- Aliens release a furry critter in the wilds of Lapland where it takes a woman captive and threatens a group of scientists.
- After a herd of reindeer are mysteriously found dead following a meteor crash in a remote part of Sweden, soldiers and a geologist are called out to investigate. Just as they discover that the meteor is actually a spaceship, a hideous monster destroys their plane and kills the soldier guarding it. As the geologist (along with his figure skater girlfriend) are trying to ski to safety, the monster attacks again and kidnaps the helpless woman. What is this creature, and can it be stopped?—Jean-Marc Rocher <rocher@fiberbit.net>
- **This synopsis is for the full version of TERROR IN THE MIDNIGHT SUN.**
Opening scene shows a man walking toward the camera in snow shoes. A meteor streaks across the sky, finally moving through the snow and coming to a stop near a hill. Two men at a telegraph station send out a message of the meteors landing. Many phones begin ringing as the news is passed on. Next the newspaper headline reads Meteor Landed in Lappland. Dr. Frederick Wilson (Robert Burton) buys a paper and reads it. He takes a cab to the Royal Academy of Science. Entering, he greets a secretary, Anna (Doreen Denning) who tells him that his niece arrived early looking for him. He is greeted by Dr. Walter Ullman (Gösta Prüzelius)and Dr. Henrik (Åke Grönberg)who tell him he may go to the location with Henrick and Erik Engstrom (Sten Gester), a geologist. Erik arrives with a young woman (Ittla Frodi) who reminds him of his briefcase before he enters the building. They kiss.
After meeting Dr. Wilson, they board a plane to the meteor site and discuss details inflight. After arriving at the military base near the crash site, they meet Col. Robert Bottiger (Bengt Blomgren) who is interrogating the lead Lapplander about the crash and are flown in a small military plane to the site, where Diane Wilson (Barbara Wilson)is ice skating and people are watching. After landing they are brought onsite by tank-like vehicles. Erik immediately notices Diane and cant take his eyes off her, which is noticed by her uncle, Dr. Wilson, who points it out to Henrick. Not giving away that the girl is his niece, he chats with Erik, who leaves to go skiing. Diane greets her uncle and immediately asks about her admirer. She is told that he is deadly and has left a string of broken hearts across Europe. Fascinated, Diane leaves to go skiing, after a quick shower and change of clothes.
As Erik waits to board the ski-lift, Diane comes in and cuts in line ahead, giving her skis to the attendant, who loads them onto the next lift car. She gets in and prevents him from joining her, laughing and waving back at him. Puzzled, he takes the next car.
Next he follows her all over the slopes, stopping to help her when she fakes a fall. He soon learns she knows about his reputation and asks to walk her back. Skiing? She asks, taking his skis, knocking him down and skiing away.
Back at the ski lodge, a tired Erik gives his ski poles to a man standing outside (possibly believing he is an employee) and goes in to the desk clerk. Diane comes out fully dressed in a evening dress and tells him to hurry for dinner. He finds out who she is from the clerk. After what happened has been discussed at the table and laughed at, Diane says he has taken all this well. Just as the music starts, Erik says he will dance with Diane. They dance to one number and the singer (Brita Borg) sings The Midnight Sun in Swedish. Diane and Erik slow-dance and she asks him the meaning of the song. He tells her in detail the lyrics in English.
A man enters and tells Dr. Wilson and Henrick some news which causes them to begin to leave. Erik asks what and is told he will be informed on the way. When Diane says she will get her coat, Dr. Wilson says no, she will not come.
Riding along with the men in the tank vehicle, reference is made to having informed Dr. Wilson, who replies that he is pleased. When Diane asks if anyone will talk to her, Erik says no, ribbing her that at least we didnt make you walk back (a reference to what she did to him earlier).
Arriving at the crash site, they are greeted by guards who converse with those driving the tanks. As they get out, Diane is again told she will not accompany them and to wait there. The men walk through an area strewn with animal parts, legs, heads and bones in pieces. Dr. Wilson and Henrick discuss what could have done this. Meanwhile Diane, not content to stand alone, goes for a short walk and quickly discovers a huge footprint, which she loudly announces to the men. Erik proclaims that it must have been made by something twenty feet tall, something they admit they are unaware of.
Looking over photos of the crater, they can find nothing new that was not seen when they flew over the site earlier. Dr. Wilson suggests that the crash looks more like a landing? interrupts Col. Bottinger. Announcing they will fly out there in the morning at six, Diane is once again told she will not be coming.
The next morning they fly out again and Diane is found to be a stowaway at the back of the plane. Pulling her hair, Erik tells her she is childish to have done this. Her uncle agrees that she should not have come because they dont know what they will encounter. She says that is why she had to come.
Arriving at the crater, they pull out their equipment and descend a rope ladder to examine the object. Diane is told to remain topside. Dr. Wilson tells them it is a spacecraft from another world and they discuss it. An alien is seen watching them on a viewing screen from within the ship. They agree to not tell Diane until they know what it is for certain. Topside, they announce that more equipment will be needed. Diane suspiciously asks whether they found what they expected. Erik jokes again that this trip is full of surprises.
More of the giant footprints are seen in the snow near the crater.
A guard at the plane sees something and gets his rifle, firing upward (POV: the creature, which is unseen). Hearing the shots, the men hurry back, saying he might cause an avalanche with all that shooting. When they arrive at the landing site, they find the guard dead and the plane torn to pieces. Diane points out more giant footprints leading away from the plane. They agree this is from the crater. Diane asks and is told there is no meteor and that it may be a spacecraft that brought the creature here. Now without a radio, Dr. Wilson suggests Diane and Erik ski to the nearby village where they will be able to send a message and return by morning.
After much skiing and having to walk their skis up the mountainside, Erik says they are almost there. Diane takes the lead but hits a tree, injuring her knee.
Meanwhile, Henrick tells Dr. Wilson he will retrieve the equipment from the crater. He descends and detecting radioactivity on his Giger counter, examines the craft. Again he is observed by the alien inside, who zaps him when he tries to escape the crater, having seen the creature (or at least its shadow).
A group of Lapplanders approaches with reindeer, dogs and a sled. They see the plane wreckage and come alongside to help. Meanwhile, steadying Diane, Erik spies the rescue cabin on the next hill over. Entering, he lights a lamp and suggests she remove her wet clothing and wrap in a blanket. She tells him to start the fire while she changes (in silhouette). Next he gets a bucket of snow to heat and make a compress for her knee which he applies. She tells him he better get going. He skies away. Inside the cabin, Diane hears a noise and asks if it is Erik at the door. Hearing no reply, she goes to the window, opens it and looks out and up, where she sees the creature, looking down at her. Dianes screams are heard by Erik, who immediately returns to the cabin.
By now Diane has redressed and tells him the creature is outside. He helps her get her shoes on to leave. The creature is seen on top of the mountain, just above the cabin. Before they can leave, it starts an avalanche which damages the cabin. Erik is knocked out by falling boards but Diane flees to the woods, stopping to look back. She sees the creature by the ruins of the cabin.
Back at the village, Erik awakens in a bunk bed by Dr. Wilson. He reveals that they found and rescued him but Diane is still missing. They found her trail but it disappeared. Erik is assured that the Lapplanders are making a good search for her. He is also told that Col . Bottinger should be back with a new plane soon, but reveals that Henrick was found dead in the crater. Erik tells Wilson that the creature (which was seen by Diane) started the avalanche that destroyed the cabin.
Meanwhile Diane struggles and stumbles through a blizzard, tripping over a fallen log. She rests lying there. Later she awakens and screams at the creature.
The Lapplanders are shown eating (presumably some of the dead animal parts) and clowning around. All at once another Lapplander skis up from the search and they all make a hasty retreat.
The creature is seen carrying Diane through the snow. Coming to the former Lapplanders camp, it puts Diane down. The alien is seen watching his viewing screen and turns a control to make the creature return to the ship. Diane gets up to look around and sees three alien men surrounding her. Two of them approach and Diane screams and faints.
The plane lands by the Lapplanders village. Bottinger is seen questioning a Lapplander. He tells of the creature and that it was carrying someone, possibly Diane. Just as they agree to show where the camp was, a scream is heard in the village. The creature is shown attacking one of the cabins. The Lapplanders flee again. It throws part of a cabin roof at the plane, which bursts into flames. The creature is seen destroying all tents (teepees) and another cabin before turning to leave. A search party is organized and Erik promises to find Diane before the creature does.
The creature searches and finds Diane unconscious. She awakes, screams and tries to get away as it pursues her. Another scream and she passes out. He picks her up and carries her. Meanwhile the search party is seen carrying torches as the night comes on. They apparently hear her scream and rush ahead. Erik is seen arriving and watching the creature carrying Diane. He hurries toward the torch-carrying mob and tries to alert Dr. Wilson that the creature has Diane. The Lapplanders confront the creature, beginning to throw their torches at it. It places Diane on the ground, where she rolls a few feet. More torches are thrown at the creature, who catches on fire and falls over a cliff. He is seen burning to death. The alien, seeing this on his screen, launches the spaceship and leaves Earth.
The final shot involves Dr. Wilson hoping that we fare better when we land on another planet. Erik and Diane walk off together into the sunset.
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By what name was Terror in the Midnight Sun (1959) officially released in India in English?
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