In 1958, the original Blob film first graced the screens of movie theatres, captivating its American audience. As an alien life form that consumes anything and everything in its path and grows at a rapid rate, viewers all over were intrigued by the story of the Blob. However, many people aren’t aware that there is a real-life blob story behind the film.

It All Started in Philadelphia

The story of the Blob originated from an actual event found in the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper in 1950.  At the time, police officers,  John Collins and Joseph Keenan noticed a strange goop fall from the sky.  With their hearts and minds racing, they wondered, what could this possibly be? At first, they mistook it for a parachute, but their guts told them it had to be something eerier.

The officers approached the strange substance for a closer look. It turns out that this so-called parachute was more like a large mass, and it was large - about 6 feet in diameter. They soon found a luminous, purple goo hanging off a corner telephone pole.  Two other officers were called and together the group investigated. The substance was described as looking like it had crystals in it, giving off a strange mist as well.

Officer Collins’ Curiosity

Of course, panic stirred among the curious officers on the job. They brought in help among their team to try to further investigate this moving figure, curious to find out more.

Officer Collins decided to reach out and place his hand on the blob. He attempted to pick it up, but weirdly, it disintegrated in his palms. Little glob-bits clung to him, then swiftly dissipated, leaving an "odorless muck" behind. Within just 25 quick minutes, the blob was gone, and the only thing left of it was a sticky, odorless residue. Rightfully so, the officers were dumbfounded.

Because many people in Philadelphia had been saying they had seen flying saucers, the officers instantly had a hunch that this was why the city could never locate them. With this information, they went to the Philadelphia Inquirer to tell their story.

No Evidence for Further Investigation

Since the blob totally evaporated, the officers were left with no evidence to account for what they had seen. They had nothing to show the FBI or Air Force when they went to discuss their fascinating experience with the blob. With no law enforcement to turn to, the officers went straight to the Philadelphia Inquirer in hopes to learn more about this strange, alien-like experience, educating the local people about the strange substances falling from the sky.

The Blob Turns Into An Explosive Film

Years passed, and Jack H. Harris approached a friend, Irvine H. Millgate, for ideas for an upcoming film. The two wanted to include a rare monster species that had never been shown in current modern-day cinema, and they wanted to capture an intriguing story for their viewers.

Even though it was years back, Millgate remembered the Philadelphia Inquirer story about the strange purple goo that fell from the sky. He had an idea for a story, and contacted Harris immediately.

Is the Blob Real?

Of course, scientists were suspicious about any liquid material from an asteroid falling from the sky. They had believed it would burn immediately, or that a purple liquid-saucer just simply didn’t exist.

The Blob was able to rock the movie screens of many viewers, creating a scary horror legend that many adore. What do you think, did the incident really happen back in Philadelphia in 1950?

Let us know what you think!

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