Robot Monster

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Robot Monster

Film poster
Directed by Phil Tucker
Produced by Producer:
Phil Tucker
Executive Producer:
Al Zimbalist
Written by Wyott Ordung
Starring George Nader
Claudia Barrett
Selena Royle
John Mylong
Gregory Moffett
Pamela Paulson
George Barrows
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography Jack Greenhalgh
Editing by Bruce Schoengarth
Merrill White
Distributed by Astor Pictures
Release date(s) June 10, 1953
Running time 66 min.
Country USA
Language English
Budget $16,000 (estimated)
Gross revenue $1,000,000

Robot Monster is a 1953 science fiction B-movie made in 3-D by Phil Tucker. Like the more famous Plan 9 from Outer Space it is known in bad-film fandom for being "so bad, it's good" and has the dubious honor of being considered one of the "worst films ever". Its cliched storyline and cheesy special effects has helped it attain status as a cult film.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The evil alien "Ro-Man" has destroyed all but eight humans on Earth with his death ray, the "Calcinator". Survivors include a family of five, a scientist, and two unseen assistants to the scientist in a spacecraft bound for an orbiting space platform carrying a garrison of human soldiers. All eight have developed an immunity to the death ray as a side effect of an antibiotic serum developed by the scientist. Ro-Man must destroy these survivors before his invasion of Earth is complete. He is waylaid in his mission after developing an attraction towards Alice (Earth babe), the eldest daughter of the family. He refuses to eliminate her, forcing "The Great Guidance", leader of the aliens, to personally finish the unsavory task. Finally the young boy apparently wakes up, revealing the entire film was presumably a dream.

[edit] Production

Twenty-five-year-old writer/director Phil Tucker made Robot Monster in four days for an estimated $16,000. The film is similar in plot to Invaders from Mars, released a month earlier by Fox. Both pictures contain a young boy stumbling upon an alien invasion who is captured as he struggles to save his family and himself. As the alien commences the final destruction of earth the boy awakens to find it was all a dream. Despite rumors to the contrary, the film did receive some decent reviews and grossed $1,000,000 in its initial release, more than sixty times its original investment.[1]. It was filmed in Bronson Canyon, the site of innumerable motion pictures and TV settings.[2]. The soundtrack was composed by Elmer Bernstein, who also composed the music for Cat Women of the Moon the same year, and, more famously The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven.[3] The film's special effects include stock footage from the 1940 picture One Million B.C., 1951's Lost Continent, and Flight to Mars spliced into the film.[1]

Ro-Man and the Billion Bubble Machine

The film was shot and projected in dual-strip, polarized 3-D. The stereoscopic photography in the film is considered by many critics to be of a high quality, and is an extra honor in favor to the crew, who had no experience with the previously unused camera rig.[4]

In the film's opening credits, "N. A. Fischer Chemical Products" is given prominent credit for the "Billion Bubble Machine", used in the film as part of Ro-Man's communication device for reporting to his superior.

Robot Monster was originally released with the 3 Dimensional Pictures short Stardust in Your Eyes, starring nightclub comedian Trustin Howard as Slick Slaven.[4]

[edit] Aftermath

The poor quality of the movie gave rise to a long-lived rumor within the film industry that the poor reception from audiences caused director Phil Tucker to attempt suicide, with a gun, but missed. According to Keep Watching the Skies!, a comprehensive history of 1950s American science fiction films, author Bill Warren claims Tucker's attempted suicide was actually due to depression and a dispute with the film's distributor, who had allegedly refused to pay Tucker his contracted percentage of the film's profits.

George Nader won the Golden Globe award in 1954 as most promising male newcomer of the year (although his award was not tied to his Robot Monster performance). He signed with Universal Studios where he starred in secondary features while other male stars like Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson were assigned the major film roles.

Selena Royle, MGM stock player, had a durable film career starting 1941 until 1951 when she was branded a Communist sympathizer. She refused to appear before the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities and eventually cleared her name but the damage had already been done. She made only two additional films - Robot Monster was her last.

[edit] Monkey tales

The budget didn't allow for a robot costume as intended so director Phil Tucker used his friend George Barrows who had his own gorilla suit to play Ro-Man. Phil Tucker added the helmet. George Barrows had a long run in films and television playing simians. Among his gorilla credits are:

Although Ro-Man was played by George Barrows, the voice was credited to John Brown.

[edit] See also

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b How to Make a Monster "How to Make a Monster" Retrieved on 2007-01-08
  2. ^ Films made at Bronson Canyon "Bronson Canyon - facts and information". Retrieved on 2007-01-08.
  3. ^ Elmer Bernstein - the official site. "Elmer Bernstein - The official site". Retrieved on 2007-01-04.
  4. ^ a b 3-D Movies: "A History and Filmography of Stereoscopic Cinema" by R. M. Hayes, McFarland Classics, Paperback

[edit] External links

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