Eegah (1962)

Director:

Arch Hall Sr.

Writers:

Arch Hall Sr. (story)
Bob Wehling (screenplay)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Music

Tagline:

The Crazed Love of a Prehistoric Giant for a Ravishing Teenage Girl!

Plot:

Teenagers stumble across a prehistoric caveman, who goes on a rampage.

Plot Keywords:

Giant | Caveman | Teenage Girl | Palm Springs California | Desert

Cast

Arch Hall Jr.	...	Tom Nelson
Marilyn Manning	...	Roxy Miller
Richard Kiel	...	Eegah
Arch Hall Sr.	...	Robert Miller (as William Watters)
Clay Stearns	...	Band Member
Bob Davis	...	George
Deke Lussier	...	Band Member
Ron Shane	...	Detective
Addalyn Pollitt	...	George's Wife
Bill Lloyd	...	Kruger (as William Lloyd)
Ray Dennis Steckler	...	Mr. Fishman (as Ray Steckler)
Bill Rice	...	Chef

Also Known As:

Eegah! (USA) (poster title)
Eegah! The Name Written in Blood

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Fairway International Pictures

Trivia:

Filmed in Bronson Canyon, a cave complex in the hills above Hollywood where Robot Monster (1953) was filmed. Eegah's cavern is Ro-Man's headquarters seen from a different angle.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: After Eegah is first discovered, Roxy's father begins to walk off screen but yells "Watch out for snakes" without his lips moving.

Quotes:

Tom: Wow-zee-wow-wow Roxy!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Eegah! (#6.6)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Vickie

Goof Meter Overload

This movie is an anthropological curiosity about an anthropological curiosity. Dug up from a time when it would seem like a good idea to produce a caveman/horror/comedy/musical, "Eegah" today leaves viewers astounded by the shear freakish nature of the film itself. Richard Kiel stars as Eegah the caveman whom for millinea had survived in a cave with his mummified relatives in the hills near a desert town. For some reason he didn't choose to emerge from the desolate perimeters of his home until 1962. The hapless female played by Marilyn Manning almost runs him down one night while driving home. After she screeches to a halt she faints at the sight of the collosal Eegah donning furs and swinging a plastic club. When she awakes she tells her boyfriend played by the esteemed Arch Hall Jr., all about the "giant" she saw. Eventually Eegah kidnapps Marilyn's Dad (played by Arch Hall Sr). Arch and Marilyn go into the hills in a dune buggy to find him. After the ensuing incidents they all escape an angry Eegah who then follows them on foot back to town where the real fun begins. Arch Hall Jr. is the ham of all hams in this one, singing badly these love songs devoted to different girls his character had supposedly been involved with. His voice is that of a fifteen year old kid who hasn't completely developed the manly timbre and squeaks out emotive ballads like the low-point of any high school talent show. The goof-meter on this film is to overload as scene after scene actors act badly, Richard Kiel tweeks his face in reaction to whatever is taking place while an out of sync voice over grunts "RRRRRRR....SHTEMLO...EEGAH...." The lighting in the interior scenes look like a home movie from days of yore and the props are straight out of an arts and crafts store. Overall, I can't say "Eegah" is one of the worst films ever made as it's never really painful and too much fun to watch. The films that vie for that title cause the viewer excrutiating agony and are made by those who have no apparent intent on entertaining anyone(i.e. "Robot Monster", "Flesh Feast", "House of 1000 Corpses"). I recommend "Eegah" as a cult classic and a fun party movie.