Allied Artists: Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films

257 Pages·2011·5.5 MB·English

by  Michael R. Pitts

Allied Artists
Horror, Science Fiction
and Fantasy Films
ALSOBYMICHAELR. PITTS
ANDFROMMCFARLAND
Columbia Pictures Horror, Science Fiction
and Fantasy Films, 1928–1982(2010)
Western Film Series of the Sound Era(2009)
Poverty Row Studios, 1929–1940:
An Illustrated History of 55 Independent Film Companies,
with a Filmography for Each(1997; paperback 2005)
Charles Bronson: The 95 Films and the 156
Television Appearances(1999; paperback 2003)
Horror Film Stars, 3d ed. (2002)
Western Movies: A TV and Video Guide to
4200 Genre Films(1986; paperback 1997)
Hollywood and American History: A Filmography of Over
250 Motion Pictures Depicting U.S. History(1984)
Allied Artists
Horror, Science Fiction
and Fantasy Films
M R. P
ICHAEL ITTS
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Pitts, Michael R.
Allied Artists horror, science fiction and fantasy films / Michael R. Pitts.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7864-6046-5
softcover : 50# alkaline paper
1. Allied Artists Pictures Corporation—Catalogs. 2. Motion pictures—
United States—Catalogs. 3. Horror films—United States—Catalogs.
4. Science fiction films—United States—Catalogs.
5. Fantasy films—United States—Catalogs. I. Title.
PN1999.A4P58 2011 791.430973—dc22 2011006773
BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE
© 2011Michael R. Pitts. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
On the cover: Poster art from the 1959 film The Giant Behemoth,
originally titled Behemoth, the Sea Monster(Allied Artists/Photofest)
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
For my grandson,
Jacob Michael Cruz
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Table of Contents
Preface 1
FEATURE FILMS 3
TELEVISION FEATURES 181
REISSUES 227
Theatrical Films in
Chronological Order 233
Bibliography 235
Index 237
vii
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Preface
When Screen Gems released its “Shock!” and “Son of Shock!” packages of old Universal
and Columbia horror films to television in the late 1950s, it opened a floodgate of popularity
for horror, science fiction and fantasy films that has yet to abate. Living in Central Indiana,
I was able to see these wonderful movies on WISH-TV, Channel 8, when they were presented
by the hugely popular horror host, Selwin. From 1958 to 1961 the classic movie monsters
were seen each Friday night until Selwin began showing Tarzan and Bomba movies on an
afternoon show called Selwin on Saturday. In the spring of 1962 he was back on late Fridays
wearing a silver spacesuit purchased from the Captain Company and presenting a new flock
of scary movies, this time from Allied Artists. It was evident these more modern fright fest
offerings were of a different (lesser) breed than the monster movies of yore, but they had a
lure of their own. Many a baby boomer got hooked on horror movies watching these Allied
releases and after nearly a half century they retain a place in the hearts of genre followers.
From 1952 to 1978 Allied Artists Pictures Corporation released over 80 feature films
in the horror, science fiction and fantasy film categories. Like most of the studios’ product,
they were mainly average outings but there were some top-notch productions like House on
Haunted Hill, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Macabre, The Maze, Not of This Earth and
World Without End. At the other end of the spectrum, the company was responsible for the
release of movies like The Bride and the Beast, The Disembodied, Frankenstein Meets the Space
Monster, From Hell It Cameand Mission Mars. Somewhere in the middle come such favorites
as Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, The Atomic Submarine, The Bat, Black Zoo, Daughter of Dr.
Jekyll, The Giant Behemoth, Queen of Outer Spaceand The Strangler. For traditionalists there
is John Carradine in The Cosmic Man, Lon Chaney in Indestructible Man and The Cyclops
and Boris Karloff in Frankenstein 1970 and The Sorcerers. One of the studio’s most popular
series was “The Bowery Boys” and several of their entries involved horror, sci-fi or fantasy.
Allied also imported the genre features Blood and Black Lace, Caltiki the Immortal Monster,
Crow Hollow, Island of the Doomed, The Magic Weaverand Moonwolf. There were even some
sex horror imports, including Blood Rose and Eugenie.
Allied Artists’ history goes back to the silent days when W. Ray Johnston started Rayart
Productions in 1924; it became Syndicate Film Exchange in 1928. With the coming of sound
there were a few releases under the banners Continental Talking Pictures and Raytone, and
then in 1931 the company became Monogram Pictures. In 1935 Johnston and Trem Carr,
who was in charge of production, merged Monogram with several other studios (Mascot,
Majestic, Liberty) and Consolidated Film Industries to form Republic Pictures Corporation.
In 1937 Johnston re-started Monogram and the company returned to motion picture pro-
duction. Among its product was some horror movies, including some with Bela Lugosi in
the 1940s. In 1946 Johnston became chairman of the studio’s board and general sales manager
Steve Broidy succeeded him as Monogram’s president. Since Monogram was associated with
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