Original subtitles

You must be dead, huh, after driving all night.

What time is it?

Almost 4:30.

Almost dawn.

We should be home in another hour.

This man's name is Martin Gordon.

The lovely girl beside him is Brett,

his bride of 2 wonderful weeks.

It's late August.

They're returning from their honeymoon

to their home in quiet, peaceful angel county, California.

Martin's Uncle Ben is sheriff of angel county,

and Martin is his senior deputy.

Martin has high hopes of succeeding his Uncle

when Ben retires, but for now,

Martin has only the thoughts, emotions, and pride

of a very happy newly married young man.

Brett is his, and he feels no man could ask for more.

Now without warning,

their honeymoon is to become a nightmare.

Neither Martin nor Brett saw the glowing rocket descend

in early morning skies.

It was reported to the sheriff's office

by Jeff, the county forest ranger.

Jeff reported to sheriff Ben

that a plane had crashed near willow creek

and that he was going out to investigate.

Ben said he would join him as soon as possible.

Barney, Ben's junior deputy, was to summon medical aid

and to see if he could rouse someone

at the air authority in San Francisco.

It's Uncle Ben, honey.

Must be an accident or something.

There's a plane crash down the road a couple of Miles.

I'm gonna be a little short-handed

till help gets here. Pull around back of me.

Come along, both of you.

Get in, honey.

At the location of the crash,

they discovered Jeff's truck, but Jeff himself was not around.

They proceeded with their investigation.

They looked at the rocket in utter amazement.

A puzzled Ben

finally asked Martin what he made of the crash.

It's no airplane.

Could be one of our missiles.

Or one of theirs.

You could be right, honey.

I don't think we have anything this big.

Ben could not understand

why the craft wasn't severely damaged.

This hat belongs to Jeff Peters.

Jeff.

Jeff!

Jeff, are you in there?!

Martin, go back to my car and get my flashlight.

Ben, don't go in there.

You don't know what's in there.

I think I hear him moving inside.

Maybe he's hurt.

Ben, please don't...

Ben: Aah!

Ben: Ruhh! Aah!

Ben. Ben...

Ben: Aah!

Car one calling in.

Car one calling in.

Within the hour,

Martin's unusual call for assistance

was answered by a special unit led by a colonel James Caldwell.

Let's get going.

Let's go. Let's go.

Move it over. Let's get going.

Let's go.

All right, back on the truck.

Let's go.

Sergeant, take one man and check it out.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

The sergeant reported seeing

an amazingly large creature

in the aft section of the strange craft.

He further reported

that it was secured by a kind of metal harness,

but that the creature could still move around somewhat,

and for that reason, they had not gotten too close to it.

There was no trace of either Ben or Jeff.

The colonel ordered continuous guard duty around the spaceship

and decided to set up

a temporary military headquarters

at the sheriff's office in town.

By the next day,

colonel Caldwell had the situation well in hand.

He had called Washington and received his orders

from the highest possible authority.

He was to maintain tight security

and to await the arrival of a Dr. Bradford,

who had been on assignment

at the jodrell bank radio observatory in england.

Upon arrival, Bradford

was to take complete charge of the operation.

He was the world's leading authority on space emissions

and had worked out a series of systems

that might lead to communication of other forms of life

when, as, and if they were contacted.

Martin was outraged

by the government's intellectual approach

to a monster that had already killed

and caused the disappearance of his 2 close friends.

Caldwell tended to agree with him,

but stated that he had to follow his orders.

One of those orders

was to suppress the news of the death of Ben and Jeff.

Martin was appointed temporary sheriff,

and all news intended for public consumption

was to emanate from his office.

The air authority issued a coverup story

that a plane had crashed and burned,

and this was to suffice until the experts

cleared up the mystery of the visitor from outer space.

In a remote section of the county,

the first of a series of tragedies took place,

tragedies that would have been avoided

had the public been warned.

Later that day,

while they were awaiting the arrival of Dr. Bradford,

Martin instructed Barney, on advice from colonel Caldwell,

to plant in the local papers the news that Ben and Jeff

had taken off on a fishing trip to British Colombia.

The colonel had impressed the bereaved families

with the necessity of maintaining secrecy,

and these brave relatives had agreed.

Despite Brett's inquiries

about what Martin had seen in the spacecraft,

he avoided specific details,

for fear of disturbing her more than she was.

If the truth were known,

Martin was more than a little disturbed himself.

Shortly thereafter, Dr. Bradford arrived.

He was a much younger man than one would imagine him to be.

Col. Caldwell: Martin,

I'd like for you to meet Dr. Bradford.

I've heard a lot about you from the colonel.

Nothing bad, I trust.

Martin and his wife

were in the original party

that found the fallen craft.

I was sorry to hear about your Uncle.

Tough break.

I hope you're feeling better.

Yes, thank you.

A couple hours of sleep did a world of good.

Bradford thanked the colonel for his assistance

and then asked to speak to Martin.

Bradford questioned Martin about everything that had transpired.

Martin did his best to recall everything in precise detail,

but really didn't have much for him.

The 2 soldiers that entered the rocket earlier

had been summoned, and Bradford hoped to learn more from them.

The doctor himself would not enter the rocket

until the arrival of certain equipment.

From his discussion, it was apparent

that the doctor considered this situation

a magnificent opportunity for mankind.

He felt that if he could communicate with the creature,

it might be possible to advance human knowledge

by years or even centuries.

The spaceship alone signified an intellectual development

far in advance of anything on earth.

When Martin asked him

how he intended to protect himself from the creature,

Bradford said not to worry,

that he hadn't come here to be victimized

either by his own or the creature's fears.

Oh. Hi, Barney.

We'll be right out.

Oh, that's all right.

Just take your time.

I didn't know we had company.

Look at me. I'm... I'm a mess.

Don't be impolite.

Gonna get us a drink.

Now you're talkin', honey.

What'll you have, Barney?

How about a bourbon and 7?

Comin' up.

Would you get the 7, honey?

Barney, you should try marriage.

It would do wonders for you.

Barney and Martin had been bachelor buddies for years,

but now that Martin was settling down to marriage,

they were slowly drifting apart.

Barney, naturally, was still dating all the girls in town,

and he couldn't understand why Brett and Martin

didn't pal around with him more than they did.

He couldn't comprehend that married life

brought with it not only new problems and duties,

but the necessary togetherness of husband and wife as well.

Despite Brett's most tactful considerations,

such as inviting him over to dinner quite often,

Barney was growing resentful of her,

or at least she felt that he was.

Since time began, this change in relationship

has probably happened

to all buddies in similar circumstances.

Life has its way of making boys grow up,

and with marriage, Martin's time had come.

His life was now Brett,

a life that he thoroughly enjoyed.

Bye, honey.

The next morning, Betty Johnson, as usual,

blew a good-bye kiss to her husband,

but for the last time.

Poor baby.

Let mommy take your temperature.

Poor baby.

You'll feel better soon.

Grandpa, can I go for a walk?

All right, but stay close by.

Bobby.

Bobby.

Bobby!

Bobby.

Bobby!

Bobby.

Bobby.

Bobby.

Ahh! Ahh!

Help! Help! Aah!

Help! Help! Aah!

Within 48 hours,

Dr. Bradford had closely examined the creature

and the spaceship and reached a number of conclusions.

He was sure the creature

had come from beyond our solar system,

because it adapted to our environment so quickly,

and no planet or dead star near us

has conditions similar to the earth.

Of special interest to him was the hull of the ship.

It was composed of an alloy

unlike anything human science had ever encountered.

The doctor had run a number of tests on the metal,

but its molecular structure remained a mystery.

Because there was no food on board,

Bradford presumed the creature

had been in a state of suspended animation,

particularly because it had survived

the trials of reentry and impact without apparent harm.

So far, he had no success in communicating with it,

but he had not yet exhausted all possibilities.

On a more subjective basis, he had the curious feeling

that the creature did not want to communicate with him.

Such a confession on the part of this eminent scientist

made Martin feel quite apprehensive.

While on a routine call

to pick up instructions from colonel Caldwell,

Martin received an urgent message from Barney.

Barney was at willow creek,

he had responded to a phone call from a frantic Mrs. brown.

Her husband and grandson had gone fishing

and were long overdue.

Barney was instructed

to organize a search party locally

and to report the results to Martin.

Because of security regulations,

he was not to come near the area of the spacecraft.

Martin said he would join Barney later if he could.

Acting on a hunch, Martin decided to see for himself

if the monster was still there.

It was.

Bradford had installed TV cameras inside the spaceship

and was testing the creature's reactions to sound, light,

electricity, color, and air pressure.

When Martin asked him if he had any luck

in communicating with the beast,

Bradford confessed that he hadn't,

but would try again when certain data

was returned to him from computer processing.

It was at this time

that Bradford came up with a frightening theory,

namely that the creature might be a product of engineering,

the same engineering that built the spaceship.

What he didn't understand

was why some form of communication

had not been built into the creature.

When Martin asked him

if this weren't something to worry about,

Bradford said no, it was probably his own failing

at not being able to establish communications.

It seemed to Martin that if Bradford's theory were correct,

humanity might be in grave danger.

Bradford dismissed Martin's fears

by pointing out that the creature

was not exhibiting any signs of violence,

and besides, it was firmly secured by the harness.

That afternoon in moncrief park,

a group of neighbors got together for a hootenanny.

♪ Oh, she left me sad ♪

♪ But still I am happy ♪

♪ In fact, I am glad ♪

♪ For I am as free ♪

♪ As that bird in the tree ♪

♪ 'Cause she left me alone ♪

♪ And could not marry me ♪

♪ I said that I loved her ♪

♪ And would till I die ♪

♪ I tried to forget her ♪

♪ And I really did try ♪

♪ But I'll still think of her ♪

♪ Till the day that I die ♪

♪ 'Cause I think... ♪

What is it?

You stay there.

Stay calm.

In response

to a multiple missing persons report,

Martin and Barney searched the countryside

for the group of picnickers.

The only trace they found of them

was the remains of a guitar one of them carried.

This wholesale disappearance of a large group of people,

coupled with earlier missing persons reports,

led Martin to only one conclusion...

There must be another monster, and it was on the loose.

The colonel listened to Martin's theory,

and after consulting with Bradford,

decided to call Washington.

He was told to follow his own good judgment,

but under no circumstances was he to alarm the populace.

The colonel decided to organize a countywide search.

Martin's assignment was to search

the north end of the county.

While Martin and Brett were engaged by the search,

the monster was moving toward the community dance hall.

The hell with him.

Come on, Rita.

I've had enough of that guy.

Aah!

My God. What is it?

While Martin and Brett

were taking a break from the search,

a call came through which confirmed Martin's theory.

Colonel Caldwell told them

of the monster's attack at the dance hall.

His troops now had orders to destroy the monster,

and he asked for Martin's assistance.

Martin said he would join the colonel

as quickly as possible.

The monster next appeared in lovers' Lane.

Anyone who experienced that catastrophe and survived

would never go there again.

God.

It was almost an hour before Caldwell learned

of the monster's devastating new attack.

Colonel Caldwell wasted no time ordering his men into action.

It was at this point that Bradford interceded.

He demanded that the monster be taken alive at all costs.

The colonel's protests about the dead and missing

made no impression on Bradford.

Caldwell conceded to the point of assuring Bradford that they

would not destroy the monster if they could avoid it.

Get on with it, lieutenant.

Move it out, men.

When Martin's party arrived and offered to help,

the colonel told them enough lives were being endangered.

They were to be part of the second line of defense,

to be used only if necessary.

The sergeant, a shaken man,

returned babbling about what had happened.

Caldwell, realizing the full danger of the situation,

decided he had only one means left

to stop the monster... grenades.

Now Bradford made a drastic move.

Acting on his superior authority,

he forbade Caldwell to destroy the creature.

The colonel, more concerned with saving human lives

than advancing science, told Bradford to go to hell.

Get out of my way.

Where's he going in such a hurry?

Maybe you'd better follow him.

He may need help.

You go ahead, Martin.

I'll stay with the colonel.

The explosion loosened the harness on the monster

and allowed it to escape.

Martin tried to help the doctor,

but there was no time.

Bradford told Martin what he had just confirmed.

That these monsters were highly specialized test animals.

They were in fact mobile laboratories

that consumed human beings

in order to analyze them chemically,

undoubtedly to detect weaknesses in the human species.

He told Martin that the information

fed into a computer in the spacecraft.

Further, he added, now that both monsters were dead,

the computer would activate a transmitter

to send the results into outer space.

Martin knew what he had to do.

As Martin entered the spaceship,

he heard the transmitter generator kick on.

The supertough alloys of the spacecraft

were not even dented by Martin's hammering.

As the transmitter stopped, Martin felt sick.

Evidently all the information had been transmitted.

On Martin's return, he confessed his failure.

He slowly asked Bradford what was in store for humanity.

Bradford was pessimistic,

but implied that maybe all was not lost.

"After all," he told them,

"the vastness of the universe is incredible.

"If these monsters had come from its outer limits,

"their home might even no longer even exist.

"Or if they do come again,

"perhaps man will have advanced enough

"to cope with them and those who made them.

Only God knows for sure,"

were Bradford's last words to anyone on this earth.