Attack of the Puppet People (1958)

Director:

Bert I. Gordon

Writers:

George Worthing Yates (screenplay)
Bert I. Gordon (story)

Release Date:

April 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Tagline:

Terror Comes In Small Packages!

Plot:

Lonely, deranged puppet-master designs a machine that shrinks people.

Plot Keywords:

Miniature People | Puppet | Mad Scientist | Shrinking | Miniaturization

Cast

John Agar	...	Bob Westley
John Hoyt	...	Mr. Franz
June Kenney	...	Sally Reynolds
Michael Mark	...	Emil
Jack Kosslyn	...	Sgt. Paterson
Marlene Willis	...	Laurie / Themesong Vocalist
Ken Miller	...	Stan
Laurie Mitchell	...	Georgia Lane
Scott Peters	...	Mac
Susan Gordon	...	Agnes
June Jocelyn	...	Brownie Leader
Jean Moorhead	...	Janet Hall
Hank Patterson	...	Janitor
Hal Bogart	...	Special Delivery Man
Troy Patterson	...	Elevator Operator

Also Known As:

I Was a Teenage Doll (USA) (working title)
Six Inches Tall (UK)
The Fantastic Puppet People

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | USA:Approved (PCA #18865)

Company:

Alta Vista Productions

Trivia:

In the scene at the drive-in, Bob and Sally see an earlier Bert I. Gordon film, The Amazing Colossal Man (1957).

Goofs:

Continuity: The saucer of milk used to lure the cat into the lab changes position on the window sill between shots.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Morgan Stewart's Coming Home (1987)

Soundtrack:

You're My Living Doll

Nicely handled by all concerned.

Reasonably entertaining entry into the 50s sci fi/horror genre.

Star John Hoyt was always interesting to watch (check out his brief but commanding performance as antique shop proprietor Nils Dryer in "The Big Combo").

The basic theme of this film had, in fact, already been tried out the year before in the vastly superior "Incredible Shrinking Man". However, the 'puppet twist' (good name for a song!) was certainly an original touch.

Co-star John Agar is smoothly competent and does his best against the odds.

Strictly for those whose tastes lean towards the ultra-cheesy variety of midnight movie fare.