GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN (1958)
Tagline: It Came From Another World to Terrorize the Lives of Hundreds
(Sci-Fi, Adventure, Angry Martians) [PG-13]
Note – This movie did not originally have an MPAA rating, but I am pretty sure it would have been a PG-13 due to the subject matter.
If anything happens while you've got me in custody, like another killing, it'll be just as though you had done it yourself. Outside of being the laughing stock of the entire county, you'll have to live with the memory of it for the rest of your hard-headed life.
In this one, an abnormally large Spanish conqueror is brought back to life after a lightning storm and goes on a killing rampage that terrorizes a small town. Can Dr. Frederick Cleveland, his daughter, and the town's most hated citizen find a way to stop the terror?
First off, when you look at the title of this thing it sounds very sci-fi. Because when something is “unknown” and it’s the 50’s, then of course science is going to have to figure out what the heck is going on. Only – then you read the synopsis and you are like – “wait a minute?” How is this FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES plotline going to add up to anything “science”? Well, rest assured, that while we do have a killer on the loose and he’s got armor and he’s unstoppable, the reason is “science”. I will just leave it at that.
Acting-wise whenever Sally Fraser shows up, you are probably in for something epic. She was in everything from WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST to EARTH VS THE SPIDER. She is good in this as the professor’s daughter Janet Cleveland, but man, do not give Janet a gun. She will flip out at some point and shoot her bed. Yes, that happens in this movie. Morris Ankrum is also in this and he plays more of an archeologist (Dr. Frederick Cleveland) in this one which is a bit of a departure from his roles in other films. He’s also really good as per freakin usual. Morris also appears in THE GIANT CLAW and EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS among several other great sci-fi flicks. The movie's main actor is Ed Kemmer who plays Wayne Brooks. Kemmer is outstanding in this movie and also has the distinction of staring with Sally Fraser in EARTH VS THE SPIDER. Kemmer had a 29-year acting career that involved 96 different projects. The “Giant” was played by Buddy Baer who was famous for playing roles involving super-sized heroes or villains. He doesn’t speak in this, he just jacks up everything he sees.
This movie does have some oddities in it. One is the bed shooting scene, but I guess that would be somewhat realistic if you were scared out of your mind? The second oddity is that no one in this movie seems to own a flashlight? Flashlights first became widely available about 54 years before this film came out, so it seems strange that everyone is using “flares” for light. Also, as much as they want this killer to be a giant, he's really just a big dude.
Where this movie goes well is in the general storytelling. It’s a bit of campfire terror fun mixed in with a bit of sci-fi and excellent dialog and acting. Everyone seemed to be taking this movie seriously and what we end up with is a bit of an underappreciated gem with good cinematography and a solid score. In spite of the title and plot, this movie is extremely watchable and I would like to own it at some point. It was also shot in the same location as a few scenes in MR. DEEDS.
For me, this is a top-notch 50’s film with a bit of everything except maybe if you had been looking for a bigger giant? I give this one a solid 6 out of 7. I pretty much loved it.
GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF SCREENCRAFT ENTERPRISES AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.
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