UK, 1958
74m
35mm film, black and white
mono, English
A British science fiction/horror film directed by Arthur Crabtree. Production began on 3 September 1957.
Plot Summary
At a USAF base in the wilds of Canada an experiment conducted by a scientist allows his thought to become physical realities. Something is now killing both cattle and the odd USAF guard by sucking their brains out. It seems that the killers invisible projections of the scientist's subconscious, later made visible and besieging a group of survivors in a farmhouse…
Credits
* = uncredited
Crew
Directed by: Arthur Crabtree
© MCMLVII [1957] by Amalgamated Productions
An Amalgamated production
Executive Producer: Richard Gordon *
Produced by: John Croydon
Production Manager: Ronald Kinnoch *
Screenplay by: Herbert J. Leder
Original story [The Thought-Monster] by Amelia Reynolds Long
Assistant Director: Douglas Hickox
Continuity: Hazel Swift
Lighting Cameraman: Lionel Banes
2nd Unit Photography: Martin Curtis
Camera Operator: Leo Rogers
Editor: R.Q. McNaughton
Music Composed by: Buxton Orr
Conducted by: Frederic Lewis
Sound Recordist: Peter Davies
Dubbing Editor: Terry Poulton
RCA Sound Recording
Dress Supervisor: Anna Duse
Make-up: Jim Hydes
Hairdressing: Barbara Barnard
Special Effects: Puppel & Nordhoff, Peter Nielsen
Set Designer: John Elphick
Cast
Marshall Thompson (Major Cummings)
Kynaston Reeves (Professor Walgate)
Kim Parker (Barbara Griselle)
Stanley Maxted (Colonel Butler)
Terence Kilburn (Captain Chester)
James Dyrenforth (mayor)
Robert MacKenzie (Constable Gibbons)
Peter Madden (Dr Bradley)
Gil Winfield (Dr Warren)
Michael Balfour (Sergeant Kasper)
Launce Maraschal (Melville)
R. Meadows White (Ben Adams)
Kerrigan Prescott (atomic engineer)
Lala Lloyd (Amelia Adams)
Shane Cordell [nurse – uncredited]
Alternative Titles
Ungeheuer ohne Gesicht – Austrian title
Links
Extracts included in
Bloody New Year (1987)
Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here (1987)
It Came from Hollywood (1982)
References
Periodicals
The Dark Side January/February 1996 p.22 – review
Classic Images no.137 (November 1986) pp.51-52 – reprinted article (from Fangoria)
Classic Images no.309 (March 2001) p.16 – illustrated DVD review (Digital reviews by Bob King)
The Daily Cinema no.8087 (1 December 1958) p.5 – review
Fangoria no.202 May 2001 p.58 – illustrated DVD review (DVD Dungeon by Matthew Kiernan)
The Film Daily vol.113 no.111 (9 June 1958) p.6 – review
The Hollywood Reporter vol.no.27 (May 1958) p.3 – credits, review
Kine Weekly no.2672 (30 October 1958) p.18 – review
Monthly Film Bulletin vol.26 (January 1959) p.5 – credits, synopsis, review
Motion Picture Herald vol.211 no.12 (21 June 1958) p.873 – review
TV Times 11-17 June 1983 – review, credits
Variety 28 May 1958 p.6 – credits, review
Books
Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction by Phil Hardy (ed) p.168 – illustrated credits, review
Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991-1992 p.134 – credits, review
Horror and Science Fiction Films II by Donald C. Willis p.132 – credits
The Horror Hits of Richard Gordon by Tom Weaver pp.42-62 – illustrated credits, synopsis, interview with Richard Gordon
The Liverpool Companion to World Science Fiction Film by Sonja Fritsche (ed.) pp.89-103 – article (Invaders, Launchpads, and Hybrids: The Importance of Transmediality in British Science Fiction Film in the 1950s by Derek Johnston)
Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.138 – credits
The Stop-motion Filmography by Neil Pettigrew pp.238-241
X-Cert: The British Independent Horror Film: 1951-1970 by John Hamilton pp.34-39; 216-217 – illustrated review; credits
