The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)

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

Director:

Coleman Francis

Writer:

Coleman Francis

Stars:

Douglas Mellor, Barbara Francis, Bing Stafford

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Douglas Mellor	...	Hank Radcliffe
Barbara Francis	...	Lois Radcliffe
Bing Stafford	...	Jim Archer
Larry Aten	...	Joe Dobson
Linda Bielema	...	Wife on Vacation
Ronald Francis	...	Randy Radcliffe
Alan Francis	...	Art Radcliffe
Anthony Cardoza	...	KGB Driver / Helpful Neighbor (as Tony Cardoza)
Bob Labansat	...	Javorsky's Bodyguard
Jim Oliphant	...	Husband on Vacation
John Morrison	...	KGB Passenger
Eric Tomlin	...	Driver Run off Road
Jim Miles	...	Javorsky's Driver
George Prince	...	Man Who Reports Murder (as George Principe)
Conrad Brooks	...	Man at Airfield

Storyline

A defecting Russian scientist is transformed by an atomic test into a hulking monster (Tor Johnson, of course). Not much else except some people are killed, boys get lost, and a rabbit sniffs Tor's corpse. This film was used for Mystery Science Theater 3000.

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Plot Keywords:

flag on the moon | nudity | mutant | z movie | psychotronic | 

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Taglines:

Commies made him an atomic mutant!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 May 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Girl Madness

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$34,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cardoza-Francis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

54 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Coleman Francis: [location] Yucca Flats airstrip

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Goofs

The Radcliffes get a flat tire and pull over on a desolate desert highway. As the Dad changes the flat tire, the shadow of the film crew vehicle is right behind him, along the side of the road.

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Quotes

Narrator: Touch a button. Things happen. A scientist becomes a beast.

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Alternate Versions

Some versions eliminate the bare breasts shot in the beginning of the film.

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Connections

Featured in Monsters Attack!: 25 Movie Collection (2016)

User Reviews

Where's The Beast?

The towering presence of "Swedish Angel" Tor Johnson and laughable narration that sounds at times like some kind of oriental poetry fail to make this film more than barely watchable. There is no real dialogue (presumably the producers couldn't afford a travelling microphone) -- all the dialogue is postdubbed with the actors conveniently turning their heads away when the speak! -- or story, and the only effects are a guy parachuting off a helicopter and Johnson in pancake makeup. Still, a somehow amusing low-budget film filled with friends and associates of the late great Ed Wood.