Bert I. Gordon

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Bert I. Gordon (born Bert Ira Gordon, September 24, 1922 in Kenosha, WI) is an American film director most famous for such sci-fi and horror B-movies as The Amazing Colossal Man and Village of the Giants.

Most of Gordon's work is in the idiom of giant monster films, for which he used rear-projection to create the special effects. His nickname "Mister B.I.G." is a reference both to his initials and to his preferred technique for making super-sized creatures.

Gordon began his career directing television commercials before moving to film in 1954 to produce Serpent Island. In 1957 he began his prolific association with American International Pictures.

In 1960, he wrote, produced and directed The Boy and the Pirates, starring active and popular child star of the time Charles Herbert and Gordon's own daughter, Susan. The three of them recently appeared together in the celebrity lineup at the 2006 Monster Bash, held June 23-25 at the Pittsburgh (PA) Airport Four Points. Walt Disney Company's theatrical release of Johnny Depp's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, on July 7, 2006, spiked interest in previous "pirate" films. To that end Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, released a Midnite Movies double DVD set with the rarely seen The Boy and the Pirates, and the more recent Crystalstone (1988), on June 27, 2006.

His 1977 Empire of the Ants featured a pre-Dynasty Joan Collins, who later said of the film it was her worst ever acting experience, but by then the loosely-based modernized H. G. Wells tale had been elevated to cult film status.

None of his films has received significant critical attention, but his work has attained popularity in some circles. The cult TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) has featured several of his movies, listed below.

Gordon holds a degree from the University of Wisconsin.

The Boy and the Pirates (1960), starring Charles Herbert, as with most children's movie fare, was deserving of its own comic book.

[edit] Filmography

Year	Title	Comments
1955	King Dinosaur
1957	The Amazing Colossal Man
1957	The Cyclops
1957	Beginning of the End	Starring Peter Graves.
1958	Earth vs. the Spider	a/k/a Earth vs. the Giant Spider, The Spider
1958	War of the Colossal Beast	a//ka Revenge of the Colossal Man, The Terror Strikes
1958	Attack of the Puppet People	a//ka Six Inches Tall, The Fantastic Puppet People
1960	Tormented
1960	The Boy and the Pirates	Starring Charles Herbert and Susan Gordan.
1962	The Magic Sword (film)	a/k/a St. George and the Dragon St. George and the Seven Curses The Seven Curses of Lordac
1965	Village of the Giants	Starring Beau Bridges, Tommy Kirk, Johnny Crawford, Tim Rooney & Tisha Sterling; Based on The Food of the Gods by H. G. Wells
1966	Picture Mommy Dead	a/k/a Color Mommy Dead
1970	How to Succeed with Sex
1972	Necromancy	a/k/a A Life for a Life Rosemary's Disciples (USA: video title) The Toy Factory The Witching (USA: reissue title)
1973	The Mad Bomber	a/k/a Detective Geronimo The Police Connection
1976	The Food of the Gods	a/k/a H. G. Wells' Food of the Gods
1977	Empire of the Ants	a/k/a H.G. Wells' Empire of the Ants, Starring Joan Collins.
1981	Burned at the Stake	a/k/a The Coming
1982	Let's Do It!
1985	The Big Bet
1990	Satan's Princess	a/k/a Malediction

Of these titles, King Dinosaur, The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth Vs. The Spider, War of the Colossal Beast, The Magic Sword, Tormented, Beginning of the End and Village of the Giants were featured on MST3K.