any good,
but I will ask you inside for a drink.
You look all in.
A drink I can use.
I get some ice.
What's your pleasure?
I'll have some bourbon and soda.
Somebody can just pour a bucket of water
over my head and then shrink my feet.
What time your car died?
Three past three.
That's when all the clock stopped.
Mm-hmm.
Do you need anything else?
No, thank you do.
How did you know the car died?
Could have had a broken axle or anything.
Could have.
It didn't.
Land down just like every other car did
today.
Misery loves company.
but that's carrying it too far.
What's going on?
Relax.
You have plenty of time.
Heard anything from General Panic?
Not a thing.
Not since he left the headquarters an hour
ago.
Took the Jeep, huh?
No, the jeep don't run, so the general,
he walks.
How are things going inside?
Power's still off.
Funny thing, the auxiliary is a hand
crank.
That doesn't even work.
I don't know what effect all this is
having on my wife's big mouth.
Let me know if he's not.
Anything from the gentleman?
Yeah, sure, thank.
I'm sorry, Tom, I can't bring myself to
believe what you're saying.
It's nothing new.
It's been years since anyone's believed
me.
All right, let's assume you're right.
A superior intelligence has come from
Venus in my satellite.
Established residency
turned off the world's power
and is about to take over
the world's population.
Why aren't you fighting it?
Because this superior intelligence happens
to be a personal friend of mine.
I believe he's here to
rescue mankind, not to
conquer it, as you have
naturally concluded.
A personal friend of yours.
Real chums.
The days when people made fun of me are
over, girls.
Rescue mankind from what?
From itself.
Oh, I didn't know we needed rescuing.
Remember your theory on contained
degravitation?
How could I forget it?
You thought you could build a craft that
would degravitate itself?
And so escaped the Earth's draw without
any fuel.
or engine of any kind.
Mm-hmm.
Good idea.
What happened to it?
Washington red tape couldn't get an
appropriation.
So?
Stupidity.
An example of how stupidity restrains
man's progress.
I've been a continual victim of it myself.
Stupidity, fear, greed.
And the new arrival is going to end all of
this?
And so short a time you hardly realize
it's been done.
Can't help feeling a sense of triumph,
Paul.
I'm in on the beginning of ultimate
freedom.
I predicted the possibility.
I assist the benefactor.
How's he going to do it?
I can't tell you yet, Paul.
It's premature.
But you'll be with us very soon.
I don't think so, Tom.
I'd have to take a long,
hard look at anything that
was going to change the
world and me so completely.
How about a lift to the lab?
No point in going there.
It's an operative and useless.
And will you drive us home?
Sure, go out to the car.
I'll be with you in a minute.
Paul didn't panic.
There's nothing quite like a logical
orderly mind.
He didn't panic because logic makes him
think you're insane.
Don't ride me, Claire.
I've forgiven your lack of faith for
years.
But now the facts are in front of you.
It's time you stood by me.
I'll stand by you, Tom.
Not just because I'm your wife,
but...
Because I love you.
You heard?
Trace the energy of my car.
It will lead you to Nelson's home.
He's difficult, but his mind is of utmost
value.
Everything in order, man?
Yes, sir.
Big news from headquarters.
This whole area has been placed under
martial law.
Golly.
They seem to think I
should be in command
of this sector and
prepare defense measures.
Against what?
They didn't say.
This place is to be abandoned,
Neil.
I want you, Manuel,
and the rest of the
installation guards to
move out at 1630 hours.
You're going on a forced march.
Yes, sir.
Your reconnaissance.
Take a position south of Baker's Ridge and
observe the country to the east.
But take no action.
Hey, senor general.
Sir, how are we going to know when it's
430?
Nobody's watch is working.
Here, take mine.
It's running again.
Now assemble your gear and move out.
What good is that going to do,
but there's still no power?
I know it.
Let's just say it keeps me off the street.
General Prattacks, any news?
Big news.
We're in the midst of a communist
uprising.
They've sabotaged every power source in
the area.
What?
How'd they manage to hit all power at
once?
I can understand them
getting the big electric and water
plants, but none of the independent
generators here are working.
And wristwatches.
And the flashlight.
Well, don't ask me.
I just know they did it.
How did you get the message?
Radio and wires are dead as everything
else.
A special courier got through from Fifth
Army Command.
I have orders to restrict everyone to this
building until the emergency is over.
You mean we're prisoners?
Well, protective custody, so to speak.
They'd like to get their hands on people
with your fund of secrets.
Well, there's blankets and canned goods in
the broom closet.
We'll make out.
I'll have some supplies set over,
but don't budge an inch.
We'll read, you, General.
It's not an inch.
Well, guess we've got a lease.
Thanks for the lift.
We'll see you, Claire.
You and Tom drop over real still.
We'll be sure to, John.
I hope you haven't made a permanent enemy
of Paul.
You were really rough on him tonight.
It's no longer possible for me to make an
enemy, darling.
The word enemy is about to disappear from
the human language.
Oh, what about the word tact?
Well, at least you get a day off.
We'll see about that.
Dad?
Yes, try the light switch.
Paul, do you think he could be right?
He couldn't be.
He said he predicted it.
In the 15 years I've
known Tom Anderson, he's
predicted everything a
fertile imagination could.
He's wasted his entire life on calculated
fantasy.
One or two of his dreams
were bound to come true,
if only because they're
so all -encompassing.
Maybe this dream has come true.
No, a natural catastrophe has occurred,
Joan will find a reason for it.
Tom is merely trying to attach one of his
power.
pet ideas to it.
But you see it vindicates
him, proves to a laughing
world that all of his
whimsies are accurate.
I see.
A chance to regain face.
Exactly.
The cave you were in is located over a hot
spring.
That is why you find a cohabital with
Venus.
Paul Nelson's still at large.
If he's not at his home, he may try to get
to the satellite installation.
It will take you 12 days to produce a new
device.
Too bad there aren't more of you.
What are my next instructions?
Remain here until Beachwood is evacuated.
Yes, sir.
My dog!
Come on, come on, keep going.
Out into the street!
The evacuation must be accomplished by
midnight.
Where are they going?
Stay up here.
Faster, faster, move faster.
What's this all about?
What's everybody running from?
It's the end of everything.
What do you mean?
Highway 18, let me go!
That's into the desert.
They set up a camp for us.
Let's loosen me.
They're after us!
Who's after you?
I
got a road to Vegas Ridge.
Turn off here and watch cross-country to
the south.
Why don't you watch where you're going?
I've seen a funny-looking bird.
That was no bird.
That was a guy in front of you.
All right, let's move.
They're running from something.
Maybe we should get out, too.
No, no, I have an idea.
That's the plan.
Clear the town.
Control panic.
Control?
But Tom said it was...
Forget what Tom said.
I've got to go up for the installation.
Oh, Paul, no.
I've got to talk.
Joan, I can't stay here and watch the
whole world fall apart.
You get inside and lock everything up.
Darling, I'm afraid something terrible
will happen to you.
Please, Joe.
Go on.
And be sure you close the windows,
every one of them.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
Paul!
Ah!
Ow!
Ascle!
You're about the last man stolen town,
Mr. Haskell.
It looks like it.
I'll probably be here for the rest of my
day.
Please don't be difficult, editor.
You've got a gun, Charlotte.
That isn't like you.
But gun and no gun, here I stay.
I helped build this town.
My paper got you your job for you,
remember?
No need for papers now.
They're nothing but a stack of ideas and
notions.
Useless.
Get moving.
Sorry, but I'm staying.
Shallie?
Oh, Dr. Nelson, I've been hoping I'd see
you.
Explain, what is this?
Orders, Doctor.
Whose orders?
But I've known you for five years.
You just killed a man in cold blood.
His orders.
I'll have to place you under protective
custody.
You're to be one of us.
Get up.
You're free.
What are you doing now?
I finally learned for my friend to
structure the control devices.
They fly to the person that's wanted like
birds.
Might just see one.
How do they...
How do they gain control of the victim?
Well, there are no victims, darling.
You should rather call them the released.
According to him, they have radiological
electrode typelings their beaks.
They plant these in a person's neck after
which he is controlled by the benefactor.
And like bees, once they have stung,
so to speak, they die.
From the people, they don't die.
No.
No.
Now only their minds.
Their minds are clearer than they ever
thought possible.
Only the waste is gone.
The hate, bitterness, dreams, all the
foolish nonsense.
The emotion?
Yes, the emotion.
Why you're holding me?
Why?
Because they love you.
You know that.
I don't know why you should.
It's a waste.
What?
It's an emotion.
Tom, you... You can't rub the
tarnish from men's souls without...
without losing a little bit of the silver,
too.
It has to be that way.
Oh, Tom.
Are you really ready to stop loving me?
I'll try to think clearly, darling.
Why do people love?
Because they've seen another the answer to
their needs.
I see warmth and you and beauty.
You're everything I must have as a man.
I'll need you even when no emotion exists.
Don't try and split canes with your wife,
darling.
For a few dollars, you can hire a woman
who'll fit all your fetishes.
She'll match your requirements perfectly.
And if you ever get
tired of it, you can always
run down to the employment
agency for another.
Don't you believe in signs, Dr. Nelson?
General Thaddock, you startled me.
Didn't mean to?
Well, why is the place shut down?
Where is everybody?
They've been transported to the district
air base.
No telling what might happen to them here.
May I give you a ride back to beach?
It's a long bike trip.
You certainly may, General.
You certainly may.
Let's get this in the...
Let's get this in the...
What a relief.
That seat is built for the spanking size,
and I'm a little bit beyond it.
How come this thing runs?
New experimental model.
You just wind it with a rubber band and
hold over your thumb.
You know, I think it would be best if you
and Mrs. Nelson would join your employees
at the base?
Could be.
Is there any way I can get in touch with
them?
Not a chance.
They're under protective custody.
General, don't you think we ought to get
that rock out of the road before we start?
Huh?
What rock?
You murderer.
Back for another drink or another ride?
You filthy murderer.
That's a nice way to greet an old friend.
Did you tell me that you were a friend of
this alien?
Did you tell me you helped it?
Sit down, Paul, you're upset.
I'll sit down and then you'll talk.
I want to hear everything.
Now you're being reasonable.
Yes, I helped him.
I paved the way.
Told them everything that would make it
possible for him to come here.
There's only one?
There's only one on Earth.
They're nine altogether.
The other eight are still on Venus.
They're the sole survivors of a race.
was born too soon.
It developed amid the eruptions and the
boiling gases of Venus, a planet that
won't catch up to Earth and perhaps a
million years in climate.
A dying race.
Yes, but each of the nine
has an intellect that will dwarf
humans, make us look like so
many roaches by comparison.
And you think we need him?
We always have.
Listen, do you know that in the last 24
hours, men have had their minds,
their personalities, their moral
standards, imprisoned?
But a whole population has been herded
like cattle into the desert, that men have
been murdered for failing to obey the new
man?
It makes you think a little, doesn't it?
Yes.
Makes me look back into history for a
comparison.
Comparison or rationalization?
Listen, Paul.
Throughout man's career, every great
change, every sudden leap in his station
has resulted in torment, chaos,
and death.
The French Revolution brought democracy to
Europe.
Plagues brought wondrous cures.
Wars brought about fast planes,
atomic power, radiological medicine,
our own decisions, discoveries.
No, that won't hold.
You're talking about human change,
something you want to get rid of.
Well, this thing isn't human, so your
argument falls flat.
And incidentally, I could point out an
equal number of regressions and disasters
that have been brought about by
revolutions and plagues and wars.
I'm not convinced.
Well, neither am I of your hypotheses.
You will be.
You must be.
He wants you on his side.
Next to me, he wants you.
And you want me to condone this reign of
terror?
To swear allegiance to
this monstrous of yours
to kill my own soul
and all within reach?
Well, I won't, Anderson.
I'll fight it to the last breath in my
body.
And I'll fight you, too, because you're
part of it, the worst part.
Because you belong to a living race,
not a dying one.
This is your land, your world.
Your hands are human, but your mind is
enemy.
You're a traitor, Anderson.
The greatest traitor of all time.
And you know why?
Because you're not betraying part of
mankind.
You're betraying all of it.
I hope you're proud.
He was my friend.
Despite all our fights and disagreements,
he was my best friend.
Is that all you can think of as losing a
friend?
Didn't his words mean anything to you?
If you weren't so blind,
you'd realize that Paul
was your friend today
as he's never been before.
What do you mean?
Oh, you fool.
Anybody who didn't care about you, who
didn't believe there was still something in.
and you were worth trying to save would
have killed you on the spot.
Killed me?
Yes.
Just as he'll find a way to kill your God.
He had a gun.
I saw it in his coat.
A gun?
That's right, Tom.
You just had an undeserved stay of
execution.
So you believe with him that I'm a
traitor?
You've turned against me all the way.
I've done nothing.
Everything is up to you.
You're the one who has to see for himself.
I guess I'm just a fool.
I'm like Paul.
I can't help believe in that you're going
to find yourself.
I love you, darling, but I have pride.
I want to love a good man, a fine man I
married.
I won't love a monster, I won't.
Don't cry, Claire.
Believe me, I know what I'm doing.
Oh, Tom, stop it!
I hear you.
Yes, Beachwood seems secure.
Sir, I'm troubled.
Maybe you haven't got that word in your
sphere, but I must see you.
Why not?
Yes, I'll be patient, but Paul Nelson is
still at large.
That means that he, his
wife, Joan, Mayor Townsend
and his wife are the
four not yet under control.
John.
Home at last?
Mm -hmm.
Hi.
Hi.
Just had a shower.
Be right with you.
Where'd you go today?
First I went downtown.
I saw the chief of police kill George
Haskell.
And I went to the lad and it was closed.
I found General Paddock possessed.
It's a horrible mess.
I'll tell you about it when you come out.
Yes, sir.
Honey?
Mm-hmm.
How come the shower is working?
It's not.
But after a while I felt so tacky I just
had to do something.
So I step a bucket full of water in the
shower window and use the shampoo post.
Sure genius.
You come out here, I want to see you.
Since when can you?
I do come in here.
Since I'm too tired to move.
All righty.
I'll come out to you then.
Oh, there's a draft on your neck.
I don't want you to catch cold.
A window.
I thought you to keep it closed.
Well, it got stuffy in here.
I had to have some air.
Guess what I've got.
What?
A present for you.
Good night, Doug.
I'm going for a short walk.
When I get back, you'll feel much better.
This could only be Anderson.
I have the only working phone left.
What do you want?
I just talked to my friend.
He said you killed a control device that
was made for you.
So?
So that means you can't be controlled for
over a week.
Come on over.
I want to talk to you.
I want to apologize.
How will I get there?
A Jones station wagon will run.
All right, I'll come over.
There's something I have to take care of
first.
Good, I'll see you later.
He's coming.
Yes.
Yes, it must be done.
What is it?
He said Paul is the first of the minds to
be taken.
First because he is the most dangerous.
He's the one enemy,
the one great enemy,
because he knows
basically what he's fighting.
His control device is gone.
What does that mean?
It means he must die.
He's too great a menace to live the weak.
I'm supposed to kill him tonight.
Came back quickly?
Yes, I knew it wouldn't take long.
You were right.
And now we must wait for him to give us
instructions.
What sort of instructions?
You want to conquer the world.
We'll be this way from now on,
won't we?
For the rest of our lives.
I see.
Hurry up and wait.
We come all the way out here in the woods,
so what do we do?
We're supposed to be observing suspicious
actions, remember?
What kind of actions?
You tell me.
I told you, but you don't listen to me.
What are you talking about?
I told you I've seen that funny-looking
bird.
Bird, bird.
Will you forget about the bird already?
That's what you've been talking about all
day.
All right, you guys, what is?
It's a picnic?
You men with the dice, clean your rifles.
Never mind the beeps, get busy.
Is that what you plan to use on Paul?
You'd murder your best friend?
Tom, if you do that, you'll be killing me
with the same bullet.
What's the matter?
Is the cat got your tongue so you can't
talk?
Maybe your friend has it.
You've given him everything else of you.
Tom.
Tom, are you afraid to talk to me?
Are you just plain ashamed?
Well, that must be it.
Are you closing off your machine?
Suppose your boss wants you to run down to
town and cut out a few hearts.
He might get mad when he can't reach you
and snap his fingers.
Has he got fingers?
The master isn't going to like it when the
servant turns off the juice.
He might want to turn you into a white rat
so that you can... That's enough, Claire.
He speaks.
The zombie speaks.
That's right.
Let's have some music.
Must be great to have the only working
phone.
photograph in the world.
A gift from His Majesty.
It makes you feel like a big man,
doesn't it?
Just like you've always wanted to be.
Claire.
Yes?
What I have to do tonight is difficult
enough.
You're only making it harder on me.
I want it to be hard.
Please, please, darling.
Open your mind for just a few minutes and
let me get inside so I can talk to you.
I'm listening.
Tell me about this invader.
Now, what's he like?
Well, I don't know much.
He's strong or he wouldn't have been able
to make the trip through space.
He's advanced because he can talk to his
controlled subjects at a distance.
Of course, he's super intelligent.
He's established at
Elephant Hot Springs Cave
because he needs a
climate like that of Venus.
Hiding in a cave?
Afraid of light?
Well, then Earth must have no use to him
except as a subject of conquest.
I said I'd listen and answer your
questions.
We'll argue about it later.
Why does he want you to kill Paul?
Because he was able to manufacture only
eight controlled devices, the four key
control people in the vicinity and their
wives.
Wives?
Yes.
It was a pair for Paul and Joan.
Paul killed his, which means we must do
something about it.
Joan's been controlled?
Yes.
There are only three on the list that were
not.
Paul, the mayor and his wife.
But they're dead.
They were killed in the crush of the
evacuation.
We know.
Well, then why doesn't the king use their
devices on Paul?
He would, but it's too late.
They've already been used.
On whom?
I can't tell you.
He's working.
You didn't sleep long?
No.
What time is it?
Going on, Don't.
How did it happen?
Don't ask us.
It all just started up again.
We're checking to see if anything's out of
order.
Well, wonders never cease.
Any coffee?
No.
How about making us some?
Okay.
Never mind, Ellen.
I'm not thirsty.
Well, I am if you don't mind.
You shouldn't have looked in there.
What's the matter with you?
I'll relax.
It won't take more than a minute.
Physical contact with Venus shall be a
step for a concentric CERC.
Paul Nilsson shall direct the operation.
My acquisition of his encephalographic
control.
I shall remain in contact.
He's finally coming.
What are you going to do?
If you take a walk, Claire, you'll be
safe.
After everything I've said, you're still
going through with it?
I must.
My beliefs haven't changed.
I still have to have the courage of my
convictions.
Tom, I prove to you that your friend is as
weak as you are.
He's hiding in a cave, bleeding with a
human to do his rotten work.
He's dead afraid of strength, and that
means Paul Nelson.
He can't even wait a week to control Paul.
That's how frightened he is.
I'm sorry, Claire.
I have to go out and meet him.
Look out.
I don't know whether you can hear me or
not, but if you can, you listen good.
I hate your living guts for what you've
done to my husband and my world.
I know you for the coward you are,
and I'm going to kill you.
Do you hear that?
I'm going to kill you.
Took you long enough to get you.
Long enough?
We talk here or inside?
Inside.
How's Joe?
She's dead.
What?
How?
I killed her.
You killed your wife?
Not my wife.
She wasn't my wife.
She was a product of your work.
A member of the society of the new world.
You shouldn't have.
I had to.
But she was still your wife, still Joan.
You would have been one with her if you
hadn't...
If I hadn't destroyed the thing
that was trying to... to control me?
Why shouldn't I destroy it?
It was my enemy.
You don't seem to realize that we're at
war.
You made Joan my enemy.
My enemy forever and I had to kill her.
My own wife.
And now I'm gonna kill you.
Go ahead.
What good will it do you?
Plenty of good.
If I can get to the leaders, to you,
to paddock, to shallot, the battle will be
half one because apparently
this god of yours is immobile
has to have human beings
to carry out his battle orders.
Well, I can find people to people plenty
of them.
And we can defeat this thing you call a
benefactor.
Perhaps you can.
So many things have happened, Joan.
You could help us.
You're the only one who knows anything
about the invader?
Why don't you kill me and get it over
with?
No, no.
No, I'm going to get what I can out of you
first.
I hear it, Gar.
First one I hear all day.
Remarkable.
I got worse things to worry about.
Like where we're gonna get some rations.
You got nothing to eat?
Not a thing.
I got no way to requisition any chow out
here.
Man, I'm hungry, too.
How about I go wrestle some cows?
No, don't be stupid.
Who's stupid?
You're stupid.
Who's got any cows out here?
Alright, I'll go russle some chickens.
Where is this ruler of yours, Tom?
You better talk, I'm not afraid to use
this.
I don't suppose you are.
Well, at least you're not a coward.
There's that much of the human being left
in you.
Don't waste flattery on me, Paul.
It won't work.
I'm not flattering you, I'm telling you
the truth.
Do you think for a minute that one of your
control people would resist?
No, not a chance.
Courage is an emotion.
No, he'd logically conclude that the only
way to stay alive would be to talk.
You see, pure logic works only for the
end.
individual is no group feeling no
patriotism no cooperation of any kind what
you heard me tom the king's playing you
for a big sucker he's using your human
emotions your loyalty your desire to help
your race your dreams of freedom
everything else you preach
to get his own ends he doesn't
feel these things somebody
else has to do it for him
i don't the possibility has never occurred
to me well of course it hasn't we've been
too busy waving a non-existent flag Look,
this thing doesn't have any emotions,
therefore I can't understand them.
But it does know they exist.
And in order to defeat them, it has to use
them against things that do have them.
Found you, I better buttered you up
plenty.
He's praised my work.
To keep you working, of course,
how could he care anything about you?
He doesn't like, he doesn't dislike.
He merely reasons, concludes, and uses.
You have what might be a plausible theory.
That is, an emotionless being is helpless
when surrounded by beings with emotion
because they'll defend one another,
stand together.
As you want Claire to stand with you.
But it's no theory, Tom.
It's the truth.
Have I reached you?
Maybe.
Some, I don't know.
Am I still gonna have to kill you?
I was supposed to kill you?
you.
His orders.
Suppose he asked you to try again later,
assuming I don't finish you right now.
I don't think I could do it.
I'd have to have time to think.
I don't know whether it would give you a
chance or not.
I've got a rifle over here, but I'm not
going to use it.
It's gone!
So that's what you look like.
You're ugly, horrible.
Go on.
Try your intellect on me!
You think you're gonna make a slave of the
world?
I'll see you in hell first!
Claire!
Now it's reached you.
Right down into your heart.
Are you going to fight it?
Are you going to help me destroy it?
I'll get you the installation.
Pete and Roy Mason is possessed.
Take care of them.
I'll go to the cave.
Elephant hot springs.
You haven't got a gun.
I'll find something.
Hey,
you know what I'm gonna do you know what
I'm gonna?
English, stupid, talk English.
I see a monster in the cave he was killing
a girl.
Back up, we're moving out.
The plane is on the installation strip.
I have been told.
He has ordered me to fly to Washington.
The president will die first.
Then the cabinet.
What's not here.
What's that here?
See you way back in there.
He's too big for this little squad,
I think.
Bozookaman, set up here and cover the
entrance.
The rest of your drop packs and fix
bayonets.
We're going in.
Here, here!
Here!
Oh!
Ha -ha
-ha -ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Oh!
All back!
I said you're on a battlefield.
I know that better than you do,
Sergeant.
How well are you doing?
Half my men are dead.
Nothing can stop that thing.
Call off your troops.
Are you nuts?
I say call them off.
Cease firing!
I made it possible for you to come here.
I made you welcome to this earth.
You made it the Trinal House!
He acted like he knew it.
He did.
He and no one else.
He learned almost too late that man is a
feeling creature.
And because of it, the greatest in the
universe.
He learned too late for
himself that men have to
find their own way to
make their own mistakes.
There can't be any gift of perfection from
outside ourselves.
And when men seek such perfection,
They find only death, fire, loss,
disillusionment.
The end of everything that's gone forward.
Men have always sought an end to toil and
misery.
It can't be given, it has to be achieved.
There is hope.
But it has to come from inside.
The man himself.
...hehr... ...toe... ...their...
...the... ...their...
Unidentified object.
The plane should have been out of this
area 20 minutes ago.
Transcontinental flight 17 is off course.
Will you hold us that?
No, I'd be clear before launching.
Three minutes, 30 seconds.
You'd better be clear.
I hear that satellite
costs us 9 million bucks.
It'd be just great if she sideswiped an
airline.
Three minutes, 15 seconds.
The skies are clear.
Three minutes.
Power on.
And man is finally ready to move into
space.
General Talbinson, I'd like to have you to
meet Dr. Anderson.
I assume you two gentlemen have known of
each other.
Doctor, it's rare to meet so illustrious a
physicist.
Thank you, General.
I'm pleased.
But I'm sure you're just as distressed at
my presence here as Secretary Platt.
Oh, I wouldn't say distressed.
No, certainly not, Mr. Platt.
We're all in the state of high hilarity.
And we'll all wind up in
a state of high mortality
if you don't call off
his satellite project.
How many times have I told you?
That's impossible.
Not nearly as many times as I've warned
the government against such a course.
I said it when I was head of the perpetual
missile program.
I said it before that when I was working
on the Manhattan Project in War II.
Don't tell me you haven't read my papers
on the subject.
You've had a remarkable career,
doctor.
Every degree imaginable.
By the way, just what are you doing at
present?
Retired, I understand?
That's one way of putting it.
The world is full of fat heads,
Mr. Secretary.
Fool to overflow it.
I've got a great deal of respect for you,
Dr. Anderson.
But this has not convinced me the satellite
is a menace to the safety of the world.
What happened to the first one?
The small one.
It exploded in its own orbit.
Anyone know why?
Nobody?
I know why.
It was a warning.
I anticipated that fully three years
before the satellite was launched.
Uh, doctor.
You said something about the other planets,
wanting to keep the Earth in its place.
to keep her out of the skies.
But there's no life in the other planets
of this system.
I'm not arguing theory, General.
I'm only telling you this.
Alien intelligence watches us constantly.
It will see this satellite of yours and
know something must be done.
I'm here to ask you, to bake you,
to save your own world.
Well, Doctor, this has become just an
academic question.
In about eight seconds, the sphere will be
launched during the countdown right now.
Claude's pie is delicious.
Did you bake it yourself?
Oh, sure.
An old family recipe my grandmother sold
to the bakery.
Tom, do you want some more?
Only half a gallon this.
What are you acting so smug about?
It look like a man of just inherited
Texas.
You might not be too far off in the sense.
Tom?
Yes, dear.
I know.
I bet you finally decided you were wrong
about the satellite.
Hardly.
It's my greatest interest in life.
Second greatest.
Well, been up there for three months now,
nothing horrible has happened.
80 feet in diameter, 1,070 miles high and
circling the earth at 16,000 miles an hour.
Oh, look.
Can't you two talk about anything else?
I'm getting tired of hearing
about nothing but satellites,
isotopes, conical
graduations, and all the rest.
Maybe you've got something in space
medicine I could use for a headache, huh?
Oh, you have got something up your sleeve.
What is it?
I can't tell you, Paul.
My wife won't let me.
She thinks I'm crazy.
The whole world thinks you're crazy,
maybe even me.
Now what's the big secret?
Well... Tom, please.
Honey, this is too big.
But you promised.
Paul will understand.
Maybe nobody else on earth, but Paul will
understand.
I'll try.
Come into the other room.
Don't take it so hard, Claire.
See what you've got.
Come on, I'll wash and you wipe.
Where is one by the kit?
It'll be just a second.
I've got a second.
There, do you have any idea what you're
listening to?
London Philharmonic?
It's Venus.
Huh?
Why not?
We've bounced signals off the moon's
surface.
There's no reason that Venus shouldn't
radiate impulses.
I don't mean the static.
Can't you hear it the other thing?
What other thing?
Listen to it, Paul.
Listen to the voice.
Paul Nelson here.
Well, that's impossible.
Yes, I'll be right down.
Something wrong at the installation?
It's gone.
What's gone?
The satellite.
It took off on a direct tangent of the
space.
It's vanished.
He'd better get over there.
Joan.
What is it, Paul?
Some trouble at the installation we have
to run.
Good night, Claire.
Good night.
I know what you're thinking, Tom.
I don't appreciate it.
I've always thought Tom was a little long,
but tonight he went too far.
It's a genius.
Too much so, but I got more important
things to worry about.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Meet Jane, Sergeant.
Oh, sir.
I think maybe the general ain't so happy
tonight.
Raise the gate of the audio.
We might hear something.
It's a four decibel now.
The scientific achievement of the century
has disappeared.
We've got to find it.
You promised.
If this keeps up, I think we should get it
turnstile.
It's back.
Maybe the instruments failed and maybe
they didn't.
Anyway, we're going to find out.
Sorry, Doctor.
Well, it wasn't your fault, Ellen.
I'll be sure you get the reports to
Washington before morning.
Yes, sir.
Tell them we're bringing the satellite
down for full examination.
Yes, sir.
Can you handle recovery procedure all
right by yourself?
I'll have to do is wait till she's at 43
north, push a couple buttons.
Secretary Platt is gonna wanna know where
she went and why.
That means examination of every instrument
on board.
If anything else goes wrong, call me at
home.
Good night, doctor.
Good night.
This is Anderson.
Acknowledge.
Where are you?
Yes, yes.
It's true, I am your only friend.
and nobody else even knows you exist.
But they will.
It'll be the greatest day in the history
of mankind.
Come to bed, Tom.
He's here, darling.
He drew the satellite to his world,
to Venus.
And now he's back within an hour.
He's inside that circling laboratory just
waiting to come down to us, to save us.
Please come to bed.
You'll feel better in the morning.
I'm signing off now.
I'll reopen contact after sunrise.
Don't let it get a hold of you,
Tom.
You've dreamed and imagined for such a
long time.
Don't let your imagination bring itself to
life.
This is no image, darling.
It's what I've been predicting for years.
And this is good.
Instead of evil, I was by one uncertainty.
Well, don't think about it now.
You need some sleep.
I'm going to stay by the set tonight.
Whatever you say, Tom.
Good night.
Good night.
You're positive, you know what you're
doing?
Oh, I think we can manage without wrecking
it too much.
Well, what am I worried about?
I'm not paying for it.
They're ready, Mr. Secretary.
All right.
Nothing to do now, but bring it down.
I've got the car waiting downstairs.
Proceed with the operation.
Roger, 30 seconds.
Position 42 north, 58 minutes.
59 minutes, 43 north.
Locking and locked.
Decelerating.
Four gravities.
Too slow.
Six gravities.
Should be past 28 by now.
Something wrong?
I don't know, General.
The thing acts like it doesn't want to
come down.
Begin to send.
Dorsal rockets engaged.
Abandoning orbit.
It's not responding.
What's happening?
I don't know, General.
It's behaving very erratically.
Well, then send it back up.
Don't experiment with it.
It's too late now.
General, she's in pattern, or supposed to
be.
What's going to happen next?
I don't think I want to know.
Get Washington again, Carol.
Yes, sir.
Communications.
Yes, yes, I hear you.
He's alive, darling.
You survived the crash.
Tom, you're a son.
Sick man.
A whole world's sick, darling.
It always has been.
But that's all over now.
And last, every dream of man can be
realized.
Stop it, Tom.
Would you get pole on the phone?
I've got to tell him.
I'm going into town.
When I get back, I pray to God you'll be
rational.
Claire.
What's that?
Yes.
According to a rough
triangulation, I put you
in the mountains about
10 miles south of here.
I thought you filled it last night.
I did.
It's funny, it must be the battery or
something.
I'll have a look.
Paul, my watch is stopped.
I'll wind it up.
What's come over this place?
Everything's gone haywire.
There's been a power failure someplace.
I imagine I'll have it fixed in a few
minutes.
Phone's dead, General.
It sure is quiet outside.
It's always quiet these mountains.
Not this quiet.
What happened to the satellite?
Oh, it's dumb.
Just a little ways south of here.
The signals were full of static, but still
coming through when the power failed.
Gone.
$9 million in five years work.
No, I can't find anything.
Well, we can't just sit here for...
Paul!
Horrible.
They might want us as witnesses.
What time is it?
Well, I've still got three past three.
The darn thing won't go.
The car clock is stopped, too.
Same time.
I wonder why.
Coincidence?
No.
I've got a premonition.
I've got a stalled car.
For once, I'm glad time filled out here in
the country.
I'll walk up to his place.
Maybe he'll drive it to a garage.
Might as well.
You can't sit here all day.
Yes, I had the names of the key control
people in this vicinity.
Mayor of Beechwood, Andrew Townsend,
Chief of Police, N.J.
Shallet.
Chief security officer for the
installation, Brigadier General James
Paddock, head of the satellite project,
Dr. Paul Nelson.
Along with their wives, this makes a total
of eight.
Exactly the number of control devices you
will be able to produce at this time.
I'd like to see one of these devices.
I presume their electronic and function.
Just quit on me, no reason.
Fine, too.
There's not a car running in town.
What's happening in the rest of the
country, Mr. Haskell?
I don't know.
The wire service broke down.
Looks like this town was stranded in the
midst of nowhere.
Mrs. Anderson, your husband said this
thing was going to happen.
Now I ask him how well were we going to
get out of it?
Yes, I'll... I'll be sure do.
Keep moving.
Nothing to be afraid of.
Officer, my husband, he's in an iron lung.
It stopped.
You get back in there and operate it by
hand.
I'll get help to you.
There!
You're, Anderson.
I wrote your stuff.
You did this.
Come on you!
Haven't I got trouble enough enough?
Somebody got it.
Are you hurt?
No, come on, I got the car parked on the
edge of time.
Oh, none of the other cars are working.
Hours is at power control.
I thought you said Tom and Clare live
nearby.
They do when you're driving.
I'm not going to stop to ask it.
What an ugly creature.
I've never seen anything like it.
Neither have I.
Must be some kind of cave bat.
Remind me to ask Tom about it.
He knows zoology.
Well, let's go.
We'll never get there standing here.
What do you mean de-energize?
We start powered at source.
That means electricity, steam,
water, combustion engines, everything.
Water?
You mean the faucets won't work?
That's right.
Oh, that's nonsense.
Hey, cut that out.
I thought she said it wouldn't work.
Well, sure, that works.
It belongs to me.
At last.
Nice to see you folks.
Just get back from the Olympics.
Practically.
A car broke down about a hundred miles up
the road.
You chose the wrong day to go for a ride.
Can you run me down to Phil's garage?
I'm afraid that wouldn't do you any good,
but I will ask you inside for a drink.
You look all in.
A drink I can use.
I get some ice.
What's your pleasure?
I'll have some bourbon and soda.
Somebody can just pour a bucket of water
over my head and then shrink my feet.
What time your car died?
Three past three.
That's when all the clock stopped.
Mm-hmm.
Do you need anything else?
No, thank you do.
How did you know the car died?
Could have had a broken axle or anything.
Could have.
It didn't.
Land down just like every other car did
today.
Misery loves company.
but that's carrying it too far.
What's going on?
Relax.
You have plenty of time.
Heard anything from General Panic?
Not a thing.
Not since he left the headquarters an hour
ago.
Took the Jeep, huh?
No, the jeep don't run, so the general,
he walks.
How are things going inside?
Power's still off.
Funny thing, the auxiliary is a hand
crank.
That doesn't even work.
I don't know what effect all this is
having on my wife's big mouth.
Let me know if he's not.
Anything from the gentleman?
Yeah, sure, thank.
I'm sorry, Tom, I can't bring myself to
believe what you're saying.
It's nothing new.
It's been years since anyone's believed
me.
All right, let's assume you're right.
A superior intelligence has come from
Venus in my satellite.
Established residency
turned off the world's power
and is about to take over
the world's population.
Why aren't you fighting it?
Because this superior intelligence happens
to be a personal friend of mine.
I believe he's here to
rescue mankind, not to
conquer it, as you have
naturally concluded.
A personal friend of yours.
Real chums.
The days when people made fun of me are
over, girls.
Rescue mankind from what?
From itself.
Oh, I didn't know we needed rescuing.
Remember your theory on contained
degravitation?
How could I forget it?
You thought you could build a craft that
would degravitate itself?
And so escaped the Earth's draw without
any fuel.
or engine of any kind.
Mm-hmm.
Good idea.
What happened to it?
Washington red tape couldn't get an
appropriation.
So?
Stupidity.
An example of how stupidity restrains
man's progress.
I've been a continual victim of it myself.
Stupidity, fear, greed.
And the new arrival is going to end all of
this?
And so short a time you hardly realize
it's been done.
Can't help feeling a sense of triumph,
Paul.
I'm in on the beginning of ultimate
freedom.
I predicted the possibility.
I assist the benefactor.
How's he going to do it?
I can't tell you yet, Paul.
It's premature.
But you'll be with us very soon.
I don't think so, Tom.
I'd have to take a long,
hard look at anything that
was going to change the
world and me so completely.
How about a lift to the lab?
No point in going there.
It's an operative and useless.
And will you drive us home?
Sure, go out to the car.
I'll be with you in a minute.
Paul didn't panic.
There's nothing quite like a logical
orderly mind.
He didn't panic because logic makes him
think you're insane.
Don't ride me, Claire.
I've forgiven your lack of faith for
years.
But now the facts are in front of you.
It's time you stood by me.
I'll stand by you, Tom.
Not just because I'm your wife,
but...
Because I love you.
You heard?
Trace the energy of my car.
It will lead you to Nelson's home.
He's difficult, but his mind is of utmost
value.
Everything in order, man?
Yes, sir.
Big news from headquarters.
This whole area has been placed under
martial law.
Golly.
They seem to think I
should be in command
of this sector and
prepare defense measures.
Against what?
They didn't say.
This place is to be abandoned,
Neil.
I want you, Manuel,
and the rest of the
installation guards to
move out at 1630 hours.
You're going on a forced march.
Yes, sir.
Your reconnaissance.
Take a position south of Baker's Ridge and
observe the country to the east.
But take no action.
Hey, senor general.
Sir, how are we going to know when it's
430?
Nobody's watch is working.
Here, take mine.
It's running again.
Now assemble your gear and move out.
What good is that going to do,
but there's still no power?
I know it.
Let's just say it keeps me off the street.
General Prattacks, any news?
Big news.
We're in the midst of a communist
uprising.
They've sabotaged every power source in
the area.
What?
How'd they manage to hit all power at
once?
I can understand them
getting the big electric and water
plants, but none of the independent
generators here are working.
And wristwatches.
And the flashlight.
Well, don't ask me.
I just know they did it.
How did you get the message?
Radio and wires are dead as everything
else.
A special courier got through from Fifth
Army Command.
I have orders to restrict everyone to this
building until the emergency is over.
You mean we're prisoners?
Well, protective custody, so to speak.
They'd like to get their hands on people
with your fund of secrets.
Well, there's blankets and canned goods in
the broom closet.
We'll make out.
I'll have some supplies set over,
but don't budge an inch.
We'll read, you, General.
It's not an inch.
Well, guess we've got a lease.
Thanks for the lift.
We'll see you, Claire.
You and Tom drop over real still.
We'll be sure to, John.
I hope you haven't made a permanent enemy
of Paul.
You were really rough on him tonight.
It's no longer possible for me to make an
enemy, darling.
The word enemy is about to disappear from
the human language.
Oh, what about the word tact?
Well, at least you get a day off.
We'll see about that.
Dad?
Yes, try the light switch.
Paul, do you think he could be right?
He couldn't be.
He said he predicted it.
In the 15 years I've
known Tom Anderson, he's
predicted everything a
fertile imagination could.
He's wasted his entire life on calculated
fantasy.
One or two of his dreams
were bound to come true,
if only because they're
so all -encompassing.
Maybe this dream has come true.
No, a natural catastrophe has occurred,
Joan will find a reason for it.
Tom is merely trying to attach one of his
power.
pet ideas to it.
But you see it vindicates
him, proves to a laughing
world that all of his
whimsies are accurate.
I see.
A chance to regain face.
Exactly.
The cave you were in is located over a hot
spring.
That is why you find a cohabital with
Venus.
Paul Nelson's still at large.
If he's not at his home, he may try to get
to the satellite installation.
It will take you 12 days to produce a new
device.
Too bad there aren't more of you.
What are my next instructions?
Remain here until Beachwood is evacuated.
Yes, sir.
My dog!
Come on, come on, keep going.
Out into the street!
The evacuation must be accomplished by
midnight.
Where are they going?
Stay up here.
Faster, faster, move faster.
What's this all about?
What's everybody running from?
It's the end of everything.
What do you mean?
Highway 18, let me go!
That's into the desert.
They set up a camp for us.
Let's loosen me.
They're after us!
Who's after you?
I
got a road to Vegas Ridge.
Turn off here and watch cross-country to
the south.
Why don't you watch where you're going?
I've seen a funny-looking bird.
That was no bird.
That was a guy in front of you.
All right, let's move.
They're running from something.
Maybe we should get out, too.
No, no, I have an idea.
That's the plan.
Clear the town.
Control panic.
Control?
But Tom said it was...
Forget what Tom said.
I've got to go up for the installation.
Oh, Paul, no.
I've got to talk.
Joan, I can't stay here and watch the
whole world fall apart.
You get inside and lock everything up.
Darling, I'm afraid something terrible
will happen to you.
Please, Joe.
Go on.
And be sure you close the windows,
every one of them.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
Paul!
Ah!
Ow!
Ascle!
You're about the last man stolen town,
Mr. Haskell.
It looks like it.
I'll probably be here for the rest of my
day.
Please don't be difficult, editor.
You've got a gun, Charlotte.
That isn't like you.
But gun and no gun, here I stay.
I helped build this town.
My paper got you your job for you,
remember?
No need for papers now.
They're nothing but a stack of ideas and
notions.
Useless.
Get moving.
Sorry, but I'm staying.
Shallie?
Oh, Dr. Nelson, I've been hoping I'd see
you.
Explain, what is this?
Orders, Doctor.
Whose orders?
But I've known you for five years.
You just killed a man in cold blood.
His orders.
I'll have to place you under protective
custody.
You're to be one of us.
Get up.
You're free.
What are you doing now?
I finally learned for my friend to
structure the control devices.
They fly to the person that's wanted like
birds.
Might just see one.
How do they...
How do they gain control of the victim?
Well, there are no victims, darling.
You should rather call them the released.
According to him, they have radiological
electrode typelings their beaks.
They plant these in a person's neck after
which he is controlled by the benefactor.
And like bees, once they have stung,
so to speak, they die.
From the people, they don't die.
No.
No.
Now only their minds.
Their minds are clearer than they ever
thought possible.
Only the waste is gone.
The hate, bitterness, dreams, all the
foolish nonsense.
The emotion?
Yes, the emotion.
Why you're holding me?
Why?
Because they love you.
You know that.
I don't know why you should.
It's a waste.
What?
It's an emotion.
Tom, you... You can't rub the
tarnish from men's souls without...
without losing a little bit of the silver,
too.
It has to be that way.
Oh, Tom.
Are you really ready to stop loving me?
I'll try to think clearly, darling.
Why do people love?
Because they've seen another the answer to
their needs.
I see warmth and you and beauty.
You're everything I must have as a man.
I'll need you even when no emotion exists.
Don't try and split canes with your wife,
darling.
For a few dollars, you can hire a woman
who'll fit all your fetishes.
She'll match your requirements perfectly.
And if you ever get
tired of it, you can always
run down to the employment
agency for another.
Don't you believe in signs, Dr. Nelson?
General Thaddock, you startled me.
Didn't mean to?
Well, why is the place shut down?
Where is everybody?
They've been transported to the district
air base.
No telling what might happen to them here.
May I give you a ride back to beach?
It's a long bike trip.
You certainly may, General.
You certainly may.
Let's get this in the...
Let's get this in the...
What a relief.
That seat is built for the spanking size,
and I'm a little bit beyond it.
How come this thing runs?
New experimental model.
You just wind it with a rubber band and
hold over your thumb.
You know, I think it would be best if you
and Mrs. Nelson would join your employees
at the base?
Could be.
Is there any way I can get in touch with
them?
Not a chance.
They're under protective custody.
General, don't you think we ought to get
that rock out of the road before we start?
Huh?
What rock?
You murderer.
Back for another drink or another ride?
You filthy murderer.
That's a nice way to greet an old friend.
Did you tell me that you were a friend of
this alien?
Did you tell me you helped it?
Sit down, Paul, you're upset.
I'll sit down and then you'll talk.
I want to hear everything.
Now you're being reasonable.
Yes, I helped him.
I paved the way.
Told them everything that would make it
possible for him to come here.
There's only one?
There's only one on Earth.
They're nine altogether.
The other eight are still on Venus.
They're the sole survivors of a race.
was born too soon.
It developed amid the eruptions and the
boiling gases of Venus, a planet that
won't catch up to Earth and perhaps a
million years in climate.
A dying race.
Yes, but each of the nine
has an intellect that will dwarf
humans, make us look like so
many roaches by comparison.
And you think we need him?
We always have.
Listen, do you know that in the last 24
hours, men have had their minds,
their personalities, their moral
standards, imprisoned?
But a whole population has been herded
like cattle into the desert, that men have
been murdered for failing to obey the new
man?
It makes you think a little, doesn't it?
Yes.
Makes me look back into history for a
comparison.
Comparison or rationalization?
Listen, Paul.
Throughout man's career, every great
change, every sudden leap in his station
has resulted in torment, chaos,
and death.
The French Revolution brought democracy to
Europe.
Plagues brought wondrous cures.
Wars brought about fast planes,
atomic power, radiological medicine,
our own decisions, discoveries.
No, that won't hold.
You're talking about human change,
something you want to get rid of.
Well, this thing isn't human, so your
argument falls flat.
And incidentally, I could point out an
equal number of regressions and disasters
that have been brought about by
revolutions and plagues and wars.
I'm not convinced.
Well, neither am I of your hypotheses.
You will be.
You must be.
He wants you on his side.
Next to me, he wants you.
And you want me to condone this reign of
terror?
To swear allegiance to
this monstrous of yours
to kill my own soul
and all within reach?
Well, I won't, Anderson.
I'll fight it to the last breath in my
body.
And I'll fight you, too, because you're
part of it, the worst part.
Because you belong to a living race,
not a dying one.
This is your land, your world.
Your hands are human, but your mind is
enemy.
You're a traitor, Anderson.
The greatest traitor of all time.
And you know why?
Because you're not betraying part of
mankind.
You're betraying all of it.
I hope you're proud.
He was my friend.
Despite all our fights and disagreements,
he was my best friend.
Is that all you can think of as losing a
friend?
Didn't his words mean anything to you?
If you weren't so blind,
you'd realize that Paul
was your friend today
as he's never been before.
What do you mean?
Oh, you fool.
Anybody who didn't care about you, who
didn't believe there was still something in.
and you were worth trying to save would
have killed you on the spot.
Killed me?
Yes.
Just as he'll find a way to kill your God.
He had a gun.
I saw it in his coat.
A gun?
That's right, Tom.
You just had an undeserved stay of
execution.
So you believe with him that I'm a
traitor?
You've turned against me all the way.
I've done nothing.
Everything is up to you.
You're the one who has to see for himself.
I guess I'm just a fool.
I'm like Paul.
I can't help believe in that you're going
to find yourself.
I love you, darling, but I have pride.
I want to love a good man, a fine man I
married.
I won't love a monster, I won't.
Don't cry, Claire.
Believe me, I know what I'm doing.
Oh, Tom, stop it!
I hear you.
Yes, Beachwood seems secure.
Sir, I'm troubled.
Maybe you haven't got that word in your
sphere, but I must see you.
Why not?
Yes, I'll be patient, but Paul Nelson is
still at large.
That means that he, his
wife, Joan, Mayor Townsend
and his wife are the
four not yet under control.
John.
Home at last?
Mm -hmm.
Hi.
Hi.
Just had a shower.
Be right with you.
Where'd you go today?
First I went downtown.
I saw the chief of police kill George
Haskell.
And I went to the lad and it was closed.
I found General Paddock possessed.
It's a horrible mess.
I'll tell you about it when you come out.
Yes, sir.
Honey?
Mm-hmm.
How come the shower is working?
It's not.
But after a while I felt so tacky I just
had to do something.
So I step a bucket full of water in the
shower window and use the shampoo post.
Sure genius.
You come out here, I want to see you.
Since when can you?
I do come in here.
Since I'm too tired to move.
All righty.
I'll come out to you then.
Oh, there's a draft on your neck.
I don't want you to catch cold.
A window.
I thought you to keep it closed.
Well, it got stuffy in here.
I had to have some air.
Guess what I've got.
What?
A present for you.
Good night, Doug.
I'm going for a short walk.
When I get back, you'll feel much better.
This could only be Anderson.
I have the only working phone left.
What do you want?
I just talked to my friend.
He said you killed a control device that
was made for you.
So?
So that means you can't be controlled for
over a week.
Come on over.
I want to talk to you.
I want to apologize.
How will I get there?
A Jones station wagon will run.
All right, I'll come over.
There's something I have to take care of
first.
Good, I'll see you later.
He's coming.
Yes.
Yes, it must be done.
What is it?
He said Paul is the first of the minds to
be taken.
First because he is the most dangerous.
He's the one enemy,
the one great enemy,
because he knows
basically what he's fighting.
His control device is gone.
What does that mean?
It means he must die.
He's too great a menace to live the weak.
I'm supposed to kill him tonight.
Came back quickly?
Yes, I knew it wouldn't take long.
You were right.
And now we must wait for him to give us
instructions.
What sort of instructions?
You want to conquer the world.
We'll be this way from now on,
won't we?
For the rest of our lives.
I see.
Hurry up and wait.
We come all the way out here in the woods,
so what do we do?
We're supposed to be observing suspicious
actions, remember?
What kind of actions?
You tell me.
I told you, but you don't listen to me.
What are you talking about?
I told you I've seen that funny-looking
bird.
Bird, bird.
Will you forget about the bird already?
That's what you've been talking about all
day.
All right, you guys, what is?
It's a picnic?
You men with the dice, clean your rifles.
Never mind the beeps, get busy.
Is that what you plan to use on Paul?
You'd murder your best friend?
Tom, if you do that, you'll be killing me
with the same bullet.
What's the matter?
Is the cat got your tongue so you can't
talk?
Maybe your friend has it.
You've given him everything else of you.
Tom.
Tom, are you afraid to talk to me?
Are you just plain ashamed?
Well, that must be it.
Are you closing off your machine?
Suppose your boss wants you to run down to
town and cut out a few hearts.
He might get mad when he can't reach you
and snap his fingers.
Has he got fingers?
The master isn't going to like it when the
servant turns off the juice.
He might want to turn you into a white rat
so that you can... That's enough, Claire.
He speaks.
The zombie speaks.
That's right.
Let's have some music.
Must be great to have the only working
phone.
photograph in the world.
A gift from His Majesty.
It makes you feel like a big man,
doesn't it?
Just like you've always wanted to be.
Claire.
Yes?
What I have to do tonight is difficult
enough.
You're only making it harder on me.
I want it to be hard.
Please, please, darling.
Open your mind for just a few minutes and
let me get inside so I can talk to you.
I'm listening.
Tell me about this invader.
Now, what's he like?
Well, I don't know much.
He's strong or he wouldn't have been able
to make the trip through space.
He's advanced because he can talk to his
controlled subjects at a distance.
Of course, he's super intelligent.
He's established at
Elephant Hot Springs Cave
because he needs a
climate like that of Venus.
Hiding in a cave?
Afraid of light?
Well, then Earth must have no use to him
except as a subject of conquest.
I said I'd listen and answer your
questions.
We'll argue about it later.
Why does he want you to kill Paul?
Because he was able to manufacture only
eight controlled devices, the four key
control people in the vicinity and their
wives.
Wives?
Yes.
It was a pair for Paul and Joan.
Paul killed his, which means we must do
something about it.
Joan's been controlled?
Yes.
There are only three on the list that were
not.
Paul, the mayor and his wife.
But they're dead.
They were killed in the crush of the
evacuation.
We know.
Well, then why doesn't the king use their
devices on Paul?
He would, but it's too late.
They've already been used.
On whom?
I can't tell you.
He's working.
You didn't sleep long?
No.
What time is it?
Going on, Don't.
How did it happen?
Don't ask us.
It all just started up again.
We're checking to see if anything's out of
order.
Well, wonders never cease.
Any coffee?
No.
How about making us some?
Okay.
Never mind, Ellen.
I'm not thirsty.
Well, I am if you don't mind.
You shouldn't have looked in there.
What's the matter with you?
I'll relax.
It won't take more than a minute.
Physical contact with Venus shall be a
step for a concentric CERC.
Paul Nilsson shall direct the operation.
My acquisition of his encephalographic
control.
I shall remain in contact.
He's finally coming.
What are you going to do?
If you take a walk, Claire, you'll be
safe.
After everything I've said, you're still
going through with it?
I must.
My beliefs haven't changed.
I still have to have the courage of my
convictions.
Tom, I prove to you that your friend is as
weak as you are.
He's hiding in a cave, bleeding with a
human to do his rotten work.
He's dead afraid of strength, and that
means Paul Nelson.
He can't even wait a week to control Paul.
That's how frightened he is.
I'm sorry, Claire.
I have to go out and meet him.
Look out.
I don't know whether you can hear me or
not, but if you can, you listen good.
I hate your living guts for what you've
done to my husband and my world.
I know you for the coward you are,
and I'm going to kill you.
Do you hear that?
I'm going to kill you.
Took you long enough to get you.
Long enough?
We talk here or inside?
Inside.
How's Joe?
She's dead.
What?
How?
I killed her.
You killed your wife?
Not my wife.
She wasn't my wife.
She was a product of your work.
A member of the society of the new world.
You shouldn't have.
I had to.
But she was still your wife, still Joan.
You would have been one with her if you
hadn't...
If I hadn't destroyed the thing
that was trying to... to control me?
Why shouldn't I destroy it?
It was my enemy.
You don't seem to realize that we're at
war.
You made Joan my enemy.
My enemy forever and I had to kill her.
My own wife.
And now I'm gonna kill you.
Go ahead.
What good will it do you?
Plenty of good.
If I can get to the leaders, to you,
to paddock, to shallot, the battle will be
half one because apparently
this god of yours is immobile
has to have human beings
to carry out his battle orders.
Well, I can find people to people plenty
of them.
And we can defeat this thing you call a
benefactor.
Perhaps you can.
So many things have happened, Joan.
You could help us.
You're the only one who knows anything
about the invader?
Why don't you kill me and get it over
with?
No, no.
No, I'm going to get what I can out of you
first.
I hear it, Gar.
First one I hear all day.
Remarkable.
I got worse things to worry about.
Like where we're gonna get some rations.
You got nothing to eat?
Not a thing.
I got no way to requisition any chow out
here.
Man, I'm hungry, too.
How about I go wrestle some cows?
No, don't be stupid.
Who's stupid?
You're stupid.
Who's got any cows out here?
Alright, I'll go russle some chickens.
Where is this ruler of yours, Tom?
You better talk, I'm not afraid to use
this.
I don't suppose you are.
Well, at least you're not a coward.
There's that much of the human being left
in you.
Don't waste flattery on me, Paul.
It won't work.
I'm not flattering you, I'm telling you
the truth.
Do you think for a minute that one of your
control people would resist?
No, not a chance.
Courage is an emotion.
No, he'd logically conclude that the only
way to stay alive would be to talk.
You see, pure logic works only for the
end.
individual is no group feeling no
patriotism no cooperation of any kind what
you heard me tom the king's playing you
for a big sucker he's using your human
emotions your loyalty your desire to help
your race your dreams of freedom
everything else you preach
to get his own ends he doesn't
feel these things somebody
else has to do it for him
i don't the possibility has never occurred
to me well of course it hasn't we've been
too busy waving a non-existent flag Look,
this thing doesn't have any emotions,
therefore I can't understand them.
But it does know they exist.
And in order to defeat them, it has to use
them against things that do have them.
Found you, I better buttered you up
plenty.
He's praised my work.
To keep you working, of course,
how could he care anything about you?
He doesn't like, he doesn't dislike.
He merely reasons, concludes, and uses.
You have what might be a plausible theory.
That is, an emotionless being is helpless
when surrounded by beings with emotion
because they'll defend one another,
stand together.
As you want Claire to stand with you.
But it's no theory, Tom.
It's the truth.
Have I reached you?
Maybe.
Some, I don't know.
Am I still gonna have to kill you?
I was supposed to kill you?
you.
His orders.
Suppose he asked you to try again later,
assuming I don't finish you right now.
I don't think I could do it.
I'd have to have time to think.
I don't know whether it would give you a
chance or not.
I've got a rifle over here, but I'm not
going to use it.
It's gone!
So that's what you look like.
You're ugly, horrible.
Go on.
Try your intellect on me!
You think you're gonna make a slave of the
world?
I'll see you in hell first!
Claire!
Now it's reached you.
Right down into your heart.
Are you going to fight it?
Are you going to help me destroy it?
I'll get you the installation.
Pete and Roy Mason is possessed.
Take care of them.
I'll go to the cave.
Elephant hot springs.
You haven't got a gun.
I'll find something.
Hey,
you know what I'm gonna do you know what
I'm gonna?
English, stupid, talk English.
I see a monster in the cave he was killing
a girl.
Back up, we're moving out.
The plane is on the installation strip.
I have been told.
He has ordered me to fly to Washington.
The president will die first.
Then the cabinet.
What's not here.
What's that here?
See you way back in there.
He's too big for this little squad,
I think.
Bozookaman, set up here and cover the
entrance.
The rest of your drop packs and fix
bayonets.
We're going in.
Here, here!
Here!
Oh!
Ha -ha
-ha -ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Oh!
All back!
I said you're on a battlefield.
I know that better than you do,
Sergeant.
How well are you doing?
Half my men are dead.
Nothing can stop that thing.
Call off your troops.
Are you nuts?
I say call them off.
Cease firing!
I made it possible for you to come here.
I made you welcome to this earth.
You made it the Trinal House!
He acted like he knew it.
He did.
He and no one else.
He learned almost too late that man is a
feeling creature.
And because of it, the greatest in the
universe.
He learned too late for
himself that men have to
find their own way to
make their own mistakes.
There can't be any gift of perfection from
outside ourselves.
And when men seek such perfection,
They find only death, fire, loss,
disillusionment.
The end of everything that's gone forward.
Men have always sought an end to toil and
misery.
It can't be given, it has to be achieved.
There is hope.
But it has to come from inside.
The man himself.
...hehr... ...toe... ...their...
...the... ...their...