Typical low-budget (very low-budget) late ‘50s, over-sized, hungry monster movie, with a beast showing up to terrorize a small-town. Last year’s THE BLOB/’58 a sure inspiration. For once, our carnivorous entity neither a radioactive experiment gone wrong nor some creature from Outer Space, but merely some genetic growth error. Not the sort of film you expect to get the full fine-grained restoration treatment it’s been given by Film Masters on DVD. (An ironically named company? And is this sort of grungy film helped or hurt by a pristine print? Discuss.) Under occasional director Ray Kellogg (normally a busy Hollywood visual effects vet) and legit lenser Wilfrid M. Cline, the Gila is enlarged with the simplest of tricks: dollhouse sized models of buildings & cars; and a terrarium for ‘location’ close-ups. The effect wouldn’t scare or convince a toddler. What is interesting is the most unthreatening gang of high school hot-rodders ever seen in a teen-oriented pic; garage mechanic lead Don Sullivan, who writes Christian ‘Pop’ tunes for his invalid kid sister and his dance party peers; and his uncomfortably close relationship with middle-aged sheriff Fred Graham whom he helps out at the drop of a hat. Meant as a surrogate father relationship, it feels mighty creepy as played.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: And what gives with the John Ford connection in the film? Producer Ken Curtis, a Ford regular and married at the time to Ford daughter Barbara, he’d produced and starred in the previous film from this group (THE KILLER SHREWS/’59 - not seen here). While this film’s main comic reliever is Shug Fisher, another Ford regular. (Particularly memorable in THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE/’62.) Did Curtis invite Ford to have an early look. What the hell would the old man have made of it? (Then again, Ford did exec produce KING KONG follow up MIGHTY JOE YOUNG/’49.)
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