3.4/10
3,097
114 user 43 critic

The Giant Gila Monster (1959)

Not Rated | | Horror, Sci-Fi | 1959 (UK)
The Giant Gila Monster Poster
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 | See full cast & crew »
Reviews

Watch Now

With Prime Video

ON DISC
ALL

Photos

See all 266 photos »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
The Killer Shrews (1959)
Horror | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 3.9/10 X  

On an isolated island, a small group of people are terrorized by giant voracious shrews in the midst of a hurricane.

Director: Ray Kellogg
Stars: James Best, Ingrid Goude, Ken Curtis
Next »
Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
Horror | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 3.6/10 X  

A backwoods game warden and a local doctor discover that giant leeches are responsible for disappearances and deaths in a local swamp, but the local police don't believe them.

Director: Bernard L. Kowalski
Stars: Ken Clark, Yvette Vickers, Jan Shepard
Next »
Gila! (TV Movie 2012)
Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.2/10 X  

A giant lizard terrorizes a rural mid west community with a group of heroic young people led by Chase Winstead attempting to destroy the creature.

Director: Jim Wynorski
Stars: Bruce Munson, Adrienne Atkins, Bryan Patrick McCulley
Next »
The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)
Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.3/10 X  

A military officer survives a nuclear blast, only to begin to uncontrollably grow into an increasingly unstable giant.

Director: Bert I. Gordon
Stars: Glenn Langan, Cathy Downs, William Hudson
Next »
The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)
Horror | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.2/10 X  

A doctor experimenting with transplant techniques keeps his girlfriend's head alive when she is decapitated in a car crash, then goes hunting for a new body.

Director: Joseph Green
Stars: Jason Evers, Virginia Leith, Anthony La Penna
Next »
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
Horror | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.8/10 X  

Scientists become trapped on a shrinking island with intelligent, murderous giant crabs.

Director: Roger Corman
Stars: Richard Garland, Pamela Duncan, Russell Johnson
Next »
The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)
Horror | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2.4/10 X  

A defecting Soviet scientist is hit by a nuclear explosion near Yucca Flats and roams around as a beast.

Director: Coleman Francis
Stars: Douglas Mellor, Barbara Francis, Bing Stafford
Next »
The Deadly Mantis (1957)
Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.9/10 X  

A giant prehistoric praying mantis, recently freed from the Arctic ice, voraciously preys on American military at the DEW Line and works its way south.

Director: Nathan Juran
Stars: Craig Stevens, William Hopper, Alix Talton
Next »
The Vampire Bat (1933)
Certificate: Passed Drama | Horror | Mystery
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

When corpses drained of blood begin to show up in a European village, vampirism is suspected to be responsible.

Director: Frank R. Strayer
Stars: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas
Next »
Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)
Certificate: Passed Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.5/10 X  

A teenage couple accidentally awakens an alien after hitting it with their car.

Director: Edward L. Cahn
Stars: Steven Terrell, Gloria Castillo, Frank Gorshin
Next »
The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues (1955)
Certificate: Passed Horror | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 3.5/10 X  

An unusual radioactive rock on the sea bottom mutates the ocean life into a horrible monster. When charred, radioactive bodies begin to drift ashore a scientist and government agent ... See full summary »

Director: Dan Milner
Stars: Kent Taylor, Cathy Downs, Michael Whalen
Next »
Eegah (1962)
Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2.2/10 X  

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

Director: Arch Hall Sr.
Stars: Arch Hall Jr., Marilyn Manning, Richard Kiel
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Don Sullivan ... Chase Winstead
Fred Graham ... Sheriff Jeff
Lisa Simone Lisa Simone ... Lisa
Shug Fisher ... Old Man Harris
Bob Thompson Bob Thompson ... Mr. Wheeler
Janice Stone Janice Stone ... Missy Winstead
Ken Knox Ken Knox ... Horatio Alger 'Steamroller' Smith
Gay McLendon Gay McLendon ... Mom Winstead
Don Flournoy Don Flournoy ... Gordy
Cecil Hunt Cecil Hunt ... Mr. Compton
Stormy Meadows Stormy Meadows ... Agatha Humphries
Howard Ware Howard Ware ... Ed Humphries
Pat Reeves Pat Reeves ... Rick
Jan McLendon Jan McLendon ... Jennie
Jerry Cortwright Jerry Cortwright ... Bob
See full cast »
Edit

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. Written by Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

nitroglycerin | monster | monster movie | giant monster | reel to reel tape recorder | See All (46) »

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1959 (UK) See more »

Also Known As:

Gigantyczna jaszczurka See more »

Filming Locations:

Lake Dallas, Texas, USA See more »
Edit

Box Office

Budget:

$138,000 (estimated)
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood Pictures Corporation (II) See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Opening credits: All characters and events in this film are fictitious and bear no resemblance to any person living or dead. See more »

Goofs

Just after Chase receives the phone call from the Sheriff about the wrecked oil truck, in the next scene the shadow of the boom mic can be seen in the lower left corner of the frame, next to the police car, right before Chase pulls up in his dragster. See more »

Quotes

Chase Winstead: Where's Pat and Liz?
Bob: Maybe their car broke down?
Chase Winstead: Hey! I worked on that car myself!
Bob: That wouldn't make any difference if he goofed the speed shift or something!
Chase Winstead: And that squirrel is just the one that could do it!
See more »

Alternate Versions

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

Connections

Edited into Attack of the 50 Foot Monster Mania (1999) See more »

Soundtracks

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this available on DVD?
See more »

User Reviews

 
1950's-Style Garbage Monster Flick
22 May 2015 | by roddekker – See all my reviews

Featuring some of the lousiest, z-grade effects ever, along with some of the most inept acting on Earth, The Giant Gila Monster is Sci-Fi/Horror that truly scrapes the absolute bottom of the barrel when it comes to cheap, worthless and incompetent film-making.

I would like to say that this dreadful clunker was actually so bad that it was good. But if I said that I would (truthfully) be lying.

The Giant Gila Monster is a typically predictable mix of 1950s, hot-rod teen-mentality and the bizarre appearance (for no explicable reason, whatsoever) of a mutated monster. This time it being a 70 foot gila monster.

Set in rural Texas - Minor, 50s pop sensation, Don Sullivan plays the sickeningly sweet bad-boy and car fanatic, Chase Winstead.

Chase and the bungling town lawman, Sheriff Jeff, unite as a team and join forces to try to find a way to combat and destroy this ferocious beast who, besides already gobbling up several town-folks, has had the sheer audacity to actually bulldoze its unwelcome way into the teens' barn-style sock hop.

In between all of the mayhem and carnage, our darling, little Chase manages to take some time off from all the heroics in order to sing some truly god-awful songs, like - Laugh, Children Laugh and My Baby, She Rocks.

Yep. This film is pure rubbish.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 114 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Stream Trending TV Series With Prime Video

Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.

Start your free trial


Clear your history

Recently Viewed