Films of the 50s vs Today's Films
Today, we reference IMDB to see goofs like a camera man being seen in a shot, an actor’s clothes changing, or some other funny thing to catch that was a mistake. Accordingly, what we often don’t look for is telling when a scene is fake. We certainly know that effects are there, etc. In vintage Sci fi, one of the most exciting parts is seeing just how evidently fake things were in these movies. Attack of the 50ft Woman offers plenty of comedy for those that appreciate the “special effects” of the late 50s.
Flaws in Attack of the 50ft Woman
First, and something that always entertains me about these “giant” anything films, is the height discrepancies from scene to scene. For instance, in one scene, Nancy Archer is as tall as a power tower, in the next she is looking down on one, but in the last scenes she’s a little taller than a 2-story building. Also, they say she is 30 ft tall, but the title is 50 ft Woman. Godzilla was no different. She was tall enough to step on buildings but then the buildings were taller than her. It seems that these discrepancies are consistent across all of these types of movies.
There are several scenes that show Mrs. Archer’s limbs and appendages. They are obviously not real and almost look like paper mache. In one of the final scenes, she reaches in through the wall and picks up her husband. When the scene cuts, you can tell the actress is holding a doll dressed in a suit. Special effects in this movie are comical to say the least. Another thing about this film effect wise is that they clearly transposed film over other film to create the giant effect in several scenes. As the giant walks across the screen, the transparency of the giant character is clear.
An Unexpected Plot for a Giant Woman in the 1950s
This movie’s story was expected but had unexpected elements as well. You know there’s going to be some kind of alien something involved. No worries on this point, there is. A giant “satellite”, which is just a giant sphere, is landing all over the globe. The alien operating it is a giant and is collecting rare stones to power the ship. He encounters Mrs. Nancy Archer who has a rare diamond necklace. Naturally, he takes her jewels and also turns her into a giant, thus creating our heroine of sorts. I suppose this takes “running the jewels” to a different level?
Our lead role Nancy Archer, who has developed a drinking problem, is in love with her husband who is in love with her money and a blonde in town named Honey. Needless to say, Nancy is not happy about any of this. A plot develops to kill Mrs. Archer and take her wealth as a widower. Plans go South when she hits a growth spurt. She wakes up and her anger now matches her stature. Consequently, she goes into town and classically peeps through a window. Of course, she’s peeking through the 2nd story window. Off comes the roof and she squeezes the life out of her jerk husband. This was not an expected part of a sci-fi movie from the 50s. Jerry Springer and one of his plot’s wasn’t what I expected to watch.
Nostalgia, Nostalgia in Attack of the 50ft Woman
Nancy’s rich character lives in a fantastic mansion. Lighting, furniture, and arched interior doorways are some of the features seen. Late 50’s mansions are not seen often. A few rooms and exterior shots of the house are seen in this movie. According to Headhunter’s Horror House Wiki, this movie was filmed in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California. You can read this article here. In an interview with Yvette Vickers, I learned that the movie was filmed in 8 days (Movies! Staff, 2022).
Viewers of Attack of the 50ft Woman will get to see a California dessert in 1958. Some additional sites in Attack of the 50ft Woman are vehicles, as usual. The police car was my favorite. I’m by no means a car guy but, I think the one in this movie is 1958 Plymouth Savoy (IMDB, 2022). I had never seen one of these before. A wealthy Nancy Archer’s car is very nice too, a 1958 Chrysler Imperial convertible (IMBD, 2022). Repeating myself, the nostalgia of these movies is another big reason to watch for me.
Closing This One Out
In the vintage Sci Fi world, this move is a classic and I understand why. Comparing this movie to the giant films we have today is completely unfair. Taking into consideration that this movie is around 75 years old now, it was very well done. The story is great, the effects work for the time, and the poster is the bomb. Several sites have this movie poster ranked very high. It is certainly iconic. The giant Nancy Archer is preparing to wreak havoc on the city. She stands with one leg on either side of a winding highway bridge and holds a destroyed car. This poster has all the qualities of the stereotypical Sci Fi movie poster of the era. I love it. It is certainly one of my most favorite posters. The poster art and reputation of this film is what grabbed me initially.
If you want to follow up, you can read the article I referenced from IMDB here. The link to the interview with the lady who played Honey can be found here. The information for filming locations can be found here. I would love for you to link up with me on social media if you enjoy these blogs. You will find links to all of my social media here. Also, you can read more of my blogs here and check out my artwork here. If you see some art you like, you can contact me here. Also, while you’re on my site, sign up for my mailing list.
What Are Your Thoughts?
I am happily cursed by being an artist. I pay attention to things others don’t and often am drawn to things because of art that surrounds or is part of them. Movies and their poster art are certainly guilty of doing this to me. What are your thoughts on this movie? What about the poster? If you could rank the top 5 movie posters, what are they? Leave your top 5 in the comments.