The Amazing Colossal Man
Encyclopedia
The Amazing Colossal Man is a 1957 black-and-white
science fiction film
, directed by Bert I. Gordon and starring Glenn Langan. The film revolves around a 60 foot mutant man produced as the result of an atomic accident.
Distributed by American International Pictures
(AIP) at the top of a program double-bill
with The Cat Girl, the film was followed by a sequel, War of the Colossal Beast
, which appeared in 1958. The film and its sequel appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000
.
A remake starring Freddie Stroma
as a younger version of title character is currently in the works.
Army doctors attempt to halt and reverse his growth with a formula, but after getting injected with the cure, he grabs the needle and spears one of the doctors with it, killing him on the spot. He then escapes from confinement, "kidnaps" his girlfriend, Carol Forrest (played by Cathy Downs), and wreaks havoc in Las Vegas
before being cornered by the Army at the Hoover Dam
. After releasing Carol he is shot and appears to fall to his death in the Colorado River
.
in 1957http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050118/. During the 1960's the title was syndicated to television by American International Television. A VHS version by RCA Columbia Home Video appeared in the 1990's, but the film is no longer in distribution. Its current rights holderhttp://cocatalog.loc.gov/ is Susan Nicholson Hofheinz (Susan Harthttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0366537/), who also owns several other James H. Nicholson
titles from the 1950's.
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
, directed by Bert I. Gordon and starring Glenn Langan. The film revolves around a 60 foot mutant man produced as the result of an atomic accident.
Distributed by American International Pictures
American International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
(AIP) at the top of a program double-bill
Double feature
The double feature, also known as a double bill, was a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatre managers would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown.The double feature, also known as...
with The Cat Girl, the film was followed by a sequel, War of the Colossal Beast
War of the Colossal Beast
War of the Colossal Beast is a 1958 black-and-white science fiction film, directed by Bert I. Gordon and produced by Carmel Productions and distributed by American International Pictures. It continued the storyline of the 1957 movie The Amazing Colossal Man, although it was not marketed as a direct...
, which appeared in 1958. The film and its sequel appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
.
A remake starring Freddie Stroma
Freddie Stroma
Freddie Stroma is an English actor and model, best known for playing Cormac McLaggen in the Harry Potter film series.-Early life and education:Freddie Stroma was born, Frederick Sjostrom, in London, England on 8 January 1987...
as a younger version of title character is currently in the works.
Plot
Langan plays Lt. Col. Glenn Manning, an officer in the U.S. Army who suffers serious burns to over 90% of his body following an inadvertent exposure to plutonium radiation from a bomb blast. He miraculously survives the explosion and his burns completely heal, but the radiation causes him to abnormally grow into a 60-foot-tall giant. At this size, his heart is unable to supply sufficient blood to his brain and he gradually goes insane.Army doctors attempt to halt and reverse his growth with a formula, but after getting injected with the cure, he grabs the needle and spears one of the doctors with it, killing him on the spot. He then escapes from confinement, "kidnaps" his girlfriend, Carol Forrest (played by Cathy Downs), and wreaks havoc in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
before being cornered by the Army at the Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
. After releasing Carol he is shot and appears to fall to his death in the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Glenn Langan | Lt. Col. Glenn Manning |
| Cathy Downs Cathy Downs Cathy Downs was an American film actress.Born in Port Jefferson, New York, Downs began her film career with a small role in The Dolly Sisters and the following year played the title role in My Darling Clementine... |
Carol Forrest |
| William Hudson William Hudson (actor) William Woodson Hudson Jr. was an American actor best remembered for the role of Ranger Clark in Rocky Jones, Space Ranger and the role of Special Agent Mike Andrews in the Emmy Award nominated spy drama I Led Three Lives.-History:After appearing uncredited in over a dozen movies Hudson got his... |
Dr. Paul Linstrom |
| Larry Thor Larry Thor Larry Thor was a film actor and radio personality.Born: August 27, 1916, Canada Date of Death: March 15, 1976, Santa Monica, California- Radio career :* Announcer on CBS Radio's "The Adventures of Rocky Jordan" .... |
Maj. Eric Coulter, MD |
| James Seay James Seay James Seay was an American character actor who often played minor supporting roles as government officials.... |
Col. Hallock |
| Frank Jenks Frank Jenks Frank Jenks acid-voiced supporting actor, began in vaudeville and went on to a long career in movies and television, mostly in comedy. He was one of the more familiar faces and voices of the Hollywood Studio era. For almost ten years beginning in the early 1920s, Jenks was a song and dance man... |
Truck Driver |
| Russ Bender | Richard Kingman |
| Hank Patterson Hank Patterson Hank Patterson was an American actor and musician. He is most known for playing stableman Hank Miller on Gunsmoke and Fred Ziffel on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres.... |
Henry |
| Jimmy Cross Jimmy Cross Jimmy Cross was an American radio producer and singer who attained a minor Billboard Hot 100 hit with the novelty song "I Want My Baby Back" in 1965.... |
Sergeant at reception desk |
| June Jocelyn | Nurse Wilson |
| Stanley Lachman | Lt. Cline |
| Harry Raybould | MP at Main Gate |
| Jean Moorhead Jean Moorhead Jean Moorhead is an American actress and model. Using the name Jean Moorehead, she was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for the October 1955 issue... |
Woman in Bathtub |
| Scott Peters | Sgt. Lee Carter |
| Myron Cook | Capt. Thomas |
| Michael Harris Michael Harris Michael Harris is an award-winning Canadian author, investigative journalist, and radio personality who hosts an afternoon radio talk show, "Michael Harris Live", on Ottawa-based CFRA, and was a columnist for The Ottawa Sun newspaper until March 2011.Born in Toronto, Ontario, to Audrey McDonald ... |
Police Lt. Keller |
| Bill Cassady | Lt. Peterson |
| Dick Nelson | Sgt. Hansen |
| Edmund Cobb Edmund Cobb Edmund Fessenden Cobb was an American actor. He appeared in 623 films between 1912 and 1966.He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles from a heart attack... |
Dr. McDermott |
| Paul Hahn | Attendant |
| Diana Darrin Diana Darrin Diana Darrin is an American film actress and singer. She has made over 35 film and television appearances.-Career:Darrin spent the early years of her career appearing in several later Three Stooges films such as He Cooked His Goose, Shot in the Frontier, and A Merry Mix Up.Later appearances include... |
Hospital Receptionist |
| Lyn Osborn | Sgt. Taylor |
| Jack Kosslyn | Lieutenant in briefing room |
| William Hughes William Hughes William Hughes may refer to:*Willie Hughes , possible dedicatee of Shakespeare's Sonnets*William Hughes, 1st Baron Dinorben , British industrialist, politician and benefactor... |
Bombsite Control Officer |
| Keith Hetherington | Newscaster |
| John Daheim | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Judd Holdren Judd Holdren Judd Holdren was an American film actor best known for his starring roles in the serials Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere, Zombies of the Stratosphere, The Lost Planet and the semi-serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe during 1951 - 1953.- Early life :He was born near... |
Robert Allen (uncredited) |
| Harold Miller | Official (uncredited) |
Release History
The Amazing Colossal Man was released theatrically by American International PicturesAmerican International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
in 1957http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050118/. During the 1960's the title was syndicated to television by American International Television. A VHS version by RCA Columbia Home Video appeared in the 1990's, but the film is no longer in distribution. Its current rights holderhttp://cocatalog.loc.gov/ is Susan Nicholson Hofheinz (Susan Harthttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0366537/), who also owns several other James H. Nicholson
James H. Nicholson
James Harvey Nicholson was an American film producer. He is best known as the co-founder, with Samuel Z. Arkoff, of American International Pictures.-Biography:...
titles from the 1950's.
Other reading
- Wingrove, David. Science Fiction Film Source Book (Longman Group Limited, 1985)