Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

Director:

Nathan Juran

Writer:

Mark Hanna (written by)

Release Date:

19 May 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A titanic beauty spreads a macabre wave of horror! A terrifying masterpiece of shock and chills!

Plot:

When an abused socialite grows to giant size because of an alien encounter and an aborted murder attempt, she goes after her cheating husband with revenge on her mind.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Revenge | Giant | Monster | Philanderer

Cast

Allison Hayes	...	Nancy Fowler Archer
William Hudson	...	Harry Archer
Yvette Vickers	...	Honey Parker
Roy Gordon	...	Dr. Isaac Cushing
George Douglas	...	Sheriff Dubbitt
Ken Terrell	...	Jess Stout
Otto Waldis	...	Dr. Heinrich Von Loeb
Eileen Stevens	...	Nurse (as Eileene Stevens)
Michael Ross	...	Tony the Bartender / Space Giant (as Mike Ross)
Frank Chase	...	Deputy Charlie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Uranium Prospector (uncredited)
Dale Tate	...	KRKR-TV Commentator (uncredited)

Directed by
Nathan Juran		(as Nathan Hertz)

Writing credits
Mark Hanna		(written by)

Produced by
Jacques R. Marquette	....	executive producer (as Jacques Marquette)
Bernard Woolner	....	producer

Original Music by
Ronald Stein

Cinematography by
Jacques R. Marquette		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Edward Mann

Makeup Department
Carlie Taylor	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kenneth Walters	....	assistant director (as Ken Walters)

Art Department
Richard M. Rubin	....	properties (as Richard Rubin)

Sound Department
Philip Mitchell	....	sound

Music Department
Ronald Stein	....	conductor

Production Companies

• Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc.

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Key Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Cinema Classics (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2016) (Australia) (TV)

Other Companies

• Ryder Sound Services  sound

Also Known As:

"Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" - USA (poster title)

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #18976) | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Tarzana, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc.

Trivia:

The giant bald space alien is played by Michael Ross. He can also be spotted playing the bartender.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Mrs. Archer's butler and the sheriff are checking out the alien ship, all the equipment on-board appears to be made for a normal sized human, when it is quite clear that the ship is being piloted by a giant.

Quotes:

Nancy Archer:[with emotional anger] My husband!... My gigolo! That's what you are. You're a miserable parasite! You're just after my money! I was rid of you once. Why did I take you back? Why? Why?
Harry Archer:Why did you, Nancy?
Nancy Archer:Why?... because I love you, Harry!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Discworld II: Mortality Bytes! (1996) (VG)

Haaaarrrrryyy!

"Haaaarrrryyy!"

The amplified, dispassionate female voice could have been Leona Helmseley in heat but, no, it belongs to Allison Hayes as Nancy Archer, the 50-Foot Woman of the title. In the most infamous role of her film career, Allison's performance literally rips off the roof. In fact, make that a couple of roofs.

Jaw-droppingly tacky, "Aot50FW" is the tale of Nancy, a neurotic, boozy heiress and her loveless Lothario husband, Harry (William Hudson, who also co-starred opposite The Amazing Colossal Man). Nancy has a close encounter of the third kind, in the desert, with a bald giant from outer space who wears a mini-skirt and gladiator sandals, and who has a thing for Nancy's jewelry. What he does to her once he's carried her off is probably best left a mystery, but soon Nancy starts to grow.

Treading into the center of town on tranquilizers, tightly wrapped in nothing but the bed sheets, the buxom giantess heads toward the low-rent saloon where Harry is having a few laughs with a floozy named Honey (Yvette Vickers). The confrontation turns ugly.

The Poverty Row f/x make the alien giant and Nancy appear to be transparent due to incompetently transposed images. You'll understand why director Nathan Juran changed his name to Nathan Hertz on the credits. Juran was no stranger to directing giant creatures, human and non, having also directed "The Deadly Mantis," "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad," "Jack, the Giant Killer" plus several episodes of TV's "World of Giants" and "Land of the Giants."

A lot of laughs for all the wrong reasons.