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How to Make a Monster

  • 1958
  • Unrated
  • 1h 13m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
How to Make a Monster (1958)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer2:01
1 Video
99+ Photos
HorrorSci-Fi

When a master monster make-up artist is sacked by the new bosses of American International studios, he uses his creations to exact revenge.When a master monster make-up artist is sacked by the new bosses of American International studios, he uses his creations to exact revenge.When a master monster make-up artist is sacked by the new bosses of American International studios, he uses his creations to exact revenge.

  • Director
    • Herbert L. Strock
  • Writers
    • Aben Kandel
    • Herman Cohen
  • Stars
    • Robert H. Harris
    • Paul Brinegar
    • Gary Conway
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    1.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Herbert L. Strock
    • Writers
      • Aben Kandel
      • Herman Cohen
    • Stars
      • Robert H. Harris
      • Paul Brinegar
      • Gary Conway
    • 46User reviews
    • 33Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:01
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos122

    Heather Ames in How to Make a Monster (1958)
    How to Make a Monster (1958)
    Gary Clarke in How to Make a Monster (1958)
    Paul Brinegar, Gary Clarke, and Robert H. Harris in How to Make a Monster (1958)
    How to Make a Monster (1958)
    Gary Clarke, Robert H. Harris, and Thomas Browne Henry in How to Make a Monster (1958)
    Gary Clarke and Gary Conway in How to Make a Monster (1958)
    Gary Conway in How to Make a Monster (1958)
    Paul Brinegar in How to Make a Monster (1958)
    How to Make a Monster (1958)
    Gary Clarke and Robert H. Harris in How to Make a Monster (1958)
    Gary Clarke in How to Make a Monster (1958)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert H. Harris
    Robert H. Harris
    • Pete Dumond
    Paul Brinegar
    Paul Brinegar
    • Rivero
    Gary Conway
    Gary Conway
    • Tony Mantell--Teenage Frankenstein
    Gary Clarke
    Gary Clarke
    • Larry Drake--Teenage Werewolf
    Malcolm Atterbury
    Malcolm Atterbury
    • Richards
    Dennis Cross
    • Monahan
    Morris Ankrum
    Morris Ankrum
    • Police Capt. Hancock
    Walter Reed
    Walter Reed
    • Detective Thompson
    Paul Maxwell
    Paul Maxwell
    • Jeff Clayton
    Eddie Marr
    Eddie Marr
    • John Nixon
    Heather Ames
    Heather Ames
    • Arlene Dow
    Robert Shayne
    Robert Shayne
    • Gary Droz
    Rodd Dana
    Rodd Dana
    • Lab Technician
    • (as Rod Dana)
    Jaclyn Hellman
    • Jane
    • (as Jacqueline Ebeier)
    Joan Chandler
    • Marilyn
    Thomas Browne Henry
    Thomas Browne Henry
    • Martin Brace
    • (as Thomas B. Henry)
    John Phillips
    John Phillips
    • Detective Jones
    Paulene Myers
    Paulene Myers
    • Millie
    • (as Pauline Myers)
    • Director
      • Herbert L. Strock
    • Writers
      • Aben Kandel
      • Herman Cohen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was advertised with the tagline "See the Ghastly Ghouls in Flaming Color!" However, most of the movie was in black and white with only the final two reels in color.
    • Goofs
      The visitors to the studio are told they are about to visit the set of Horrors of the Black Museum (1959). That film, which was also produced and written by Herman Cohen, was actually shot in England, not at the U.S. studio.
    • Quotes

      Jeffrey Clayton: [Surprised that Pete has declined severance pay] Turn down money? Maybe you've been living too long with these monsters!

      Pete Dumond: Sometimes I find them better company than humans.

    • Connections
      Featured in Aweful Movies with Deadly Earnest: How to Make a Monster (1970)
    • Soundtracks
      You've Got to Have Ee-Ooo
      Lyrics by Skip Redwine

      Music by Paul Dunlap

      Sung by John Ashley

    User reviews46

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Silly premise but still quite watchable.
    Everyone knows that makeup artists are expert hypnotists and can make people do things no other hypnotist can do. You must believe this or HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER might make very little sense--as this IS the premise for the film! Let me back up a bit. A long-time studio makeup man who specializes in monsters is fired when his studio is sold. The big-wigs insist that monster films are a dying breed and so his services are no longer needed. So, to get revenge, the makeup man hypnotizes two young men who are in his makeup chair for one final monster film. Made up (very poorly) like Frankenstein and the Wolf Man, they kill studio execs yet have no recollection of it afterwords. That's because as they sit their getting the prosthetics applied, the makeup artist talks to them--hypnotizing them very subtly and giving them the command to forget.

    By the way, I really, really wish that hypnosis DID work that way--I'd use it for evil and global domination myself...or at least to get out of traffic tickets and get free stuff. I have a decent amount of graduate training in clinical hypnosis and believe me, if you could do this sort of brainwashing, someone would have done it a long time ago!

    This is the sort of silly drive-in movie that American-International excelled at in the 50s. None of these films were brilliant or had great production values, but they were entertaining on a simple level. And, despite the silly premise and bad makeup I mentioned above, you can't help but like HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER. It's a nice behind the scenes look at the studio and it is a pleasant little diversion.

    By the way, for a long-time makeup man, you sure think the guy would have done a better job with his Frankenstein. It just looked like some guy who was standing too close to an A-bomb blast and not the famous monster!

    Also, interestingly the film changes from black & white to color towards the end. At this point, the makeup man shows the actors his little home gallery of masks--it's really actually very cool, as many of the American-International monsters and aliens are there in this room. Cool stuff.
    helpful•7
    2
    • planktonrules
    • Jun 29, 2009

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 1, 1958 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Satan mit den tausend Masken
    • Filming locations
      • ZIV Studios - 7950 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Sunset Productions (III)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 13 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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