Museum hosts shuddery things from beyond the stars
August 23, 2005
For Immediate Release
Contact: Steve Popson (919) 733-7450 x379
(RALEIGH) – I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958) might sound like the start of a Rodney Dangerfield joke, instead, it's this month's First Friday feature at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. Despite the low-rent title, this film is widely considered one of the most literate sci-fi films of the era … we decided to show it anyway, on Friday, September 2 at 7 p.m.
In a plot reminiscent of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Married tells the story of a lonely group of bachelors from outer space who are slowly switching places with Earth men in the hopes of hooking up with fertile Earth women. One of the first to succeed can keep the secret going only briefly before his new wife realizes something is wrong. Her suspicions are confirmed when her husband's odd behavior begins to show up in other men of the town.
Tom Tryon plays the strange, no-drinking newlywed, Bill Farrell. Tryon is best known for playing the title role in the Disney TV series "Texas John Slaughter" (1958). After a fairly brief acting career, Tryon switched to writing horror novels, and in 1971 published "The Other," which he helped turn into a hit movie the following year.
Gloria Talbott plays Bill's wary bride, Marge Bradley. A former "Miss Glendale," Talbott played Abbie Campbell in the initial season of "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955-1956). Married writer Louis Vittes was also a veteran author of popular television westerns of the '50s and '60s, including "Gunsmoke," "Rawhide," "The Virginian" and "The Wild Wild West."
Keep an eye out (and your hands up) for Max "Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom as bartender Max Grady. Slapsie fought in almost 300 professional boxing matches -- beginning his career in 1923 and winning the light heavyweight belt in 1932. Considered the most active champion in contemporary boxing history, Rosenbloom turned his fame into a busy Hollywood career upon his retirement from the ring in 1936.
The main feature begins at 7 p.m. and is preceded by a film short from the AV Geeks. Don't miss live music by The Foyer beginning at 5:30 p.m., light fare and beverages from the Acro Café, along with Museum Store offerings including after-hours shopping and the newest Nature Art Gallery exhibitors, Chris Graebner and June Kluglein.
This is the last First Friday to view the Museum's current special exhibits. CSI: Crime Scene Insects explores one of the most fascinating areas of criminal investigation -- forensic entomology, the use of insects such as flies, maggots and beetles to reveal critical details of a crime scene. CSI is only $3 for First Friday attendees and free for Friends of the Museum. Last tickets are sold at 8 p.m. Visitors also can check out the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit, a result of the largest and most prestigious wildlife photography competition in the world. See the 90 winning and commended images from last year's competition, including Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year, North Carolina's own Gabby Salazar. Admission is free.
The Museum of Natural Sciences is located in downtown Raleigh at 11 West Jones Street. Parking is available on the street and in surface lots along Wilmington and Edenton streets. For more information, contact Steve Popson at 919-733-7450, ext. 379.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh, documents and interprets the natural history of the state of North Carolina through exhibits, research, collections, publications, and educational programming. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the web at www.naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.
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