Fiend Without a Face (1958)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Arthur Crabtree

Writers:

Herbert J. Leder (screenplay)
Amelia Reynolds Long (original story)

Release Date:

December 1958 (UK)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

New Horrors! Mad Science Spawns Evil Fiends! ...Taking form before your horrified eyes!

Plot:

A Scientist, experimenting with telekinetic powers enhanced by a nearby nuclear power plant succeeds in creating a new form of life...

Plot Keywords:

Nuclear Power | American | Brain | Experiment | Mayor

Cast

Marshall Thompson	...	Major Cummings
Terry Kilburn	...	Capt. Chester (as Terence Kilburn)
Michael Balfour	...	Serg. Kasper
Gil Winfield	...	Dr. Warren
Shane Cordell	...	Nurse
Stanley Maxted	...	Col. Butler
James Dyrenforth	...	Mayor
Kim Parker	...	Barbara Griselle
E. Kerrigan Prescott	...	Atomic Engineer (as Kerrigan Prescott)
Kynaston Reeves	...	Prof. Walgate
Peter Madden	...	Dr. Bradley
Meadows White	...	Ben Adams (as R. Meadows White)
Lala Lloyd	...	Amelia Adams
Robert MacKenzie	...	Const. Gibbons
Launce Maraschal	...	Melville
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sheldon Allan	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Alexander Archdale	...	Minister (uncredited)
Tom Watson	...	Technical sergeant (uncredited)

Directed by
Arthur Crabtree

Writing credits
Herbert J. Leder		(screenplay)
Amelia Reynolds Long		(original story)

Produced by
John Croydon	....	producer
Richard Gordon	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Ronald Kinnoch	....	co-producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Buxton Orr

Cinematography by
Lionel Banes		(lighting cameraman)

Film Editing by
R.Q. McNaughton

Makeup Department
Barbara Barnard	....	hairdressing
Jim Hydes	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Douglas Hickox	....	assistant director

Art Department
John Elphick	....	set designer

Sound Department
Peter Davies	....	sound recordist
Terry Poulton	....	dubbing editor

Special Effects by
Peter Neilson	....	special effects
Karl-Ludwig Ruppel	....	special effects (as Ruppel & Nordhoff)
Florenz Von Nordhoff	....	special effects (as Ruppel & Nordhoff)

Camera and Electrical Department
Martin Curtis	....	photographer: second unit
Leo Rogers	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anna Duse	....	dress supervisor

Music Department
Frederick Lewis	....	conductor (as Frederic Lewis)

Other crew
Hazel Swift	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Producers Associates
• Amalgamated Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• Eros Films (1958) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1958) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• National Telefilm Associates (NTA) (video)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Walton Studios  recorded at (as Walton Studios Walton on Thames)

Runtime:

USA:74 min | UK:75 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | West Germany:18 | USA:Approved | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | UK:X (original rating) (passed with cuts) | Sweden:(Banned) | Canada:G (Quebec) | UK:PG (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Producers Associates

Trivia:

"Fiend Without a Face" created a public uproar after its premiere at the Ritz Theater in Leicester Square. The British Board of Film Censors has already demanded a number of cuts before granting it the "X" certificate.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Even though it is made clear that the military characters are US Air Force, when the Sergeant (Michael Balfour, a British actor, as were most of the others in the film) reports to Major Jeff Cummings (Marshall Thompson) early in the film, he incorrectly gives the Major a "British" salute, with the palm facing outward. Thompson returns the salute correctly, with the palm facing inward.

Quotes:

Prof. R. E. Walgate: What have I unleashed?

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Dead End (1985)

This is 50's sci-fi at its best

Fiend has everything that a 50's Sci-Fi movie should have; a really square hero that saves the day, a beautiful female lead that falls for him, atomic power misused, and an invisible monster that sucks the brains out of its victums.

It is the stop motion animation at the end when the monster(s) become visible that really makes this film work. Without the animation by Peter Neilson and Ruppell this would be just another 50's atomic caution tale.