The Giant Gila Monster (1959)

A giant lizard terrorizes a rural Texas community and a a heroic teenager attempts to destroy the creature.

Director:

Ray Kellogg

Writers:

Ray Kellogg (original story), Jay Simms (screenplay)

Stars:

Don Sullivan, Fred Graham, Lisa Simone

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A couple of teenagers are reported missing in a small Texas town, and it is thought they eloped. Sheriff Jeff turns to his friend Clarence Winstead, a garage mechanic and leader of a hot-rod gang, for help. After a series of tragic motor accidents, it becomes apparent that a giant Gila monster is roaming the area depleting the town of its citizens and visitors, including two hot-rodding teens, and planning to attend the BIG record-hop party.

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Plot Keywords:

nitroglycerin | monster | monster movie | giant monster | reel to reel tape recorder | 

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Taglines:

Only Hell could breed such an enormous beast. Only God could destroy it!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1959 (UK)

Also Known As:

Gigantyczna jaszczurka

Filming Locations:

Lake Dallas, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$138,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood Pictures Corporation (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The voice you hear on the other end of the phone, when Chase eavesdrops on a phone call to the police department, is that of Ken Curtis, who served as producer on this film. He is more famous for having played scruffy deputy Festus Hagen on Gunsmoke (1955).

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Goofs

The locomotive pulling the train that crashes off the bridge knocked down by the title creature, changes from a switch engine to a streamlined unit, then back to the switch engine, but pulling in reverse and then back to a head-on view of the streamliner, just before the crash.

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Quotes

Sheriff Jeff: *What* did you hit him with?
Chase Winstead: My brand new, 100% completed hot rod.
Sheriff Jeff: You'd have had to start in the next county to get up enough momentum to do that to him.
Chase Winstead: Not with 4 quarts of nitro glycerin riding with me.
Mr. Wheeler: You drove across that rough field carrying nitro?
Chase Winstead: Yes sir!
Sheriff Jeff: Do you realize what could have happened?
Chase Winstead: It did. I lost my car!
Sheriff Jeff: Don't worry about that, the railroad will be *glad* to buy you a new one.

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Alternate Versions

A colorized version was released in 2007, as part of a double feature with The Killer Shrews.

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Connections

Edited into Hookers in a Haunted House (1999)

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Soundtracks

The Mushroom Song
(uncredited)
(aka "Laugh, Children, Laugh")
Composed and Performed by Don Sullivan

User Reviews

A Classic Monster Film From the PAST!!

Enjoyed viewing this old time classic film with the old Hot Rod cars of the 1930's with rumble seats and the 1959 Dodge car which the Sheriff (Fred Graham),"Mom & Boy",'72 was able to acquire from his town. Don Sullivan(Chase Winstead),"The Rebel Set",'59 helped the Sheriff try to solve all the strange happens with people and their cars, especially their Hot Rod leader. Lisa Simone(Lisa),"Missile to the Moon",'58 added some romance to this black and white film. This is one of the films that were made during the period when Monsters were animated and then magnified because of the low budget the film producers had to work with. A few of these pictures that followed this same procedure were: "Attack of the Crab Monsters",'57 and "The Black Scorpion",'57. If you like old classic films from the late 1950's this is a film to view and enjoy!