The 27th Day
Five strangers hold humanity's fate in their hands.
The 27th Day, a 1957 black-and-white American science fiction film from Columbia Pictures, was produced by Sam Katzman (with Helen Ainsworth credited as associate producer) and directed by William Asher. Its cast includes Gene Barry, Valerie French, George Voskovec, and Arnold Moss. John Mantley wrote the screenplay, adapting it from his own 1956 novel of the same name.
Five people—an Englishwoman named Evelyn Wingate, an American reporter named Jonathan Clark, a Chinese peasant called Su Tan, a German physicist named Klaus Bechner, and a Soviet soldier named Ivan Godofsky—are suddenly taken to an alien spacecraft orbiting Earth. A humanoid who calls himself "The Alien" tells them his race is dying and seeking a new world. Needing a new home but forbidden by their moral code to kill, he gives each of the five a clear, round, hand-held case containing three capsules. Each capsule can destroy all human life within a 3,000-mile diameter. The Alien expects humanity to use all the capsules, wiping itself out so his kind can take over. Only the assigned person’s thoughts can open their case; once opened, anyone can use the capsules, but only during the next 27 days—after that, they become inert. If humanity does not destroy itself, the aliens cannot invade and will die. If any of the five die, their capsules self-destruct harmlessly.
Back on Earth, Eve throws her case into the English Channel and flies to Los Angeles. Su Tan kills herself, and her capsules self-destruct. The others resume their lives until the Alien takes over all global communications and announces the capsules’ existence and power. Hearing this, Bechner is hit by a car and hospitalized, while Pvt. Godofsky is held by his superiors. In Los Angeles, a disguised Clark meets Eve and takes her to a closed racetrack to hide. A Soviet general, unsatisfied with Godofsky’s vague story, orders intense interrogation.
Panic spreads in the following days. Repeated beatings leave Godofsky in shock; Bechner, recovering, refuses to reveal the Alien’s plan. After two Communist agents nearly kill Bechner, and a mob kills an innocent man who looked like Clark, Clark and Eve reveal themselves and are taken into government custody.
Using sodium pentothal on Godofsky, the Soviets learn the plan and access his capsules. Their announcement fuels global anxiety, forcing the three remaining capsule-holders to co
- Format
- Black and white
Lore & Background
Aboard ship, Bechner discovers an imprinted mathematical code on the remaining capsules. As the Soviet general prepares to use them, Godofsky knocks the capsules from his hands, and Bechner launches his own. The code triggers a sonic wave that selectively kills only those with hostile intent. Later, humanity, unified under the United Nations, is left to unite. The Alien departs, and the events are not explicitly framed as a test of humanity's character.
Reader's Guide
The 27th Day is a Cold War-era science fiction film that explores themes of moral choice, global unity, and the threat of self-annihilation. Its plot, centered on five individuals from different nations holding the power to destroy humanity, reflects contemporary anxieties about nuclear weapons and ideological conflict. The film's resolution—where the capsules are used to eliminate enemies of freedom and humanity unites under the United Nations—offers a hopeful, if simplistic, vision of global cooperation. The film recycles stock footage from Earth vs. The Flying Saucers (1956), a common practice in low-budget 1950s science fiction. While not a major critical or commercial success, it remains a notable example of the genre's engagement with political and ethical issues of its time.
Did You Know?
- The film recycles stock footage from Earth vs. The Flying Saucers (1956).
- The screenplay by John Mantley is based on his 1956 original science fiction novel of the same name.
- The capsules can only be opened by the thought waves of the person to whom they were given.
Origins & Mission
The Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film stands as a dedicated honor within the broader Saturn Awards program, administered by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Since its inception in 1972, the award has been presented on an annual cycle, each year recognizing the single most outstanding work in the science fiction genre from the preceding calendar year. The Academy, which governs the entire awards program, chose to carve out a specific category for science fiction, ensuring that films in this particular genre receive focused recognition separate from other speculative categories. This annual tradition has made the award a consistent touchstone for genre enthusiasts, providing a yearly moment of celebration for what the Academy deems the finest science fiction cinema of the year. The award's longevity, stretching from 1972 into the present day, underscores its importance as a recurring benchmark in the landscape of genre filmmaking.
Ceremony Structure & Historical Span
Across its history, the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film has been handed out at forty-three distinct ceremonies, each numbered sequentially from the first through the forty-third. The complete record is organized into six decade-long groupings, covering the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s, which gives readers a clear chronological framework for tracking how the award's landscape evolved over more than five decades. At every ceremony, the format follows a consistent pattern: the winning film is listed first and set apart in bold type, while the remaining nominees follow beneath it. The ceremony number is noted in parentheses alongside the awards year, and where an article exists for a particular ceremony, it is linked for further detail. This structured approach to documenting each year's results makes the award's full history accessible and easy to navigate, whether one is scanning a single decade or tracing the entire arc from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Franchise Legacy & Recurring Presence
Beyond honoring individual films, the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film has a notable pattern of recognizing franchises that return to the genre year after year. The award's records include dedicated sections tracking franchises that have achieved multiple wins, as well as those that have accumulated multiple nominations without necessarily taking home the trophy each time. This dual tracking reveals which cinematic universes have consistently dominated the science fiction conversation and which have been perennial contenders. The existence of these franchise-specific groupings within the broader list of winners and nominees highlights how certain properties have become recurring fixtures in the genre, building a legacy that spans multiple decades. For fans and scholars of science fiction cinema, these franchise sections offer a unique lens through which to understand the long-term cultural footprint of particular film series within the genre's most prestigious annual recognition.
Genre Focus & Broader Context
The Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film occupies a specific niche within the larger Saturn Awards ecosystem, which is administered by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. While the Academy's name encompasses three distinct genres, this particular award is reserved exclusively for science fiction, setting it apart from any fantasy or horror categories that may exist within the same program. The award evaluates the best film in the science fiction genre from the previous year, making it a retrospective honor that looks back on the most recent cinematic output before bestowing its recognition. The award also sits alongside other Saturn Awards, forming part of a broader constellation of genre-specific honors. For the science fiction community, this dedicated category ensures that the genre receives its own spotlight each year, rather than being folded into a more general best-film competition. The award's continued presentation since 1972 reflects the enduring institutional commitment to celebrating science fiction as a distinct and vital cinematic tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The 27th Day?
It is a 1957 black-and-white American science fiction film distributed by Columbia Pictures. The story centers on five people from different nations who are abruptly transported to an alien spacecraft in Earth's orbit and forced to grapple with the fate of all of humanity.
Who directed and wrote The 27th Day?
William Asher directed the picture, which was produced by Helen Ainsworth. The screenplay was penned by John Mantley, who adapted it from his own 1957 novel of the same title.
Who are the five main characters in The 27th Day?
The central figures are Evelyn Wingate, an Englishwoman; Jonathan Clark, an American reporter; Su Tan, a Chinese peasant; Klaus Bechner, a German physicist; and Ivan Godofsky, a Soviet soldier. Each is plucked from an ordinary life and brought together aboard a humanoid alien's vessel.
What is the basic plot of The 27th Day?
Five strangers from around the world are suddenly taken to an alien spacecraft orbiting Earth. Once aboard, they are confronted with the enormous responsibility of deciding what will become of humanity.
Who stars in The 27th Day?
The cast includes Gene Barry, Valerie French, George Voskovec, and Arnold Moss. The film was shot entirely in black-and-white and released in 1957 under the Columbia Pictures banner.
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