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 string pulling at the back of the oil truck is visible in the shot when it crashes.

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Quotes

Sheriff Jeff: Have you heard the reports of a "giant lizard"?
Mr. Wheeler: Yes, but it's just not possible.
Sheriff Jeff: Well, why not? There have been giants before!

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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

Featured in Fantastic Dinosaurs of the Movies (1990)

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Soundtracks

My Baby, She Rocks
(uncredited)
Composed and Performed by Don Sullivan

User Reviews

I bought this movie

The acting is embarrassing, the special effects are terrible, the photography is okay except for consistently bad lighting, the dialog is awkward, and the locations of the shots are difficult to mentally resolve. I love this movie. It's like a movie I would have tried to make, and wish I had made. I would be proud of it today if I had. I bought it, it's that good/bad. It's not as bad as "Plan 9 From Outer Space", in fact it's Academy Award material compared to Plan 9. It's one of those 50's low budget movies that I can't get enough of. I would love to have a collection of movies like this one. One thing I never quite understood was how a Gila Monster survived in Texas or possibly a Midwestern locale. It obviously wasn't Arizona... Forgot to mention the singing, makes the acting look good.