Attack of the Puppet People (1958)

Lonely, deranged puppet-master designs a machine that shrinks people.

Director:

Bert I. Gordon

Writers:

George Worthing Yates (screenplay), Bert I. Gordon (story)

Stars:

John Agar, John Hoyt, June Kenney

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Agar	...	Bob Westley
John Hoyt	...	Mr. Franz
June Kenney	...	Sally Reynolds (as June Kenny)
Susan Gordon	...	Agnes
Michael Mark	...	Emil
Jack Kosslyn	...	Sgt. Paterson
Marlene Willis	...	Laurie / Themesong Vocalist
Ken Miller	...	Stan
Laurie Mitchell	...	Georgia Lane
Scott Peters	...	Mac
June Jocelyn	...	Brownie Leader
Jean Moorhead	...	Janet Hall
Hank Patterson	...	Janitor
Hal Bogart	...	Special Delivery Man
Troy Patterson	...	Elevator Operator

Storyline

Deranged doll-maker Mr. Franz is deathly afraid of being left alone, so he creates a machine that can shrink humans down to only a few inches tall. He soon accumulates a troupe of shrunken prisoners whom he forces to perform for him and keep him company. When he shrinks his secretary Sally and her fiance Bob, the pair decide against spending their days as pint-sized playthings and try to find a way to escape and re-enlarge themselves.

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Plot Keywords:

doll maker | secretary | laboratory | swing dancing | want ad | 

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Taglines:

Doll dwarfs versus the crushing giant beats!

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Horror

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Studios [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Was a Teenage Doll

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alta Vista Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Susan Gordon.

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Goofs

When Franz goes from the front room to the rear, he exits on the left side of the doorway, as viewed from the front room. When the shot immediately cuts to the rear room, he's shown entering on the opposite side of the doorway.

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Connections

Referenced in Morgan Stewart's Coming Home (1987)

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Soundtracks

"You're My Living Doll"
Music by Albert Glasser and Don A. Ferris (as Don Ferris)
Lyrics by Henry Schrage
Sung by Marlene Willis

User Reviews

Pure fun! An excellent 50s sci-fi classic!

This is the only review for this film? Well I better milk it for everything it's worth! This movie is truly one of the best 50s sci-fi movies. Bert I. Gordon does it again; he really did his best work in the 50s. The story is quite simple: a dollmaker shrinks people so he can keep the people he loves close to him. The effects are above average considering the age of the film and the acting is pretty good. But what do you really look for in a 50s sci-fi movie? Special effects and monsters, of course. Now monsters aren't present (unless you count a giant cat and a giant rat), but the special effects are great! The best scene: John Agar and June Kenney are forced to be a part of a puppet show, Agar gets annoyed and beats his marionette "co-star" to a pulp!