Few audience members knew that the film was actually based on real-life events though. In 1950, The Philadelphia Inquirerran a story about four Philadelphia police officers and their encounter with a mysterious glob.
On the night of September 26, 1950, two cops were doing their rounds when they noticed a glittering mass drifting down a side street. They approached it and found a purple glob of unknown substance about 6 feet in diameter.
Disturbingly, the glob seemed to vibrate and move of it's own accord. Not knowing what to make of it, they radioed for backup. Two more officers arrived and witnessed the purple blob. They decided to try and pick it up, but when they attempted to lift the mass, it simply evaporated in their hands.
