The Day of the Triffids (1962)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Steve Sekely

Writers (WGA):

John Wyndham (novel)
Bernard Gordon (screenplay) (front Philip Yordan)

Release Date:

27 April 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Spine Chilling Terror

Plot:

A shower of meteorites produces a glow that blinds anyone that looks at it. As it was such a beautiful sight...

Plot Keywords:

Plant | Meteor | Meteor Shower | Disaster | Spain

Cast

Howard Keel	...	Bill Masen
Nicole Maurey	...	Christine Durrant
Janette Scott	...	Karen Goodwin
Kieron Moore	...	Tom Goodwin
Mervyn Johns	...	Mr. Coker
Ewan Roberts	...	Dr. Soames
Alison Leggatt	...	Miss Coker
Geoffrey Matthews	...	Luis de la Vega
Janina Faye	...	Susan - Child on the Train
Gilgi Hauser	...	Teresa de la Vega
John Tate	...	Captain, SS Midland
Carole Ann Ford	...	Bettina (as Carol Ann Ford)
Arthur Gross	...	Flight 356 Radioman
Colette Wilde	...	Nurse Jamieson (as Collette Wilde)
Ian Wilson	...	Greenhouse Watchman

Also Known As:

Invasion of the Triffids (International: English title)
Revolt of the Triffids (International: English title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #21227) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Alicante, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Company:

Security Pictures Ltd.

Trivia:

Although credited with "additional music", composer Johnny Douglas actually supplied more music than the main composer, Ron Goodwin. According to the official music cue sheets, Douglas wrote 26 mins, Goodwin 19 minutes

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the final shot of Triffids approaching Bill driving a truck, the operators' sneakers can clearly be seen walking the Triffid props towards camera shot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: [narrating voice over] In nature's scheme of things, there are certain plants which are carnivorous, or eating plants. The Venus Fly Trap is one of the best known of these plants. A fly drawn to the plant by its sweet syrup, brushes against triggered bristles. Just how these plants digest their pray has yet to be explained. There is much still to learn about these fascinating eating plants. This is a newcomer: Triffidus Celestus, brought to earth on the meteorite during the Day of the Triffids.

Movie Connections:

Version of "The Day of the Triffids" (2009)

Very good British made sci-fi.

A meteorite shower lights up the sky and blinds all that watches it. Most of the world population must also deal with some rather weird plant life that can uproot itself and seek human nourishment.

Howard Keel plays a sailor recovering from an eye operation, thus not being blinded by the mysterious glowing display. He finds a young girl that slept through the starry shower. Together they seek out help and a solution to this very weird problem. A couple of marine biologist, stranded in a lighthouse, get a 'hands on' encounter with the rampaging stalks of terror.

An evenly paced movie considering the slow moving menace. This makes you ponder watering your plants. Very good movie.

Also in the cast are Janina Faye, Nicole Maurey and Janette Scott.