The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)

Director:

Bert I. Gordon

Writers:

Mark Hanna (screenplay) and
Bert I. Gordon (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 March 1958 (Sweden)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Not even the U.S. Army can keep her away from the man she loved--but only the U.S. Army can save her from the monster he became!

Plot:

Lt. Col. Glenn Manning is inadvertently exposed to a plutonium bomb blast at Camp Desert Rock. Though burned over 90% of his body...

Plot Keywords:

Korean War | Airplane Accident | Rome Italy | Boulder Dam | Giant

Cast

Glenn Langan	...	Lt. Col. Glenn Manning (as Glen Langan)
Cathy Downs	...	Carol Forrest
William Hudson	...	Dr. Paul Linstrom
Larry Thor	...	Maj. Eric Coulter, MD
James Seay	...	Col. Hallock
Frank Jenks	...	Truck Driver
Russ Bender	...	Richard Kingman (as Russell Bender)
Hank Patterson	...	Henry
Jimmy Cross	...	Sergeant at reception desk
June Jocelyn	...	Nurse Wilson
Stanley Lachman	...	Lt. Cline
Harry Raybould	...	MP at main gate
Jean Moorhead	...	Woman in Bathtub
Scott Peters	...	Sgt. Lee Carter
Myron Cook	...	Capt. Thomas

Also Known As:

The Amazing Nth Man (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:Approved | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Boulder City, Nevada, USA

Company:

Malibu Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Colossal Man is rampaging along the strip, four cops standing by two police cars fire at him but when the giant tears the cowboy from atop the Pioneer Club and throws it at them, the cars are gone and there is a crowd of people around the cops.

Quotes:

[Dr. Lindstrom explains to Carol that Glenn's heart isn't growing as fast as the rest of his body]
Dr. Paul Linstrom: Now, the reason for this is rather technical, Carol, but to give you a simplified layman's explanation, it might be explained that, since the heart is made up of a *single* cell for all practical purposes, instead of millions of cells like the rest of the organs of the body, it's reacting in an entirely different manner to this unknown stimulus or forces behind this whole thing.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies (2001)

I NEVER GET TIRED OF THIS ONE

"What sin can a man commit in a single lifetime to bring this upon himself?"

Just as Lon Chaney's Wolfman was cursed simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Col. Glenn Manning is burned over 95% of his body while trying to save the pilot of a small plane that crashes into the test area where a plutonium bomb is to be detonated. He survives the blast, only to grow at the rate of ten feet a day. Eventually, he suffers a mental breakdown and wreaks as much havoc as the budget of this movie will allow. Still, it's one of the best cheapie flicks to come out of an era of giant spiders, black scorpions, and a certain mutated dinosaur from Tokyo.

THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN certainly has a bargain-basement feel to it-even the score by Albert Glasser fits well here. As far as the performances, Glen Langen is the only one who really stands out-and not just because of his size, either. Like Chaney's Wolfman, he evokes sympathy because of the affliction that causes him to lose his humanity and become a freak of nature, an outcast, and a menace to society.

A cheapie flick, but a classic one just the same.

Rating: **** out of *****