The Giant Gila Monster (1959)

Director:

Ray Kellogg

Writers:

Ray Kellogg (original story)
Jay Simms (screenplay)

Genre:

Horror

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.

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Monster | Teenager | Giant Lizard | Mechanic

Cast

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
Beverly Thurman	...	Gay
Clarke Browne	...	Chuck
Grady Vaughn	...	Pat Wheeler
Desmond Doogh	...	Hitchhiker
Ann Sonka	...	Whila
Yolanda Salas	...	Liz Humphries
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jim Andrews	...	Extra (uncredited)
Patricia Simmons	...	Sherry (uncredited)
Angus G. Wynne III	...	Dumb Teen (uncredited)

Directed by
Ray Kellogg

Writing credits
Ray Kellogg		(original story)
Jay Simms		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ken Curtis	....	producer
B.R. McLendon	....	producer
Gordon McLendon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jack Marshall

Cinematography by
Wilfred M. Cline		(as Wilfrid M. Cline)

Film Editing by
Aaron Stell

Set Decoration by
Louise Caldwell

Makeup Department
Corinne Daniel	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ben Chapman	....	production manager

Art Department
Louise Caldwell	....	art designer (as Louis Caldwell)

Sound Department
Milton Citron	....	sound effects
James Richard	....	sound effects
Earl Snyder	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ralph Hammeras	....	special photographic effects
Wee Risser	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Harry L. Gianneschi	....	camera assistant
Henry A. Kokojan	....	camera operator
George Gordon Nogle	....	camera operator
William John Ranaldi	....	camera assistant

Music Department
Audrey Granville	....	music associate (as Audray Granville)
Jack Marshall	....	conductor
Paul Tanner	....	musician: electro-theremin (uncredited)

Other crew
Audrey A. Blasdel	....	script supervisor (as Audrey Blasdel)

Production Companies

• Hollywood Pictures Corporation (II)

Distributors

• McLendon-Radio Pictures Distributing Company (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rhino Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS) (Hosted by Elvira)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Englewood Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Ventura Distribution (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Elite Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• K-tel Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Englewood Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Gotham Distribution (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Elite Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• EastWest Entertainment (2004) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Genius Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Cielo  locations: outdoor
• Legend Films  colorization
• Legend Films  restoration

Also Known As:

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #19329)

Filming Locations:

Cielo, Texas, USA

Company:

Hollywood Pictures Corporation (II)

Trivia:

This was one of two features produced by an independent company in Texas and meant for release as a double feature. The other feature was The Killer Shrews (1959). Unlike many such features produced in the South, these films received national distribution.

Goofs:

Continuity: Chase is seen taking white wall tires off of a wrecked car and putting them on his own. In the next scene he has black wall tires on his car. The white wall tires change back and forth several times from scene to scene after that.

Quotes:

Chase Winstead:Where's Pat and Liz?
Bob:Maybe their car broke down?
Chase Winstead:Hey! I worked on that car myself!
Bob:That wouldn't make any difference if he goofed the speed shift or something!
Chase Winstead:And that squirrel is just the one that could do it!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Killer Shrews (#5.7)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

The Mushroom Song

"There was this big pink and black thing drove right in front of me...."

Hot rods and gila monsters! - now there's a mix that absolutely demands attention. "The Giant Gila Monster" opens ominously enough with sinister music but quickly turns into "At the Hop", at a pace that is repeated enough times in the movie to keep you off balance.

It's difficult to get a fix on just how monstrous our title monster is in the early going, as frequent close ups of the creature merely reveal a rather normal lizard. As the film progresses, the creature seems to grow in stature, as when he's sized up against oncoming vehicles or when he manages to destroy a railroad trestle causing a train wreck. Presumably this beast was responsible for the disappearance of two teenagers and an oil rig driver in the early going, as crack detective work by the local sheriff fails to uncover their whereabouts.

The movie actually has a lot going on, the film's hero Chase Winstead (Don Sullivan) befriends a local disc jockey by getting his car out of a jam; the DJ repays the favor by cutting a demo record for the would be singer. Chase's little sister needs a pair of braces in order to walk and they're provided by Chase's girlfriend Lisa (Lisa Simone). Comic relief is provided by the town drunk Harris (Shug Fisher), who happens to witness the creature up close and personal a couple of times, but who's buying his story?

I remember as a kid watching any number of TV shows and movies of the 1950's in which nitroglycerin was a major factor in the outcome of a story. With four quarts of nitro just hanging around, young Chase manages to steer his souped up hot rod into the path of the looming monster to insure a successful and fiery finale.

Even back in 1959, it seemed that corporate sponsors were a factor in movie production, you'll need more than one hand to count the number of times Mobil Oil gets it's message across.

With all said and done, "The Giant Gila Monster" is one of those campy 1950's gems that requires at least one viewing so you could say you've been there and done that. Try to get your hands on the DVD box set of fifty sci-fi and horror films neatly packaged with a mix of downright terrible offerings like "The Beast of Yucca Flats" along with screen classics like "Nosferatu". You'll enjoy yourself for weeks and increase your knowledge of "B" and "Z" grade films to the delight of your friends and neighbors.