Bride of the Monster (1955)

Director:

Edward D. Wood Jr.

Writers:

Edward D. Wood Jr. (original story and screenplay) and
Alex Gordon (original story and screenplay)

Release Date:

February 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The Screen's Master of the WEIRD in his NEWEST and MOST DARING SHOCKER!

Plot:

Dr. Varnoff captures twelve men for his experiment: to turn them into supermen using atomic energy....

Plot Keywords:

Atomic Energy | MST3K | Lieutenant | Mutant | Mad Scientist

Cast

Bela Lugosi	...	Dr. Eric Vornoff
Tor Johnson	...	Lobo
Tony McCoy	...	Lt. Dick Craig
Loretta King	...	Janet Lawton
Harvey B. Dunn	...	Capt. Tom Robbins
George Becwar	...	Prof. Vladimir Strowski
Don Nagel	...	Det. Marty Martin (as Don Nagle)
Bud Osborne	...	Lafe 'Mac' McCrea
John Warren	...	Jake Sloane
Ann Wilner	...	Tillie
Dolores Fuller	...	Margie
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Newsboy (as William Benedict)
Ben Frommer	...	Drunk
Paul Marco	...	Officer Kelton
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Conrad Brooks	...	Suspect Outside Office (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward D. Wood Jr.

Writing credits
Edward D. Wood Jr.		(original story and screenplay) and
Alex Gordon		(original story and screenplay)

Produced by
Donald E. McCoy	....	executive producer
Tony McCoy	....	associate producer
Edward D. Wood Jr.	....	producer

Original Music by
Frank Worth

Cinematography by
Ted Allan		(director of photography)
William C. Thompson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Warren Adams		(as Mike Adams)
Igo Kantor		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Louis Haszillo	....	makeup artist (as Louis J. Haszillo)
Maurice Seiderman	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Farfan	....	assistant director (as Bob Farfan)
William L. Nolte	....	assistant director (as William Nolte)

Art Department
George Bahr	....	property master

Sound Department
Dale Knight	....	sound recordist
Marshall Pollock	....	sound effects editor (as Mike Pollock)
Lyle Willey	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Pat Dinga	....	special effects

Stunts
Eddie Parker	....	stunt double: Bela Lugosi (uncredited)
Red Reagan	....	stunt double: Bela Lugosi (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas J. Connolly	....	key grip
Louis Kriger	....	electrician
Bert Shipham	....	camera operator
Larry Smith	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Other crew
Igo Kantor	....	technical supervisor

Production Companies

• Rolling M. Productions

Distributors

• Banner Productions (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rhino Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• CMV Laservision (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Side Street (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Admit One Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Arte (2008) (France) (TV)
• Arte (2008) (Germany) (TV)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Deimos Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Elstree Hill Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• LS Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Lumivision (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Prime Time Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Punto Zero (2008) (Italy) (DVD) (as Enjoy Movies)
• Salzgeber & Company Medien (????) (Germany) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  film processing
• Filmakers, The  original US copyright holder (as Filmakers Releasing Organization)
• Legend Films  colorization
• Legend Films  restoration
• Packing Services Organisation  US copyright holder

Also Known As:

Bride of the Atom
Monster of the Marshes (USA) (working title)
The Atomic Monster (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

69 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:T | USA:Approved | Netherlands:12 (2007) (DVD) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Italy:T | UK:PG (DVD rating) (2005) | UK:X (original rating) | Finland:K-18 (2004)

Filming Locations:

Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Rolling M. Productions

Trivia:

Tony McCoy was cast in the male lead role, primarily because his father, Arizona entrepreneur Donald E. McCoy, was the owner of Packing Service Corp. (a meat packing concern), and was a major investor in the film.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Many movie sources cite that in this film Bela Lugosi flubbed a line in which he described Tor Johnson's character as being "harmless as a kitchen". Legend has it Wood didn't have time or money enough to do a second take. But on watching the movie, one discovers that Lugosi says the line correctly.

Quotes:

Dr. Eric Vornoff: One is always considered MAD, if one discovers something that others cannot grasp!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "TCM Underground: Plan 9 from Outer Space/Bride of the Monster (#1.1)" (2006)

Ed Wood tampers in God's domain...again.

This really isn't such a terrible little movie. Sure, it's cheap, the acting is horrible, the sets wobble if sneezed upon and the special effects consist of stock footage and a rubber octopus, but "Bride of the Monster" is much, MUCH better than "Plan 9 From Outer Space."

Mad scientist Vornoff (a sickly Bela Lugosi) has apparently set up shop in the Florida Everglades, kidnapping anyone unwise enough to wander too close to his house (and his pet octopus) and conducting sinister experiments upon them. Vornoff, for some odd reason, is determined to create a race of super giants with incredible strength. We're never really sure exactly WHY he wants to do this, but one can only assume that, if one possesses an army of super strong giants, one could take over the world and rule it and stuff. That seems to be the goal of every other mad scientist in the unruled world, anyway. Into this diabolical plan stumbles loudmouthed newsgirl Loretta King, who is determined to get the story on the Lake Marsh Monster. Whether the title of "Lake Marsh Monster" refers to the octopus, Tor Johnson as the fumbling Lobo or Bela's drug problem, we're never sure. Take your pick. Anyway, Loretta is kept under constant hypnosis by Bela's eyebags and is slated to become The Bride of the Monster! By this point, we're all quite ready to see the annoying Loretta fried to a crisp, but unfortunately, her wimpy boyfriend shows up to save her. The stunning climax is packed full of raging Lobo's, rolling boulders, lightening bolts, gunfire and death by octopus!

The story doesn't make much sense, but were you really expecting it to when you saw Ed Wood's name listed under the title of director? Still and all, it's certainly Wood's most coherent effort and can be entertaining for those of us who stop to look at road accidents.