The Brain Eaters (1958)

Director:

Bruno VeSota

Writer:

Gordon Urquhart (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

September 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Tagline:

Crawling, Slimy Things Terror-Bent on Destroying the World!

Plot:

Strange things are happening in Riverdale, Illinois. A huge, seemingly alien structure has been found jutting out of the earth...

Plot Keywords:

Mysterious Object | Parasite | Alien | Electrocution | Sheriff

Cast

Ed Nelson	...	Dr. Paul Kettering (as Edwin Nelson)
Alan Jay Factor	...	Glenn Cameron (as Alan Frost)
Cornelius Keefe	...	Senator Walter K. Powers (as Jack Hill)
Joanna Lee	...	Alice Summers
Jody Fair	...	Elaine Cameron
David Hughes	...	Dr. Wyler
Robert Ball	...	Dan Walker
Greigh Phillips	...	Sheriff
Orville Sherman	...	Mayor Cameron
Leonard Nimoy	...	Professor Cole (as Leonard Nemoy)
Doug Banks	...	Doctor
Henry Randolph	...	Telegrapher
Saul Bronson	...	Prof. Helsingman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hampton Fancher	...	Zombie (uncredited)

Directed by
Bruno VeSota

Writing credits
Gordon Urquhart		(screenplay)
Robert A. Heinlein		novel "The Puppet Masters" (uncredited)

Produced by
Stanley Bickman	....	associate producer
Ed Nelson	....	producer (as Edwin Nelson)
Roger Corman	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Tom Jonson

Cinematography by
Lawrence Raimond		(director of photography) (as Larry Raimond)

Film Editing by
Carlo Lodato

Art Direction by
Burt Shonberg

Makeup Department
Alan Trumble	....	makeup artist

Production Management
F. Amos Powell	....	production manager (as Amos Powell)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Murphy	....	assistant director

Art Department
Tom Hughes	....	property master

Sound Department
James Fullerton	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Gene Petersen	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Smith	....	wardrobe

Other crew
Robert Balser	....	title designer

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Corinthian Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Selma (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Cinemacabre (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Nostalgia Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• T.V. Recorders  recorded by (as TV Recorders)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Pomona, California, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Some sources have claimed that future exploitation director Jack Hill acted in this film. "Jack Hill" was actually the name being used by veteran actor Cornelius Keefe (who plays Senator Walter K. Powers) for his film credits during the 1950s.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Dr. Kettering fires the pistol into the craft's tunnel, it demonstrates that the bullet ricochets throughout. However, what is heard is not just the ricochet but also the sound of several gunshots though the gun was discharged only once.

Quotes:

Senator Walter K. Powers:...Or my name isn't Walter K. Powers!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Biography: Leonard Nimoy: Spock and Beyond" (1996)

Much Better Than Rated

A strange seemingly destructible cone-shaped object is found in the town of Riverdale, Illinois. This comes following reports of strange lights in the sky, mysterious deaths and disappearances. Senator Walter K. Powers is sent to investigate and meets the town's scientific research team of Dr. Kettering & Dr. Wyler. Eventually they stumble upon the horrible and unlikely truth of what is the cause behind all of this. This film starts out a bit slow and is hampered by a low-budget but it is however a superb attempt to rise above the limitations of budget in order to tell a fascinating story. Scenes shot through the eyes of the Brain Eaters and featuring the Brain Eaters themselves are surprisingly well done. Really I feel this film is actually quite good.