War of the Colossal Beast (1958)

Glenn Manning, "The Amazing Colosasal Man," believed dead after falling from the Hoover Dam, reemerges in rural Mexico, brain damaged, disfigured, and very hungry.

Director:

Bert I. Gordon

Writers:

Bert I. Gordon (story), George Worthing Yates (screenplay)

Stars:

Sally Fraser, Roger Pace, Duncan 'Dean' Parkin

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sally Fraser	...	Joyce Manning
Roger Pace	...	Maj. Mark Baird
Duncan 'Dean' Parkin	...	Col. Glenn Manning (as Dean Parkin)
Russ Bender	...	Dr. Carmichael
Rico Alaniz	...	Sgt. Luis Murillo
George Becwar	...	John Swanson
Robert Hernandez	...	Miguel
Charles Stewart	...	Capt. Harris
June Jocelyn	...	Mrs. Edwards
John McNamara	...	Neurologist
Loretta Nicholson	...	Joan
Raymond Winston	...	Arthur Lang
Jack Kosslyn	...	Newscaster
George Navarro	...	Mexican Doctor
Bob Garnet	...	Pentagon Correspondent

Storyline

A mysterious series of food truck robberies makes government officials doubt that the 60-foot tall Colossal Man is dead. He is discovered in a desolate mountain range in Mexico, insane and horribly disfigured. The military drugs him and transports him back to America where he promptly escapes and wreaks havoc on a city.

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Plot Keywords:

b movie | black and white to color | catatonia | child in danger | color scene | 

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Taglines:

The towering terror from hell!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The producers decided to use the very heavy make up on Duncan 'Dean' Parkin as a way to disguise the fact that a different actor was playing Col. Manning, especially since in a dream sequence flashing back to the original film featured Glenn Langan, the star of that film.

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Goofs

Maj. Baird says the Colorado River, where the Colossal Man fell into at the end of the first movie, is a mile deep in some points. The deepest the river gets is just over 100 feet.

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Quotes

Dr. Carmichael: The foot that made that print is about ten times the size of a normal man's. That would make him about sixty feet tall.
Joyce Manning: Glenn was sixty feet tall!

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Alternate Versions

The original 16mm U.S. television syndication prints had the color finale printed in black and white.

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Connections

Featured in TJ and the All Night Theatre: Beyond the Time Barrier + the Amazing Colossal Man + War of the Colossal Beast (1981)

User Reviews

Still creepy after all these years

"War of the Colossal Beast," the sequel to the cult-classic "The Amazing Colossal Man," isn't as bad as some critics would have you believe. It's loaded with unintentional laughs ("Get the picture?"), lots of cultural stereotypes, and a make-up design that is superior to most of its sci-fi contemporaries. The Colossal Beast's first appearance in the film can still shock the unsuspecting viewer, and the end sequence at Griffith Park -- along with the reinserted color pay-off -- make this film a must for any '50s B-movie enthusiast.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

June 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

War of the Colossal Beast

Filming Locations:

Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carmel Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1