Fiend Without a Face (1958)

Director:

Arthur Crabtree

Writers:

Herbert J. Leder (screenplay)
Amelia Reynolds Long (original story)

Release Date:

December 1958 (UK)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

New Horrors! Mad Science Spawns Evil Fiends! ...Taking form before your horrified eyes!

Plot:

A Scientist, experimenting with telekinetic powers enhanced by a nearby nuclear power plant succeeds in creating a new form of life...

Plot Keywords:

American | Nuclear Power | Military | Experiment | Brain

Cast

Marshall Thompson	...	Major Cummings
Kynaston Reeves	...	Prof. Walgate
Kim Parker	...	Barbara Griselle
Stanley Maxted	...	Col. Butler
Terry Kilburn	...	Capt. Chester (as Terence Kilburn)
James Dyrenforth	...	Mayor
Robert MacKenzie	...	Const. Gibbons
Peter Madden	...	Dr. Bradley
Gil Winfield	...	Dr. Warren
Michael Balfour	...	Serg. Kasper
Launce Maraschal	...	Melville
Meadows White	...	Ben Adams (as R. Meadows White)
E. Kerrigan Prescott	...	Atomic Engineer (as Kerrigan Prescott)
Lala Lloyd	...	Amelia Adams
Shane Cordell	...	Nurse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sheldon Allan	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Alexander Archdale	...	Minister (uncredited)
Tom Watson	...	Technical sergeant (uncredited)

Directed by
Arthur Crabtree

Writing credits
Herbert J. Leder		(screenplay)
Amelia Reynolds Long		(original story)

Produced by
John Croydon	....	producer
Richard Gordon	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Ronald Kinnoch	....	co-producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Buxton Orr

Cinematography by
Lionel Banes		(lighting cameraman)

Film Editing by
R.Q. McNaughton

Makeup Department
Barbara Barnard	....	hairdressing
Jim Hydes	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Douglas Hickox	....	assistant director

Art Department
John Elphick	....	set designer

Sound Department
Peter Davies	....	sound recordist
Terry Poulton	....	dubbing editor

Special Effects by
Peter Neilson	....	special effects
Karl-Ludwig Ruppel	....	special effects (as Ruppel & Nordhoff)
Florenz Von Nordhoff	....	special effects (as Ruppel & Nordhoff)

Camera and Electrical Department
Martin Curtis	....	photographer: second unit
Leo Rogers	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anna Duse	....	dress supervisor

Music Department
Frederick Lewis	....	conductor (as Frederic Lewis)

Other crew
Hazel Swift	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Producers Associates
• Amalgamated Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• Eros Films (1958) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1958) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• National Telefilm Associates (NTA) (video)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Walton Studios  recorded at (as Walton Studios Walton on Thames)

Runtime:

USA:74 min | UK:75 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | West Germany:18 | USA:Approved | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | UK:X (original rating) (passed with cuts) | Sweden:(Banned) | Canada:G (Quebec) | UK:PG (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Producers Associates

Trivia:

"Fiend Without a Face" created a public uproar after its premiere at the Ritz Theater in Leicester Square. The British Board of Film Censors has already demanded a number of cuts before granting it the "X" certificate.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Even though it is made clear that the military characters are US Air Force, when the Sergeant (Michael Balfour, a British actor, as were most of the others in the film) reports to Major Jeff Cummings (Marshall Thompson) early in the film, he incorrectly gives the Major a "British" salute, with the palm facing outward. Thompson returns the salute correctly, with the palm facing inward.

Quotes:

Prof. R. E. Walgate: What have I unleashed?

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Chick Flick: The Miracle Mike Story (2003)

brain sucking monsters

Fiend Without A Face is based on a 1930s pulp magazine story called "The Thought Monster". Marshall Thompson is a Major on an air force base in Canada. The military is developing long range radar that uses nuclear power. The local farmers are upset because the jets are noisy and frightening the cows causing them to under-produce milk. But much worse, some of the locals are found dead with their brains sucked out of two small holes in the back of their necks. Eeek!

Thompson investigates Professor Walgate who seems to have something to do with it all.

Fiend is a standard grade-B sci-fi flick from the 50s. I happen to be a sucker for 1950s grade B movies. I actually love them even though they are not very good usually. If you are like me you'll like Fiend. The acting and dialog varies from average to embarrassing and most of the film is pretty boring, but it's short.

The monsters are invisible until the ending but they are interesting movie creations and in their own stop-animation way, quite creepy.

If you've seen It The Terror From Beyond Space with Thompson you have an idea of the quality of Fiend.