| The Amazing Colossal Man | |
|---|---|
film poster by Albert Kallis |
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| Directed by | Bert I. Gordon |
| Produced by | Bert I. Gordon Samuel Z. Arkoff James H. Nicholson |
| Written by | Mark Hanna Bert I. Gordon George Worthing Yates (uncredited) |
| Starring | Glenn Langan Cathy Downs William Hudson |
| Music by | Albert Glasser |
| Cinematography | Joseph F. Biroc |
| Release date(s) | October 25, 1957 |
| Running time | 80 mins |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Amazing Colossal Man is a 1957 black-and-white science fiction film, directed by Bert I. Gordon and starring Glenn Langan. The film revolves around a 60 foot mutant man produced as the result of an atomic accident.
Distributed by American International Pictures (AIP) at the top of a program double-bill with The Cat Girl, the film was followed by a sequel, War of the Colossal Beast, which appeared in 1958. The film and its sequel appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
A remake starring Freddie Stroma as a younger version of title character is currently in the works.
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Langan plays Lt. Col. Glenn Manning, an officer in the U.S. Army who suffers serious burns to over 90% of his body following an inadvertent exposure to plutonium radiation from a bomb blast. He miraculously survives the explosion and his burns completely heal, but the radiation causes him to abnormally grow into a 60-foot-tall giant. At this size, his heart is unable to supply sufficient blood to his brain and he gradually goes insane.
Army doctors attempt to halt and reverse his growth with a formula, but after getting injected with the cure, he grabs the needle and spears one of the doctors with it, killing him on the spot. He then escapes from confinement, "kidnaps" his girlfriend, Carol Forrest (played by Cathy Downs), and wreaks havoc in Las Vegas before being cornered by the Army at the Hoover Dam. After releasing Carol he is shot and appears to fall to his death in the Colorado River.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Glenn Langan | Lt. Col. Glenn Manning |
| Cathy Downs | Carol Forrest |
| William Hudson | Dr. Paul Linstrom |
| Larry Thor | Maj. Eric Coulter, MD |
| James Seay | Col. Hallock |
| Frank Jenks | Truck Driver |
| Russ Bender | Richard Kingman |
| Hank Patterson | Henry |
| Jimmy Cross | Sergeant at reception desk |
| June Jocelyn | Nurse Wilson |
| Stanley Lachman | Lt. Cline |
| Harry Raybould | MP at Main Gate |
| Jean Moorhead | Woman in Bathtub |
| Scott Peters | Sgt. Lee Carter |
| Myron Cook | Capt. Thomas |
| Michael Harris | Police Lt. Keller |
| Bill Cassady | Lt. Peterson |
| Dick Nelson | Sgt. Hansen |
| Edmund Cobb | Dr. McDermott |
| Paul Hahn | Attendant |
| Diana Darrin | Hospital Receptionist |
| Lyn Osborn | Sgt. Taylor |
| Jack Kosslyn | Lieutenant in briefing room |
| William Hughes | Bombsite Control Officer |
| Keith Hetherington | Newscaster |
| John Daheim | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Judd Holdren | Robert Allen (uncredited) |
| Harold Miller | Official (uncredited) |
The film and its sequel have been referenced in several comedy productions, including the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 and an episode of Robot Chicken when a large bald giant, wearing a sarong as a diaper, is struck in the crotch with a wrecking ball as he terrorizes a city, as part of the "Ode To The Nut Shot" sketch.
The Amazing Colossal Man was released theatrically by American International Pictures in 1957[1]. During the 1960's the title was syndicated to television by American International Television. A VHS version by RCA Columbia Home Video appeared in the 1990's, but the film is no longer in distribution. Its current rights holder[2] is Susan Nicholson Hofheinz (Susan Hart[3]), who also owns several other James H. Nicholson titles from the 1950's.
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