Movie Review: Invasion, U.S.A. (1952)

Synopsis: A group of New York City bar patrons are being interviewed by a local television reporter about their political views when an enemy attacks Alaska.  As the successful invasion, aided by the use of atomic weapons, spreads to other parts of the country, the patrons find themselves facing the consequences of their apathy and opposition to the government's efforts to build its military defenses.

Who's in it? The movie stars Gerald Mohr, Peggie Castle, Robert Bice, Tom Kennedy, Wade Crosby and Dan O'Herlihy.

Review: I have come across Invasion, U.S.A on multiple occasions but always found an excuse not to watch it (usually because there was another movie I wanted to watch more). I finally decided to correct that this morning and, while it ended up being what I expected it to be, I was admittedly still entertained.

A lot of war movies from the 1950s are basically pro-USA propaganda pitches and this film is most definitely not an exception to that. It's not-so-subtle message about supporting your country over your personal wealth and company profits was driven home multiple times, even as the bar patrons ironically compared those same government efforts to communism.

I thought the decision to introduce and focus the movie on those bar patrons was an interesting choice that ultimately pays off. It's a fairly decent cross section of Americans, ranging from a rancher (O'Herlihy) to a Congressman (Crosby) from different parts of the country. This made them a bit more relatable, even though all of them did happen to be white (it was the 1950s).

It also made the destructiveness of nuclear war much more personal, especially as I became a bit more invested in Vince (Mohr) and Carla's (Castle) budding romance. They seemed meant for each other but as the movie progressed, the odds of them having a future together seemed very slim.

I am also going to give the movie some props for the ending. While it's usually the kind of ending I'm not a fan of, it does work well with this film by allowing the story to come to the natural, dark, conclusion while still ending on a hopeful patriotic note. I don't know if I'd go as far as to say it was clever, just a good fit.

Probably my only real complaint about this movie was just how easy it made the invasion seem. I get the message it was trying to give but I still find it hard to believe the United States would be that unprepared, even in the 1950s. There's propaganda and then there's exaggeration.

Final Opinion: Did the movie make me a fan of paying taxes? No. It was entertaining though and worth watching as a result.

My Grade: B+

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Here are some reviews of other movies from 1952:

Movie Review: My Cousin Rachel (1952)

Movie Review: The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)

Movie Review: Sudden Fear (1952)

Movie Review: The Black Castle (1952)