The Cyclops

Hokey 50s sci fi from Bert I Gordon, who despite the prevalent hokum, crappy effects and cheap sets, keeps cranking fun flicks from the 1950s sci fi heyday. It's one of those films, if you first saw it as a kid, it's left a pretty strong impression, just with the horrendous makeup. That was back before we noticed things like plot inconsistency and illogical character behavior, both of which are pretty rampant in this film. Apart from the monster makeup, which is one of the most powerful and distinctive of all 50s sci fi monsters, Gloria Talbot is the best thing this movie has to offer, as a young woman who undertakes a mission into remote Mexico to find her fiancée, missing for three years after a plane crash. She and her unlikely cohorts discover instead a lost world of gigantic animals (very poorly matter or even superimposed real animals, depicted in large size) and, of course, her surviving fiancée, now grown to gigantic proportions due to radiation abounding in the area, horribly disfigured and mute due to injuries from the crash. There's a still powerful bit of pathos in the confrontation between Talbio and her fiancée, but the rest of the story plays out pretty dully, although the film remains entertaining if you're able to suspend your disbelief and overlook the gaping holes in logic and behavior of the characters. An effective monster movie score from Albert Glasser, who scored most of Bert I. Gordons sci fi films, gives the plot most of its propulsion. This film was reported made in 1955, which puts it as a precursor to Gordon's THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN (1957) and its sequel, WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST (1958), wherein the big dude sports the same makeup used for THE CYCLOPS. Other than the similarity in height and appearance, the film's story lines are unrelated.

Another great 50's Bert I. Gordon offering. Woman sets out in remote South American jungle area to try and find missing fiance. Hires rough, gruff, alcoholic Lon Chaney Jr. as her reluctant pilot. Crashes in remote area. Something is watching...big time. Seems her fiance has grown to gigantic proportions due to high radiation content of area; also had the misfortune to lose an eye along the way (hence the title). Interesting factoid is that the same actor (Dean Parkins) who played the fiance/cyclops was in the previous Bert I. Gordon film War of the Colossal Beast, using essentially the same makeup. Great rainy Saturday afternoon fair. Fun watching a (probably really) tanked up Lon Chaney Jr.

Cyclops, The (1957)

*** (out of 4)

A woman (Gloria Talbott) travels to the Mexican desert to locate her husband whose been missing for three years. She finds him but he's now a huge, one eyed Cyclops. Here's a classic of the 50's sci-fi directed by Bert I. Gordon who would make a career out of these "man/animal grows big" films. The entire cast, including Lon Chaney, Jr. are a lot of fun and the dialogue gets some nice chuckles as well. Gordon made a lot of these "big" pictures throughout his career but I think this one here is the best of the bunch.

This was the first movie I ever saw! I was 2 years old and my brother was 4. Scared the be-jesus out of me! Hey, I was only 2. Down through the years, I became an avid reader of FaMOUS MOnsters of Filmland magazine, and NEVER saw it covered, and nary a publicity pic from Dear Old Uncle Forry! At 12, I watched War Of The Colossal Beast on the Saturday matinée, only to be thoroughly disappointed that it wasn't "that" movie.

Fast-forward to 1984. I went with my brother and his wife to a video rental store in a nearby town and the video box was one of those Elvira thingies...but "something" about that title... I showed it to my brother with a quizzical look and he flashed me a strange half-smile...

Anyway, I found it, (or should I say..."we" found it!) in 1984 after it had been aired on network t.v. only once (to my knowledge) back in 1962 or '63! Needless to say, we had a neat little "reunion" that Saturday afternoon! Ain't life fun?!?!?!?!

Too bad the half-faced one-eyed guy is so hokey. The Cyclops head is grotesque but sticking it on top a normal man's body ruins much of the illusion. The matte shots creating the colossal effect are badly dated but then these were well before computerized effects. Seems our adventurous foursome have gone looking for Susan's true love who's disappeared on a plane flight into the Mexico wilds. Unfortunately for them, but good for us, radioactive uranium deposits saturate the search area. Thus, in typical 50's fashion, monsters are created out of ordinary critters. Actually the oversized lizards are pretty well done without the obvious matte marks that surround Cyclops. Then too, the small cast does a professional job, without mocking their parts--- something of a surprise for the often hammy Chaney Jr. Of course, I'll watch anything with cat-eyed Gloria Talbott, especially when she's in tight pants and top. The actress had a rather brief movie career, mainly in horror features of this type where her exotic features fit in perfectly. And, surprise, surprise, 50's audiences get yet one more look at Bronson Canyon, without which I doubt the monster genre would have happened. Still, the LA area locations are well framed, including The LA Arboretum used for jungle shots instead of the usual shaky studio sets. All in all, it's competent drive-in fare that's more shrewdly done than most.