The Hideous Sun Demon (1959)

After exposure to radiation, an atomic research scientist finds himself changing into a murderous, lizard-like creature every time he is exposed to sunlight.

Directors:

Robert Clarke, Tom Boutross

Writers:

E.S. Seeley Jr. (screenplay), Doane R. Hoag (additional dialogue),

Stars:

Robert Clarke, Patricia Manning, Nan Peterson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Clarke	...	Dr. Gilbert McKenna
Patricia Manning	...	Ann Russell
Nan Peterson	...	Trudy Osborne
Patrick Whyte	...	Dr. Frederick Buckell
Fred La Porta	...	Dr. Jacob Hoffman
Peter Similuk	...	George Messorio
William White	...	Police Lt. Peterson (as Bill Hampton)
Robert Garry	...	Dr. Stern
Donna King	...	Suzy's Mother
Xandra Conkling	...	Suzy
Del Courtney	...	Radio Deejay
Richard Cassarino	...	Barfly / Man on Beach with Kids / Policeman (as Cass Richards)
Helen Joseph
Darryl Westbrook
Bill Currie

Storyline

After exposure to radiation, an atomic research scientist finds himself changing into a murderous, lizard-like creature every time he is exposed to sunlight.

---

Plot Keywords:

radiation | manhunt | falling from height | monster | beating | 

---

Taglines:

The Blaze Of The Sun Made Him A Monster!

---

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Terror from the Sun

Filming Locations:

Boarding House, Lafayette Park Ave., Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$58,500 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Clarke-King Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Clarke later helped spoof this movie when it was re-dubbed and re-released as What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon

---

Goofs

When Gil fight the cop on the top of the storage tank he has stains on both the front and the back of his pants. In the next scene as he runs up the stairs the stain on the front is not there but when he turns to confront the cop it has reappeared.

---

Connections

Featured in It Came from Hollywood (1982)

---

Soundtracks

"Strange Pursuit"
Sung by Marilyn King (as Marylyn King)

User Reviews

Fun, fast paced low budget horror

Memorable independently produced 50s monster fare has Clarke (who sci-fi fans will remember from the equally memorable "The Man From Planet X") as a scientist whose exposure to radioactive isotopes causes him to become a monster whenever exposed to the sun. The film is extraordinary in that its focus is on the effect the transformation has on Clarke's character, emotionally and morally; his excessive drinking and his search for nightlife exemplify this. Having been forced by his vampire-like condition to avoid the sun and the "good girl" he knows in town, he has no option but to live the other way. By taking a floozy out for a moonlit walk (she seems really surprised when he says he actually wants to take a walk, perhaps expecting a mere pickup) he shows how he wants to make his night world into a respectable one, but can't (the sun again turns him into the demon).

Good makeup, nice performances in the B-mode all around. If you're a fan of these kind of movies, this is the movie you're looking for -- one of the best of its kind.