It Came from 1957

America in the 1950s was a cauldron of contradictions. Advances in technology chafed against a grimly conservative political landscape; the military-industrial complex ceaselessly promoted the “Communist menace”; young marrieds fled crumbling cities for artificial communities known as suburbs; and the corporate cipher known as “The Organization Man” was created, along with stifling images of women.
The decade, huddled under the fear of nuclear holocaust, was also dedicated to all things futuristic. Science fiction was in its salad days, in magazines and novels and in motion pictures, trying every trick in the book to lure customers back from television, including reliance on monster movies.
All of these forces collided in 1957, when an astounding 57 movies of the science fiction, horror and fantasy variety were shown in the United States—a record unmatched to this day. Reflecting some of the socio-political topics of the day, several are exceptional examples of their genres. This book critically discusses each of the films.

Rob Craig has been writing about cult film for more than twenty years. His work has been published in such magazines as Videoscope, Screem and Horror-Wood.

Rob Craig
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 256
Bibliographic Info: 65 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2013
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7777-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1243-0
Imprint: McFarland

Preface  1
Introduction  5
One. The Marvels of the Atomic Age  7
Two. Films Released January Through June  50
Three. Films Released July Through December  132
Conclusion  233
Chapter Notes  237
Bibliography  239
Index  241

• “Excellent…awesome book on films of 1957”—Plan 9 Crunch
• “A wonderful romp through the realm of science-fiction, horror and fantasy B-movies…many surprises are revealed…arguably better than actually sitting through all of those movies”—ProtoView
• “One of the most insightful and entertaining studies of science fiction, horror, and fantasy cinema…well researched and well written book that is as entertaining as it is informative”—Examiner.com
• “The critical commentary in the book is stimulating…a highly useful contribution to the film buff’s bookshelf”—Crime Time