Eegah (1962)

User Rating:

1.9/10   

Director:

Arch Hall Sr.

Writers:

Arch Hall Sr. (story)
Bob Wehling (screenplay)

Genre:

Family | Horror | Music | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

The Crazed Love of a Prehistoric Giant for a Ravishing Teenage Girl!

Plot:

Teenagers stumble across a prehistoric caveman, who goes on a rampage.

Plot Keywords:

Giant | Caveman | Desert | Teenage Girl | Palm Springs California

Cast

Arch Hall Jr.	...	Tom Nelson
Marilyn Manning	...	Roxy Miller
Richard Kiel	...	Eegah
Arch Hall Sr.	...	Robert Miller (as William Watters)
Clay Stearns	...	Band Member
Bob Davis	...	George
Deke Lussier	...	Band Member
Ron Shane	...	Detective
Addalyn Pollitt	...	George's Wife
Bill Lloyd	...	Kruger (as William Lloyd)
Ray Dennis Steckler	...	Mr. Fishman (as Ray Steckler)
Bill Rice	...	Chef
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carolyn Brandt	...	Fishman's Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Arch Hall Sr.		(as Nicholas Merriwether)

Writing credits
Arch Hall Sr.		(story) (as Nicholas Merriwether)
Bob Wehling		(screenplay)

Produced by
Arch Hall Sr.	....	producer (as Nicholas Merriwether)
Don Schneider	....	associate producer

Original Music by
André Brummer		(as Henry Price)

Cinematography by
Vilis Lapenieks		(as Vilis Lapeneicks)

Film Editing by
Don Schneider

Production Management
H. Duane Weaver	....	production manager

Sound Department
Sam Kopetzky	....	sound recording engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Dennis Steckler	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Alan O'Day	....	music editor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Fairway International Pictures

Distributors

• Fairway International Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rhino Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Sinister Cinema (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Rhino Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Rhino Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Platinum Disc (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Platinum Disc (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Rhino Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)

Also Known As:

Eegah! (USA) (poster title)
Eegah! The Name Written in Blood

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Fairway International Pictures

Trivia:

Arch Hall Sr. once said, "It was always sort of a subject of laughter that the darned thing did so well."

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: After Eegah is first discovered, Roxy's father begins to walk off screen but yells "Watch out for snakes" without his lips moving.

Quotes:

Tom Nelson: I can drive, Mr. Miller. I have my dad's wheels tonight.
Robert Miller: Really? Do they fit on your car?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Laserblast (#8.6)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Valerie

Goof Meter Overload

This movie is an anthropological curiosity about an anthropological curiosity. Dug up from a time when it would seem like a good idea to produce a caveman/horror/comedy/musical, "Eegah" today leaves viewers astounded by the shear freakish nature of the film itself. Richard Kiel stars as Eegah the caveman whom for millinea had survived in a cave with his mummified relatives in the hills near a desert town. For some reason he didn't choose to emerge from the desolate perimeters of his home until 1962. The hapless female played by Marilyn Manning almost runs him down one night while driving home. After she screeches to a halt she faints at the sight of the collosal Eegah donning furs and swinging a plastic club. When she awakes she tells her boyfriend played by the esteemed Arch Hall Jr., all about the "giant" she saw. Eventually Eegah kidnapps Marilyn's Dad (played by Arch Hall Sr). Arch and Marilyn go into the hills in a dune buggy to find him. After the ensuing incidents they all escape an angry Eegah who then follows them on foot back to town where the real fun begins. Arch Hall Jr. is the ham of all hams in this one, singing badly these love songs devoted to different girls his character had supposedly been involved with. His voice is that of a fifteen year old kid who hasn't completely developed the manly timbre and squeaks out emotive ballads like the low-point of any high school talent show. The goof-meter on this film is to overload as scene after scene actors act badly, Richard Kiel tweeks his face in reaction to whatever is taking place while an out of sync voice over grunts "RRRRRRR....SHTEMLO...EEGAH...." The lighting in the interior scenes look like a home movie from days of yore and the props are straight out of an arts and crafts store. Overall, I can't say "Eegah" is one of the worst films ever made as it's never really painful and too much fun to watch. The films that vie for that title cause the viewer excrutiating agony and are made by those who have no apparent intent on entertaining anyone(i.e. "Robot Monster", "Flesh Feast", "House of 1000 Corpses"). I recommend "Eegah" as a cult classic and a fun party movie.