THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS

The Brain

THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957). Director: Nathan Juran (as Nathan Hertz). Colorized. 

Nuclear scientist Steve March (John Agar of Bait) and his associate Dan (Robert Fuller of Death in a Red Jaguar) think that something weird is happening out at the isolated Mystery Mountain. Inside a cave they discover a huge floating alien brain creature named Gor who flash-fries poor Dan and takes over Steve's mind. Gor is fascinated by the human female, Sally (Joyce Meadows), Steve's fiancee, whom the brain finds "very exciting," and Sally discovers that Steve's new extra-passionate nature seems to know no bounds. His kisses go from being much more enthusiastic to downright brutal. Eventually Sally and her father, John (Thomas Browne Henry), discover the truth from another, friendlier brain that has taken up residence in Steve's dog. Meanwhile "Steve" destroys airliners with his mental power and tells an international council that he will wipe out capital cities if they don't comply with his demands. He is out to take over not only the earth but the entire universe!

John Agar

The Brain from Planet Arous is very much like a sci fi comic book story from the fifties. Despite its absurdities it plays reasonably well thanks to the acting by the principals. John Agar is commanding and sinister as the Gor-controlled Steve, laughing uproariously as he destroys planes and threatens the annihilation of entire cities. Joyce Meadows admirably plays with complete conviction whereas lesser actresses might have simply tossed off the lines with a pained expression. E. Leslie Thomas also deserves kudos as General Brown, especially in a well-played sequence when he confronts the evil Gor at a conference. Dale Tate, who was the TV news anchor in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, herein plays another professor and also does the voices of Gor, the friendlier brain, and an announcer on the radio. Tate was an associate producer on the film. Joyce Meadows amassed 75 credits. 

Verdict: Watch out for Agar's popping eyes! **1/2. 

ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN

Allison Hayes after she grows to fifty feet

ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN (1958). Director: Nathan Hertz (Nathan Juran). 

"It's a sure thing it wasn't a Japanese gardener." -- The sheriff studying some giant footprints. 

Nancy Archer (Allison Hayes) has a number of serious problems. Being married to the unfaithful "Handsome" Harry (William Hudson) has turned her into a raging dipsomaniac. She has particularly been affected by Harry's affair with Honey Parker (Yvette Vickers), whom he's got stashed in to the local hotel. 

Yvette Vickers and William Hudson

But poor Nancy has a much bigger problem. Driving away in a huff from her husband, who's been eyeing Honey at the bar, she comes across a spherical UFO in the highway. A huge giant man (Michael Ross, who also plays a bartender) steps out of the UFO and makes a grab for her fabulous diamond, the Star of India. Later on Nancy again encounters the giant, with brave Harry leaving her to the big guy's tender mercies. Nancy is later found on top of her mansion's pool house. 

"Something's happened to Mrs. Archer!" Eileen Stevens

If that weren't bad enough, during the night poor Nancy grows into a giantess, almost throwing her hysterical (in every sense of the word) nurse (Eileen Stevens) into conniptions. Then comes the titular "attack," with Nancy bursting out of her elephant chains, tearing the roof off of her mansion, and strutting into town to take care of her husband and "Honey." Has Handsome Harry finally met his match? 

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is a hoot. It is very clear that the filmmakers, everyone involved in the production, did this with their tongues in their cheeks, and were having fun with the whole concept and all of the characters as well. Playing it straight, more or less, just makes the flick more entertaining. Considering that Nancy is not only rich but rather sexy in her way, one wonders why Harry wants to bother with that tramp, Honey Parker, although it's a possibility that his wife's neurotic qualities might have driven anyone to distraction. Hayes is effectively angst-ridden as Nancy, Hudson is fine as the cold-blooded Harry, and Yvette Vickers nearly walks off with the movie as Honey. After Harry implies that he will murder Nancy so he can run off with Honey, he tells her to "read the papers." Unfortunately, his murderous mission is interrupted by Nancy's abrupt change in size. When Honey next sees Harry, she scornfully states "I read the papers." Vickers is an amusing. sexy vixen who knows her way about a line. Another funny scene (of many) is when Nancy throws her drink at a TV set when the announcer (Dale Tate) intones: "Come now, Mrs. Archer -- A man may ignore a million dollars, but fifty!"

The effects of the movie are catch as catch can. You can see through the giant and the giant-sized Mrs. Archer, but the space man's huge prop hand isn't bad. The movie never tells us what happens to Nancy's bedroom after she "blows up like a balloon," but one can imagine that her expanding body knocked down a few walls and she has to lie on the floor wrapped in sheets. Roy Gordon and Otto Waldis are fun as Nancy's doctors, Frank Chase is a delight as Deputy Charlie, who also has a yen for Honey, Ken Terrell makes a convincing manservant, Jess, and George Douglas is solid as the sheriff. Ronald Stein's evocative score is a decided asset. A 1993 TV remake completely missed the mark because it went for out and out comedy. 

Verdict: Great fun, and a virtual catalog of 1950's Americana. ***.