But Harry Archer (William Hudson ) is not coming anytime soon. He's too busy cheating on his wife with his gold digging girlfriend Honey Parker ( Yvette Vickers, Playboy Playmate of 1959). Harry has no scruples, he parades his affair openly in a local bar. Harry tells his mistress that he should have never agreed to go back to Nancy, after they were separated. But he did, only because he needed her money. Honey informs Harry if his wife dies, he would get all her money. Then Honey remembers that Nancy was once in a private sanitarium for a while. Harry fills Honey in that Nancy's doctor been helping his wife allot, even with her drinking problem. Honey convinces Harry that Nancy's on the brink. All she needs is a little shove, then off she goes to the booby hatch, which will put him in the driver's seat with all her money.
In the state of hysteria, Nancy searches for her husband Harry, when she arrives in town. Immediately Sheriff Dubbitt (George Douglas) intercept Nancy, offering her a cup of black coffee. Nancy is insulted with the sheriff 's presumption that she's intoxicated. Unfortunately being the town drunk, doesn't give you any credibility. Especially when you trying to warn everyone about a flying satellite and a 30 ft. giant.
While Sheriff Dubbitt tries to calm down Mrs. Archer , Deputy Charlie ( Frank Chase) darts over to Tony's Bar and Grill to retrieve Mr. Archer. When Deputy Charlie reports to Mr. Archer about his wife's condition, he refuses to leave his dime store floozy behind. Instead Harry gives Deputy Charlie ,some money to cover for him in saying that he took a cab home. Deputy Charlie took the money and said that he understood . I'm thinking it's probably not the first time, Deputy Charlie took money to cover for Mr. Archer.
When Deputy Charlie returns, Sheriff Dubbins informs him to get out the RIOT GUN. Because they will need it just in case , they run into Mrs. Archer's 30 ft. GIANT. But there was NO sign of a 30 FOOT GIANT or the FLYING SATELITE. Nancy returns home disappointed , fearing that people will think that she has lost her sanity once again . 
In the state of hysteria, Nancy searches for her husband Harry, when she arrives in town. Immediately Sheriff Dubbitt (George Douglas) intercept Nancy, offering her a cup of black coffee. Nancy is insulted with the sheriff 's presumption that she's intoxicated. Unfortunately being the town drunk, doesn't give you any credibility. Especially when you trying to warn everyone about a flying satellite and a 30 ft. giant.
While Sheriff Dubbitt tries to calm down Mrs. Archer , Deputy Charlie ( Frank Chase) darts over to Tony's Bar and Grill to retrieve Mr. Archer. When Deputy Charlie reports to Mr. Archer about his wife's condition, he refuses to leave his dime store floozy behind. Instead Harry gives Deputy Charlie ,some money to cover for him in saying that he took a cab home. Deputy Charlie took the money and said that he understood . I'm thinking it's probably not the first time, Deputy Charlie took money to cover for Mr. Archer.
Needing a drink to forget, Nancy serves herself a tall one. Her faithful butler Jess (Ken Terrell) ask if there is anything he can do for her. You can tell that the butler would to like take the drink away from her, but doesn't dare. Suddenly Harry appears from the other side of the sofa, rudely dismissing the butler. Nancy immediately starts to tear into Harry about him two timing on her with another woman. Nancy breaks down telling Harry that she regrets taking him back.
Then Nancy tells Harry the reason why she keeps taking him back is because she loves him. Nancy continues to spill about her incident in the desert, that she saw a satellite with a 30 foot Giant. Nancy also injects that she thinks it was after her diamond necklace " The STAR of INDIA". Nancy feels that no one believes her and thinks she had been drinking. Harry reassures her that he believes her . Swiftly Harry sweeps his wife into his arms, and carries her upstairs.
Once in the bedroom, Harry helps to undress Nancy for bed. Harry suggests to Nancy that maybe they should separate again, but he wouldn't want to cause another break down in her health. Nancy desperately clutches her husband, telling him that she needs him and that he is all that she has. Harry promptly put his wife into the bed and pulls up the covers for a goodnight rest.
That night, Harry heads back to Tony's Bar and Grill, only to find Honey dancing with Deputy Charlie. Promptly Deputy Charlie makes his exit. Harry confronts Honey, stating that they were suppose to meet at the hotel. Honey complains that she is tired of that flea bag hotel and all she does is wait for him. Harry confides to Honey about Nancy's latest sighting of a satelite and a 30 foot giant. Harry tells Honey that she won't have to wait much longer for him, because he plans to call Dr. Cushing and have her committed. Then Nancy's fortune will be his. Harry tempts Honey with Nancy's STAR OF INDIA diamond necklace, then puts it back in his pocket. Quickly they rush to the nearest phone to call Dr. Cushing setting their plan in motion.
After watching the news , Nancy destroys the television by throwing her drink at it. Must have been the FAKE NEWS. Nancy was so upset after hearing a reporter slandering her on national television about her satellite sighting and her marriage. Nancy tells Harry that she wants him to come with her to the desert to prove to everyone that she isn't crazy. Nancy informs Harry that she knows its out there , but if isn't she should be committed. Well, Harry certainly is not going to pass up this golden opportunity to commit Nancy. Harry agrees to take his wife to the desert with a GUN. At first, it seemed fruitless and Nancy begins to break down, wondering about her sanity. Harry turns the car and starts head back to town.
Nancy begins to hear a strange noise, which makes her sit up and take notice. Nancy demands Harry to stop the car . Nancy is so relieved that she isn't crazy, because she had spotted her satellite in the clearing. Nancy runs over to the YOGA BALL (satellite) and starts pounding on the sides of the satellite. Harry tells Nancy to steer clear of the YOGA BALL( satellite) and go back to the car. Nancy continues to shout "It's Real , It's Real, I'm not CRAZY !!" Harry can't believe his eyes that he standing before , what was suppose to be the fabric of his wife 's imagination.
Quickly Harry's astonishment turned to terror, when he witnessed a giant bald man reach out to grab Nancy or is it her diamond necklace ( STAR OF INDIA). Harry fires a few shots at the giant , then flees leaving his wife at its mercy. Nancy screams as she struggles to get away from the giant paper mache' hand, but this time she not going to be able to escape.
New supplies like ELEPHANT SYGERINE , Forty Gallons of Plasma, Meat Hooks and Chains are delivered to accommodate Nancy's enormous size. Dr. Cushing with a new protégé Dr. Heinrich Von Loeb (Ottis Waldis) collaborate on Mrs. Archer's case. They are quite confident, there is hope for Nancy with surgery. But they would need the permission of the husband to do so. Unaware that Harry was eavesdropping on their conversation. Harry makes a beeline to his KEPT WOMAN to fill her in on the new development on his wife's condition. Harry tells Honey that all he has to do is lay low and then it will be too late for Nancy.
Meanwhile Sheriff Dubbitt came across some gigantic footprints, while he was examining the pool house area , where Nancy was found unconscious in the buff. Sheriff Dubbitt sends Deputy Charlie back to town for the RIOT GUN and GRENADES. Then Sheriff Dubbitt and Jess the Butler follow the GIGANTIC FOOT PRINTS back to the desert.
Later, these two come across the YOGA BALL (satellite) in the clearing. While heading over to the YOGA BALL (satellite), Jess the Butler finds the gun that Harry took with them. After Sheriff Dubbitt assesses the gun, he comes to the conclusion that Harry fired the gun at the giant , then escaped leaving his wife behind. He also injects that the GIANT must have carried Mrs. Archer home and set her pool house roof. I'm just saying doesn't that seem ODD to you, that the GIANT would know Nancy's address. I'm sure that she was not in the condition to tell him and she didn't have a cell phone with a GPS.
Once inside the YOGA BALL (satellite), Sheriff Dubbitt and Jess the Butler find a diverse collection of gems. It doesn't take them long to find Mrs. Archer's missing necklace STAR OF INDIA. Maybe, the jewels are used power the YOGA BALL (satellite). Soon they are discovered by the Jewel stealing Giant. Quickly, they race back to the car, only to get it stuck in the mud. The Giant appears coming closer, Sheriff Dubbitt fires his revolver which doesn't appear to be having any effect on the GIANT whatsoever. Moving on to bigger tactics, Sheriff Dubbitt hurdles grenades at the GIANT. Unfortunately ,all that does is outrage the GIANT, who takes his frustration out on Sheriff's vehicle. Fortunately the Sheriff and Jess the Butler were not inside , when the it was launched in the air . Then the GIANT turned around , climbed back inside the YOGA BALL ( satellite) and disappeared into space.
Back at the Archer's mansion, Nancy awakens wanting to know where her husband is .The nurse tries her best to calm her patient, but Nancy not exactly excited about being suspended in ropes and chains. Dr. Cushing takes over, sending the nurse to call the Sheriff. Nurse reaches the sheriff 's Office, telling Deputy Charlie that it is an emergency, that it is dire that he finds Mr. Archer.
Deputy Charlie finds Harry at Tony's Bar and Grill, dancing with his paramour. Deputy Charlie asked Mr. Archer if he had receive any of his messages. Harry told him that he did and sent Deputy Charlie on his way, even though he stressed that it was urgent. Harry continued to dance the night away with Honey.
Back at the Archer Mansion, Nancy become increasingly agitated . But before Dr. Cushing could administered more morphine, Nancy breaks free. Everyone runs out of the house, while Nancy rips the roof saying " I know where my husband is. He's with that woman."
Nancy is a GIANTESS at 50 feet tall. Dressed in a white sheets that resemble a strapless top and short skirt. Her hair color has changed from brunette to redhead, must have been the radiation. Nancy is on a rampage and is heading to town. Thankfully, Sheriff Dubbitt stopped at the Archer Mansion and will be escorting the medical team to town to intervene. During her stroll into town, Nancy comes a power line in her path. She decides to give it shake which kills the lights at Tony's Bar and Grill for a minute.
Once in town, Nancy scares a couple lovebirds that were necking in a car. Nancy heads over to the flea bag hotel, where Harry keeps his paramour. Sheriff Dubbitt and the gang arrive just in time to watch Nancy rip off the Hotel sign. Nancy peers inside looking for Harry. She breaks through the window of Honey's room. She lifts up the bed , just to make sure Harry wasn't hiding under it. Nancy decides to make her next stop over to Tony's Bar and Grill. Harry is bound to be there.
But they haven't seen the last of Nancy, because she decides to rip the roof off. Honey starts to scream and run for cover from all the crashing debris. Harry tries to pull out Honey from under the table , but she won't bunge. Nancy could see down below, that Harry was trying desperately to rescue his gold digging tramp. So Nancy decides to send down some crashing lumber down on the table which Honey was under.
Honey was killed instantly. Then Nancy reached down and grabbed Harry. Sheriff Dubbitt warns Mrs. Archer to release Harry. When she doesn't comply, Sheriff Dubbitt starts shooting with his pistol. Nancy continues to walk away carrying Harry. Sheriff Dubbitt proves that he is not kidding around, when he brings out the RIOT GUN.
As Nancy walks by the power lines, Sheriff Dubbitt aims at the transformer near her face. The explosion causes Nancy to get electrocuted. Her body begins to glow, as she slowly eases herself down. Before she would touch the ground, Nancy toppled over with Harry still in her hand. Everyone rushes over to get a closer look. Dr. Cushing pronounced Harry dead, who is held firmly in the palm of his wife's hand. Our film finishes with Dr. Cushing delivering the last line, "She finally got Harry to herself." Almost as poetic as " Beauty Killed the Beast" from KING KONG (1933).
FILM FACTS
1958 ATTACK OF 50 FT WOMAN ranked # 8 of the 25
Greatest Movie Posters Ever by Premiere Magazine.
Leading Lady Allison Hayes died from consuming calcium pills causing her death of lead poisoning at the age of 43.
Astounding that ATTACK OF 50 FT WOMAN (1952) was filmed in eight days for 89,000, which was under budget 10,000.
Michael Ross who plays the Bald Space Alien, also plays the bartender at the local bar in ATTACK OF THE 50 FT WOMAN (1958).
IMMORTAL DIALOGUE
"There's a Flying Satellite and a 30 Ft. Giant, a few miles out on Route 66."
Deputy Charlie : " What's wrong with her ? Is she off her rocker or something ?
Sheriff Dubbitt : " Don't look back. But as long as she pays most of the taxes around here, we play along."
"Now, You pulled a boner tonight, and you know it."
" Meat Hooks, Four lengths of Chain, 40 Gallons of Plasma, and a Elephant Syringe ???"
Honey Parker : " You're the DEPUTY , do something !"
Deputy Charlie : " I can't SHOOT a LADY !!"
FABRICATED DIALOGUE
Nancy Fowler Archer ... Allison Hayes
Harry Archer ... William Hudson
Honey Parker ... Yvette Vickers
Dr. Issac Cushing ... Roy Gordon
Sheriff Dubbitt ... George Douglas
Jess Stout ... Ken Terrell
Dr. Heinrich Von Loeb ... Ottis Waldis
Nurse ... Eileen Stevens
Tony the bartender / Space Giant ... Michael Ross
Deputy Charlie ... Frank Chase
MY BOTTOM LINE IS...
ATTACK OF THE 50 FT. WOMAN (1958) is one of those BAD MOVIES WE LOVE. Who would have thought back in the day, that this film would have the longevity it has today. Certainly not Director Nathan Juran, who was so embarrassed by the film, that he demanded to have his last name changed to his middle name , which is Hertz when billed. The film was filmed in a mere eight days and came in under budgeted. Would it have made a difference, more shooting time and a bigger budget. Maybe , if the film was done by another studio like Universal, who took pride in their productions. But nevertheless, ATTACK OF THE 50 FT . WOMAN (1958) survived from being another forgotten film sucked into the vortex of obscurity.
I think the film survived, because what it lacks. ATTACK OF THE 50 FT. WOMAN (1958) is not an Academy Award winner, but it was never intended to be one in the first place. But this film has its merit, its entertains , it makes us laugh out loud .The Bad Acting. the Bad Script, and the Bad Special Effects is campiness at its best .
I enjoy your take on this cinematic masterpiece. 😁
ReplyDeleteSiren for life....
ReplyDeleteI' m so glad you enjoyed my review.