The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)

Director:

Bert I. Gordon

Writers:

Mark Hanna (screenplay) and
Bert I. Gordon (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 March 1958 (Sweden)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Not even the U.S. Army can keep her away from the man she loved--but only the U.S. Army can save her from the monster he became!

Plot:

Lt. Col. Glenn Manning is inadvertently exposed to a plutonium bomb blast at Camp Desert Rock. Though burned over 90% of his body...

Plot Keywords:

Camp Desert Rock | Giant | Mushroom Cloud | Helicopter | Radiation Induced Growth

Cast

Glenn Langan	...	Lt. Col. Glenn Manning (as Glen Langan)
Cathy Downs	...	Carol Forrest
William Hudson	...	Dr. Paul Linstrom
Larry Thor	...	Maj. Eric Coulter, MD
James Seay	...	Col. Hallock
Frank Jenks	...	Truck Driver
Russ Bender	...	Richard Kingman (as Russell Bender)
Hank Patterson	...	Henry
Jimmy Cross	...	Sergeant at Reception Desk
June Jocelyn	...	Nurse Wilson
Stanley Lachman	...	Lt. Cline
Harry Raybould	...	MP at Main Gate
Jean Moorhead	...	Woman in Bathtub
Scott Peters	...	Sgt. Lee Carter
Myron Cook	...	Capt. Thomas

Also Known As:

The Amazing Nth Man (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:Approved | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Boulder City, Nevada, USA

Company:

Malibu Productions

Trivia:

American International Pictures released this in a double feature with Cat Girl (1957).

Goofs:

Factual errors: Plutonium was used in the first A-bomb in 1945, not for the first time in the '50s.

Quotes:

Manning: What kind of sin could a man commit in a single lifetime to bring this upon himself?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Eegah! (#6.6)" (1993)

Not as bad as you would think

Listen, I love MST3K and I love what they did to this movie, but I also love this movie. Not because it's bad, but because it's actually good.

The plot is very similar to THE WOLF MAN, if you think about it. A man tries to do a good deed and is punished for it in a bizarre way. The acting by Glenn Langan is not very bad, it is actually quite good. He reminds me of Jack Nicholson during his frantic rants. Cathy Downs is excellent as Glenn's fiancee. The effects are not too lame, sometimes he is transparent. But doesn't that give this movie charm? My favorite effect is when the giant throws down the giant hypodermic and impales a doctor! It's just something you wouldn't see in any other 1950s movie! And this is a special science-fiction movie that is compelling from start to finish, despite long talking intervals. These are actually quite interesting as well.