Not Of This Earth (1957)

In an attempt to acquire blood for his dying race, the result of a devastating nuclear war, an alien agent (Paul Birch) from the distant planet Davana, is sent to Earth via a high-tech matter transporter. Also stars Beverly Garland, William Roerick, Jonathan Haze and Dick Miller. Also with Tom Graeff (uncredited role). Graeff was also assistant to the director (uncredited). Produced by Roger Corman.

William Roerick died in a road accident on November 30th, 1995. He was 84.

In 1957 Tom Graeff finished production of his most famous film, Teenagers From Outer Space (1958), but could not get a release for it until it was sold to Warner Brothers for a fraction of its $14,000 budget. Warner Brothers released the film to drive-ins in 1959 but Graeff saw no money from the deal. He suffered a nervous breakdown and took out ads in the Los Angeles Times proclaiming that he was the second coming of Christ, calling himself Jesus Christ II. He attempted to legally change his name to this but was denied the request, which made national news. He moved to Pennsylvania but returned to Los Angeles in 1964 to work on The Wizard Of Mars (1965), a cheap take-off on The Wizard Of Oz (1939). After about five years of not being able to find film work, on December 19, 1970, he committed suicide in his car by breathing in carbon monoxide. He was 41 years old.

NOTE: This rare print includes the scrolling text at the beginning and the extended ending credits, which was added in the 1960’s by TV stations, in order to lengthen its running time. These added credits have been cut from all other currently existing prints of this film.