This has been a theory for many decades, academic and government reports liked to drag this out but the jury is still out. One of the problems is stats are always so easy to manipulate to support either side of an argument.
In the mid 1990's a British study argued that the increase in popularity of series such as the "X-Files" and movies such as "Independence Day" were behind the increase in sightings. See Report: UFO Sightings Coincide with Popular Sci-Fi Films, TV - Universe Today
Other's have suggested such films as cause for subsequent reports. These tend to avoid any statistical data that might support their claim. In one case it was clear the nearest film actually arrived in the area months after the reported sightings and nothing similar had been shown prior.
A look at the popular (and thus most seen) films of the time in question can be informative.
1940's - - Most movies were along the "monster" line, with some comic book inclusions, such as "Flash Gordon" and similar serials designed for before the feature and to run as matinees on a Saturday. In 1949, King of the Rocket Men" was a popular series. Oddly, the first reports of "aliens" from the 1947 time frame were of "little men", small statured, dominant eyes, tight fitting dark or silvery body clothing (most often processed as similar to a jumpsuit or flyers tight fitted clothing) and a disc shaped craft. This profile will regularly crop up and always be termed "little green men" by the ridiculing press or in comments by those investigating. Most often the skin tone was described as a normal range of flesh tones (tan to paler) through a gray or pale white.
1950 - - The popular science fiction at the box officer were "Destination Moon", "Flying Saucer" (that carried the flying discs as the work of Soviet operatives in Alaska so it may have been a propaganda film), "Rocket ship X-M "(aiming for the moon they land on Mars), "Flying Disk Men from Mars",
1951 - - The year that the Psychological Strategy Board would be created, the top science fiction were the pacifist sub-text film "Day the Earth Stood Still" (a call for peace by all humanity for fear the space guardians or bullies would do us in; a probable metaphorical message of the cold war, "The Thing from Another World" (an alien saucer crashes, small group battles and wins, warning at the end to "watch the skies."; again a probable metaphor film of the cold war) as was "Man from Planet X."
1952 - - July will see "flying discs" over Washington D.C. and making headlines in a major "flap." The popular films of the year were "Red Planet Mars" (many astronomers of the time felt that Mars was the only other possible place life might exist with Venus a close second), and, oddly, a documentary featuring Flying Disc Advocate Donald Keyhoe called "Flying Saucer Mystery."
1953 - - "It Came from Outer Space", 'Invaders from Mars", "War of the Worlds."
1954 - - The stand out film appears to have been "Them!" a film about the negative impact of nuclear fallout resulting in giant insects.
1955 - - A bit better budget, "This Island Earth", the story with an impact since its creature inspired a 1957 alien sighting in Argentina, [I proposed a theory earlier that some of the South American sightings of this era might have been induced through mind-control or drug projects by clandestine or covert groups. It was the era of MK-ULTRA and other government sanctioned programs. Utilizing a media created interpretation of an alien would have been effective.]
1956 - - Another message film was "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and many critics feel the film was a commentary on the impact of the McCarthy trials and blackballing of artists and directors, Shakespeare was transformed and set in outer space in "Forbidden Planet". The colorful film based on "The Tempest" was creative, well made, and is listed as one of the best such films ever made. Also, one of surprising quality was "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers." This last was inspired by Donald Keyhoe's best seller book the year before.
1957 - - Numerous date night films were being made by minor production companies for drive-in theater use and it might be debatable how many were truly watched in the circumstances. From this point through the early 1960's a popular theme was misunderstood or ignored teens see something, authorities do not believe teens and teens must save the town from [monsters, aliens, giant creatures formed from mis-use of radiation or chemicals or experiments], teens win lasting gratitude and grudging respect for their actions. As a genre format that will be seen repeatedly. "Invasion of the Saucer Men."
1958 - - The format came into its own with films now considered classics in that genre with "The Blob" and "I Married a Monster from Outer Space."
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The most influential science fiction movie of the 1960's might be the 1968, "2001 - A Space Odessey." A clear cause and effect films and media on the number of reports of unidentified flying objects is an interesting study but much more work needs to be done to prove that point. It assumes people are of such a "low intelligence" that they will easily led to confuse reality and fantasy (life vs. a film) but then, in 1952, that was what was implied in the special report produced then by the Scientific Advisory Panel of the Air Force. It was the reason why a person might confuse normal things extraordinary things...children...mentally disturbed and low intellects.
Indeed, a lot more research is required to prove this line of thought. Consider too that learning via the instructive film shorts of new planes, balloons, and a dozen other "normal" things to see in the sky people might also have had their awareness raised as to what might constitute unusual.
See also:
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