IMDb > The Giant Gila Monster (1959)
The Giant Gila Monster
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The Giant Gila Monster (1959) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2 NEW)
The Giant Gila Monster (1959) -- A teenage hot rodder and his buddies meet a large lizard that devours trees.
The Giant Gila Monster (1959) -- A giant lizard terrorizes a rural Texas community with a heroic teenager attempting to destroy the creature.

Overview

User Rating:
2.8/10   1,498 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Ray Kellogg
Writers:
Ray Kellogg (story)
Jay Simms (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Giant Gila Monster on IMDbPro.
Genre:
Horror more
Tagline:
Only Hell could breed such an enormous beast. Only God could destroy it!
Plot:
A giant lizard terrorizes a rural Texas community with a heroic teenager attempting to destroy the creature. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
A Pleasurable Guilty Pleasure more (82 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Don Sullivan ... Chase Winstead
Fred Graham ... Sheriff Jeff
Lisa Simone ... Lisa
Shug Fisher ... Old Man Harris
Bob Thompson ... Mr. Wheeler
Janice Stone ... Missy Winstead
Ken Knox ... Horatio Alger 'Steamroller' Smith
Gay McLendon ... Mom Winstead
Don Flournoy ... Gordy
Cecil Hunt ... Mr. Compton
Stormy Meadows ... Agatha Humphries
Howard Ware ... Ed Humphries
Pat Reeves ... Rick
Jan McLendon ... Jennie
Jerry Cortwright ... Bob
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
74 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Certification:
USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #19329)
Filming Locations:
Cielo, Texas, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The "Gila Monster" in the movie is actually a Mexican Beaded Lizard. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: The string pulling at the back of the oil truck is visible in the shot when it crashes. more
Quotes:
Sheriff Jeff: *What* did you hit him with?
Chase Winstead: My brand new, 100% completed hot rod.
Sheriff Jeff: You'd have had to start in the next county to get up enough momentum to do that to him.
Chase Winstead: Not with 4 quarts of nitro glycerin riding with me.
Mr. Wheeler: You drove across that rough field carrying nitro?
Chase Winstead: Yes sir!
Sheriff Jeff: Do you realize what could have happened?
Chase Winstead: It did. I lost my car!
Sheriff Jeff: Don't worry about that, the railroad will be *glad* to buy you a new one.
more
Soundtrack:
The Mushroom Song more

FAQ

Is this available on DVD?
more
18 out of 18 people found the following comment useful.
A Pleasurable Guilty Pleasure, 5 August 2001
6/10

I know this film is bad. I know the gila monster is nothing more than a live one put on the ground with some miniature trucks, cars, buildings, and even a train. I know the acting is overall very poor. The script is full of holes, and the special effects are not special. But I really like this film overall. What this film DOES have is a whole lot of heart. The story deals with people missing in a very small town. The sheriff(played very nicely by Fred Graham) is pressured by the local industrialist to find his son that has been missing. Where does the lawmen go for help? Well, he goes to a teenager that happens to work at a local garage, drive a souped up hot-rod, sing rock and roll in his spare time, and is a swell guy in general. Don Sullivan plays the young man, and I think he is actually pretty good. Sure, the film is hokey. What film wouldn't be with a title like The Giant Gila Monster? But this film is more than your typical B science fiction film of the 50's. It really tries hard to create characters rather than just stereotypes. There are scenes that you just would not find in your average teen science fiction flick. The scene where Chase sings to his crippled sister is just one example. This film was produced by Festus..I mean Ken Curtis who also had his hand in that other fun, campy science fiction film of the same year The Killer Shrews.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Giant Gila Monster (1959)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
drunk driving and mushrooms ZootAllures
Chase Winstead's Curious 'Non-Regional Accent'? Attillio
Were The Words To That Song... kfipaul
'Bent-Knee-Syndrome ' on Gila Monster? Attillio
Jane Eyre? no_bodieseverknew
The Mushroom Song (Laugh, Children, Laugh) xtrospawn
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