Cinema Narcs Live: “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman” (1958)
Posted by Ron on June 16, 2011MOVIE – “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman”
DIRECTOR - Nathan Juran
WRITERS – Mark Hanna
SIX DEGREES OF CAST & CREW
- Director Nathan Juran had a thing for giants. In addition to “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman,” he also directed “The Deadly Mantis” (about a giant mantis), “Land of the Giants” (about a land of giants), “20 Million Miles To Earth” (about a giant space lizard from Venus), “World of Giants” (about a WORLD of giants), and “Jack the Giant Killer” (about a giant-killing Jack).
-The beautiful Allison Hayes (the 50 Foot Woman from the title) is a veteran of some of the worst sci-fi of the 50′s. You’ll know her from such MST3K fare as “The Crawling Hand” and “The Undead.” She also stars with MST3K favorite Tor Johnson in “The Unearthly.” Similarly, Yvette Vickers, who plays Honey Parker, was a prominent player in MST3K episode “Attack of the Giant Leeches”.
- Similarly, writer Mark Hanna has also churned out some schlock in his time, penning “The Undead,” featuring the lovely Ms. Hayes and “The Amazing Colossal Man,” which is like “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman” but with a man astronaut in a diaper. Also in “The Amazing Colossal Man” is William Hudson, who plays the husband of the 50 Foot Woman.
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Ron-20.04
One thing you can say about TCM, when they’re starting a movie, they jump right into it. We go from commercials to credit sequence in the blink of an eye!
Ron-20.08
These 50′s movies are weird; usually you can tell who the good guys and bad guys are by the oil in their hair, but he’s indeterminately greasy.
Ron-20.11
So this is what happened to Mayberry’s police department after Barney got replaced by Gomer! ”A 30-foot giant, gollleeee!”
Andrew-20.13
I should make it apparent right now that Alison Hayes is one of my top motivations to steal invent a time machine. I will swoon accordingly throughout the film.
Ron-20.15
So, you almost run over the cops Mrs. Archer, and they simply feel sorry for you! Must be nice living back then.
Andrew-20.24
The overt lack of soundtrack (swingy bar music notwithstanding) is interesting. I’m otherwise used to affairs such as this swelling with nonsensical orchestra strings.
Ron-20.27
You know, I like the way this movie seems to play with reality. Did she hallucinate that whole TV sequence where the anchorman calls her a drunk prone to hallucinations? Did he really say that because this is the 50′s and he can? Who knows!
Andrew-20.28
All of these actors feel like they’re restraining charming oldtimey Virginian accents. Let your southern freak flags fly!
Andrew-20.32
If this film is succeeding at anything, it’s making me interested in these characters, at least Nancy. It could’ve been an effective short story merely about Nancy’s hallucinatory alcoholism, the “satellite” being a metaphor for… I dunno, their love or somethin’ r’other.
Ron-20.40
Harry Archer looks like the kind of man who regards everything he sees in glass bottles as booze waiting to be imbibed.
Andrew-20.40
Their smug, comicbook-ish evil may not be realistic, but I sure do hate those two. Effective villain-ism makes for effective atomic-giant payback!
Ron-20.47
Sounds like he’s planning a “Fear and Loathing” weekend with all the tear gas and grenades and whatnot.
Andrew-20.49
This film impresses me with how open they are about the giant-ism and the blinking satellite/UFO. Typically these things are hidden from everyone but the main characters til the end of the movie.
Andrew-20.51
To be certain, this film is impressing me all around, if only because I was expecting it to be just a female version of “The Amazing Colossal Man”.
Ron-20.53
If that Space Giant looks familiar, it’s because he’s also the guy playing Tony the bartender at the dance club.
Ron-20.55
Yeah, that’s okay Sheriff. Just leave behind ALL THE GUNS YOU NEED TO SHOOT TRANSLUCENT GIANTS!
Ron-20.56
This must be a nice house to have a room big enough to hold a giant woman. Sounds like she’s chained down in the Batcave!
Andrew-20.57
Jeez, so is it just her HAND that’s giant?? Proportionally speaking she shouldn’t fit in that room at all!
Andrew-21.00
The number one film of popular filmmaking : Assuming your audience is a bunch of idiots, and verbally explain what they can already see or assume.
Andrew-21.01
Yes, please, bring the cross-eyed handsome nurse with! She can hook up with the Deputy by the end!
Ron-21.01
“She’s grown into a giant!”
“No time to explain!”
Err, she just did explain? What other words do you need other than “Your giant wife is going on a rampage and she wants to squash your whore!”?
Ron-21.02
I’ll refrain from making a comment re: the phallic nature of Nancy grasping that electric pole.
Ron-21.04
Hey, wait a minute! Running in terror like that is a Japanese thing! Americans just gawk at stuff until they’re squashed!
Andrew-21.04
Ohh that’s some unfortunate giant-visualization effects for an otherwise visually strong film.
Ron-21.05
The giant rubber hand thing just does not work AT ALL; the other shots of Giant Nancy, though? Pretty strong.
Ron-21.06
Yeah, that won’t work. If you’re going to go giant hunting, take nothing smaller caliber than a Stinger missile.
Ron-21.08
So THIS is where they got the idea for the taser! Shoot a transformer; knock out a giant woman.
Ron-21.10
Y’know, all in all… that was a pretty great movie. All things considered, I approve wholeheartedly of this flick. No wonder Christoper Guest remade it.
Andrew-21.15
“Attack of the 50 Foot Woman” was a pleasant surprise I must say, particularly regarding character storytelling. Again, I legitimately got into the plot based on sympathy for Nancy and disdain for her cheating husband and his floozy. Sure the fun of this was turning Alison Hayes into a half-invisible giant, and who could resist re-making it like Christopher Guest did. But I’d be seriously tempted to re-do the story and have the character of Nancy be legitimately mentally disturbed and chasing hallucinated space-orbs.
Over all my only real complaint is how openly, comically evil Harry and his floozy were. Cutting their ruthlessness even in half would’ve given just enough realism back to what was otherwise pretty realistically handled, as far as giant demented heiress rampages go.
Overall rating : 3.5/5
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