The Monster of Piedras Blancas
Encyclopedia
The Monster of Piedras Blancas is a 1959
science fiction
/horror film
written and directed by Irvin Berwick and starring Jeanne Carmen
, Les Tremayne
, John Harmon, Don Sullivan, Forrest Lewis, and Pete Dunn. Influenced by The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), the film was produced by Jack Kevan, who had supervised the manufacture of the Creature suit at Universal-International, and created the Piedras Blancas monster costume. Kevan employed several of his former Universal associates on the picture including sound man Joe Lapis and prop master Eddie Keys.
named Eddie who lives in a nearby cave. The locals disregard him at first, but they begin to take notice when the bodies of people murdered by the monster are found on the beach.
, the head of the studio's make-up department,who seldom allowed employees like Kevan or sculptors Chris Mueller and Millicent Patrick to receive publicity. Berwick and Kevan formed Vanwick Productions (BerWICK + KeVAN) and became independent producers. Their first film was designed as a patch on U-I's popular Creature from the Black Lagoon
, whose iconic monster suit Kevan had helped create. For this movie's fictional "diplovertabron," Kevan cut cost and labor time by using existing molds for the feet (cast from those of the Metalunan Mutant from This Island Earth) and the oversized hands (designed originally for The Mole People
.) Actor/stunt man Pete Dunn wore the green-hued monster suit in the film, and did double-duty playing the bartender.
Universal gave a great deal of unofficial cooperation to the production, since it was going through a period of budget problems. Vanwick received sweetheart deals for production vehicles and equipment, the studio's way of helping the many laid-off technicians who found work on the independent film.
Top-lined Don Sullivan would appear in a number of other genre films after this, such as The Giant Gila Monster
. This was the only lead role of cheesecake model Jeanne Carmen
, best known as a trick-shot golf "expert." Character actor Forrest Lewis was primarily known for his radio work, as was Les Tremayne. Wayne Berwick, who plays "Little Jimmy", is the son of director Irvin Berwick. Prolific actor John Harmon was Wayne's godfather.
The movie was shot entirely on location, but oddly enough, not at the real Piedras Blancas, which is north of San Simeon on the California coast. The lighthouse locations in the movie were filmed at the Pt. Conception lighthouse
near Lompoc, and the movie's "town" is actually the seaside town of Cayucos, about 30 miles south of the real Piedras Blancas.
Several scenes broke new ground for on-screen gore, such as the monster making a shock entrance carrying a bloody human head, and a later shot of the same head with a crab crawling across the face. The film was released on a double bill with Okefenokee, a bayou melodrama. Kevan and Berwick made several other B-films, notably The Street is My Beat, before Kevan left show business to start a cosmetics company. Berwick continued to direct and produce low budget features into the 1980s.
Parts of the rubber monster suit showed up years later in the TV show Flipper
, in the episode Flipper's Monster, which was directed by Ricou Browning, who had performed the Gill Man swimming scenes in Creature From the Black Lagoon
.
Wayne Berwick later directed the cult classic, Microwave Massacre
and co-directed the 1950s spoof The Naked Monster
, which features Jeanne Carmen and John Harmon in a lighthouse segment which sends up the 1959 film. Les Tremayne
also appears in the spoof (albeit in a role patterned after his part in The War of the Worlds
. Irv Berwick supplied an off-screen radio voice for the parody.
1959 in film
The year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards.-Events:* The Three Stooges make their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters....
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
written and directed by Irvin Berwick and starring Jeanne Carmen
Jeanne Carmen
Jeanne Carmen was an American model, pin-up girl, trick-shot golfer, and B movie actress.-Early life and career:...
, Les Tremayne
Les Tremayne
Les Tremayne was a radio, film, and television actor. Born Lester Tremayne in England, he moved with his family at the age four to Chicago, where he began in community theatre. He danced as a vaudeville performer and worked as amusement park barker...
, John Harmon, Don Sullivan, Forrest Lewis, and Pete Dunn. Influenced by The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), the film was produced by Jack Kevan, who had supervised the manufacture of the Creature suit at Universal-International, and created the Piedras Blancas monster costume. Kevan employed several of his former Universal associates on the picture including sound man Joe Lapis and prop master Eddie Keys.
Plot
The setting is the sleepy lighthouse town of Piedras Blancas. Sturges (Harmon) is the lighthouse keeper of the town and is very superstitious and concerned for the safety of his young teenage daughter, Lucy (Carmen). He leaves food for a sea monsterSea monster
Sea monsters are sea-dwelling mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size.Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or multi-armed beasts. They can be slimy or scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water...
named Eddie who lives in a nearby cave. The locals disregard him at first, but they begin to take notice when the bodies of people murdered by the monster are found on the beach.
Production
Both Jack Kevan and Irvin Berwick toilied in unbilled obscurity as contract employees at Universal-International. Berwick had been an uncredited dialogue director at U-I and at Columbia prior to that, working with the likes of William Castle and Jack Arnold. Kevan in particular chafed under the stewardship of Bud WestmoreBud Westmore
Bud Westmore was a make-up artist in Hollywood.Son of George Westmore, a member of the Westmore family prominent in Hollywood make-up. He is credited on over 450 movies and television shows, including To Kill a Mockingbird, Man of a Thousand Faces, The Andromeda Strain and Creature from the Black...
, the head of the studio's make-up department,who seldom allowed employees like Kevan or sculptors Chris Mueller and Millicent Patrick to receive publicity. Berwick and Kevan formed Vanwick Productions (BerWICK + KeVAN) and became independent producers. Their first film was designed as a patch on U-I's popular Creature from the Black Lagoon
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Creature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 monster horror film directed by Jack Arnold, and starring Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, and Whit Bissell. The eponymous creature was played by Ben Chapman on land and Ricou Browning in underwater scenes...
, whose iconic monster suit Kevan had helped create. For this movie's fictional "diplovertabron," Kevan cut cost and labor time by using existing molds for the feet (cast from those of the Metalunan Mutant from This Island Earth) and the oversized hands (designed originally for The Mole People
The Mole People
-Plot:The film begins with a narration by Dr. Frank Baxter, an English professor at the University of Southern California, explaining the premise of the movie and its basis in reality...
.) Actor/stunt man Pete Dunn wore the green-hued monster suit in the film, and did double-duty playing the bartender.
Universal gave a great deal of unofficial cooperation to the production, since it was going through a period of budget problems. Vanwick received sweetheart deals for production vehicles and equipment, the studio's way of helping the many laid-off technicians who found work on the independent film.
Top-lined Don Sullivan would appear in a number of other genre films after this, such as The Giant Gila Monster
The Giant Gila Monster
The Giant Gila Monster is a 1959 black-and-white science fiction film directed by Ray Kellogg, and produced by Ken Curtis. It stars Don Sullivan, Lisa Simone, as well as Fred Graham, Shug Fisher and Bob Thompson. This low-budget B-Movie featured a cast of unknown actors, and the effects included a...
. This was the only lead role of cheesecake model Jeanne Carmen
Jeanne Carmen
Jeanne Carmen was an American model, pin-up girl, trick-shot golfer, and B movie actress.-Early life and career:...
, best known as a trick-shot golf "expert." Character actor Forrest Lewis was primarily known for his radio work, as was Les Tremayne. Wayne Berwick, who plays "Little Jimmy", is the son of director Irvin Berwick. Prolific actor John Harmon was Wayne's godfather.
The movie was shot entirely on location, but oddly enough, not at the real Piedras Blancas, which is north of San Simeon on the California coast. The lighthouse locations in the movie were filmed at the Pt. Conception lighthouse
Point Conception Light
Point Conception Light is a lighthouse on Point Conception at the west entrance of the Santa Barbara Channel, California. It is one of the earliest California lighthouses and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-History:...
near Lompoc, and the movie's "town" is actually the seaside town of Cayucos, about 30 miles south of the real Piedras Blancas.
Several scenes broke new ground for on-screen gore, such as the monster making a shock entrance carrying a bloody human head, and a later shot of the same head with a crab crawling across the face. The film was released on a double bill with Okefenokee, a bayou melodrama. Kevan and Berwick made several other B-films, notably The Street is My Beat, before Kevan left show business to start a cosmetics company. Berwick continued to direct and produce low budget features into the 1980s.
Parts of the rubber monster suit showed up years later in the TV show Flipper
Flipper (1964 TV series)
Flipper, from Ivan Tors Films in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, is an American television program first broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park...
, in the episode Flipper's Monster, which was directed by Ricou Browning, who had performed the Gill Man swimming scenes in Creature From the Black Lagoon
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Creature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 monster horror film directed by Jack Arnold, and starring Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, and Whit Bissell. The eponymous creature was played by Ben Chapman on land and Ricou Browning in underwater scenes...
.
Wayne Berwick later directed the cult classic, Microwave Massacre
Microwave Massacre
Microwave Massacre is a 1983 dark comedy/horror film directed by Wayne Berwick and starring Jackie Vernon in his final feature film role. Considered a trash film by critics, it has grown a cult following over the years.- Plot :...
and co-directed the 1950s spoof The Naked Monster
The Naked Monster
The Naked Monster is a 2005 American ultra low-budget science fiction and horror comedy film written by Ted Newsom and directed by Newsom and Wayne Berwick as an homage to and spoof of the "giant monster-on-the-loose" films of the 1950s...
, which features Jeanne Carmen and John Harmon in a lighthouse segment which sends up the 1959 film. Les Tremayne
Les Tremayne
Les Tremayne was a radio, film, and television actor. Born Lester Tremayne in England, he moved with his family at the age four to Chicago, where he began in community theatre. He danced as a vaudeville performer and worked as amusement park barker...
also appears in the spoof (albeit in a role patterned after his part in The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds (1953 film)
The War of the Worlds is a 1953 science fiction film starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. It was the first on-screen loose adaptation of the H. G. Wells classic novel of the same name...
. Irv Berwick supplied an off-screen radio voice for the parody.
Cast
- Les TremayneLes TremayneLes Tremayne was a radio, film, and television actor. Born Lester Tremayne in England, he moved with his family at the age four to Chicago, where he began in community theatre. He danced as a vaudeville performer and worked as amusement park barker...
as Dr. Sam Jorgenson - Forrest Lewis as Constable Matson
- John HarmonJohn Harmon (actor)John Harmon was an American actor.Harmon was a very prolific bit actor. His career spanned over six decades and almost 300 movie and television roles in a wide variety of genres. Many of his earlier appearances are uncredited. His first major screen credit was in I was framed...
as Sturges, the Lighthouse Keeper - Frank Arvidson as Kochek, the Storekeeper
- Jeanne CarmenJeanne CarmenJeanne Carmen was an American model, pin-up girl, trick-shot golfer, and B movie actress.-Early life and career:...
as Lucy - Don Sullivan as Fred
- Pete Dunn as Eddie (The Monster)
- Joseph La Cava as Mike
- Wayne Berwick as Little Jimmy