| The UFO Incident |
NH MOVIES
The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill
The film adaptation of Interrupted Journey by John Fuller. Betty and Barney Hill of Portsmouth, New Hampshire take a wild ride in space ship, based on their acutal accounts of a close encounter in the White Mountains.
The UFO INCIDENT (1975)
Made for TV movie / Universal Studios
Drama / Science Fiction
120 minutes
Produced and directed by Richard Colla
Starring James Earl Jones & Estelle Parsons
From The Interrupted Journey by John Fuller
IN BRIEF: Betty and Barney Hill of Portsmouth, NH are abducted by aliens in the White Mountains in 1961
AVAILABILITY: Not available except when shown on TV. Some bootleg copies taped from TV on auction and UFO web sites.
INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE: Click Here
READ: The Grounding of Betty Hill
The story of the 1961 abduction of Portsmouth NH's Betty & Barney Hill led to a national bestseller "Interrupted Journey." More than a decade later, the book was adapted into a made-for-TV film. These images from Universal Studios publicity department are reproduced crudely here from a 1975 copy of the National Enquirer.
According to Betty Hill, the primary force behind the film version was actor James Earl Jones, who had read the book, and wanted to play the part of Barney Hill, a Portsmouth, NH postal worker. Betty Hill was played by Estelle Parsons.
Here's a shot of the real-life Hills as they appeared during a press conference following their close encounter in the White Mountains of NH. Author John Fuller, who had previously written about NH UFOs in "Incident at Exeter" was attracted to the authenticity of the Hill story which was validated by testimony taken under hypnosis and by corroborating government reports of UFO activity.
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NH Classic Movies
THE UFO INCIDENT (1975) Ccontinued
The Abduction of Betty & Barney Hill
According to a 1975 National Enquirer article, Universal Studios spared no expense in creating aliens that precisely fit the Hills descriptions. Designing the masks cost a full $3,000, according to the studio, and each copy thereafter cost $100. That's less than the price of a pair of tickets to Universal Studios theme park today.
Betty remembered being given a book by the leader of the aliens that would provide proof of their visits, but it was later taken back. From this Betty later recalled her famous star map. Unlike other UFO abductees, Betty insists the incident was not traumatic for her and she told the alien leader she enjoyed her trip and would like to travel again someday.
The space doctor is in! According to her account, the aliens conducted medical tests. Betty Hill told SeacoastNH.com that she believed she learned why the tests were taken. IN her book A Common Sense Guide to UFOs, she suggested that aliens abducted only people with Native American blood, which she possessed. Aliens, were played here, Betty said, by young Japanese girls who had the correct body dimensions.
Heading home, the aliens climbed back on their ship for the return voyage. Barney Hill died in 1969. Betty lived to age 95 and died in October 2004, remembered as the grand dame of UFO abductees. She lives most of her life in Portsmouth, NH in the house she purchased in the early 1950s.
© 1999 Captions by SeacoastNH.com. Revised 2004
© 1975 Images from PR materials by Universal Studios
Source: National Enquirer, September 1975