Attack Of The 50ft Women (1958) (blu-ray film review)
I was surprised how short this film, ‘Attack Of The 50ft Women’ was, running at 65 minutes. During the orbit and crash of a meteorite, Harry Archer (actor William Hudson) and his lover, Honey Parker (actress Yvette Vickers) are planning his socialite wife’s murder in a nightclub. She, Mrs. Nancy Archer (actress Allison Hayes), in turn, has encountered a 30ft tall creature in the desert and found by the police in hysterics. Charlie (actor Frank Chase), a dumb cop deputy obeys Archer’s bribe in the nightclub that he’d had already gone home than bring him to his wife. The cops believe Nancy partially, mostly because of the news reports that a satellite crashed there and she’s a wealthy taxpayer but find nothing. It seems Archer and his mistress are an open secret to all but his wife.
Archer sees the satellite as a way to convince people Nancy is crazy and out in the desert a means to fake her ‘suicide’ and drives her around out there. The only thing is, they meet, a giant sphere it and its giant inhabitant, who grabs Nancy. Archer flees in the car to their home, grabs his clothes and has a fight with the retainer, Jess Stout (actor Ken Terrell), as you do, wins and flees. Stout calls the police and Archer gets his girl-friend. Charlie stops them both before they go and takes them to the police station as his boss, Sheriff Dubbitt (actor George Douglas), wants to see them. Nancy is found on top of the pool house back at the house. Dr. Isaac Cushing (actor Roy Gordon) says Nancy has evidence of radiation poisoning. Honey gives Archer a convenient alibi and they leave. However, Honey tells Archer that the nurse (actress Eileen Stevens) left to administer the antidote should only be given in small doses and a large dose would be fatal. Archer goes back to kill his wife only to find his wife has grown into a giant, although we only see her hand. Doctor Henrich Von Loeb (actor Otto Waldis) is brought in to see if they can cure the unconscious Nancy, although you do have to wonder at the boxes of chains in the hallway.
The Sheriff and Jess Stout find giant footprints leading to the outhouse and follow them. Odd that, the footprints lead to the house but not go away. They do find the satellite and look around inside and in one of the vessels sees Nancy’s diamond necklace. The giant isn’t too happy as they flee shooting and trashes their car before taking off in his satellite.
Back at the house, the chained Nancy wakes up and although the doctor gives her morphine, she still wakes up and breaks free and determined to go after her husband and Honey. Charlie finds Dubbitt and Jess walking back and drives them back to town.
Do you really want me to go spoiler from this point? It’s a big surprise.
Oddly, for a cheapish film the camera work is actually effective. Amazing that no one sees the giant alien for much of the film, only its footprint and it doesn’t seem to turn around to go back to the satellite. Well, not until later when they follow in a car. As they only follow one footprint, you do have to wonder if he hopped. Credibility is stretched a lot. If you can believe in a 50ft tall woman, then you can probably believe she’s dressed in neat rags. Not sure if she’s actually 50ft, more like 30ft. as she’s not much taller than a 2 storey building.
The original point of watching this film was to see what inspired Reynold Brown to paint his cinema poster. Although Nancy did not stand over a freeway, she did have a car in her hand.
The audio commentary is with actress Yvette Vickers and film historian Tom Weaver. Vickers was called ‘first take’ because in the B-movies, one take was all they mostly had. Allied Artists didn’t like the special effects but to bring the cast back was impractical. The giant and the less seen Tony the barman is the same actor, Mike Ross. Women in Hollywood really thought Vickers was a husband stealer because of this film. Its also described as ‘the movie no one will ever see’ as no one thought anyone would want to see it. Weaver also points out that Nancy’s bedroom must have been very big to contain her giant size. They also recognise the height problem that I did. I’m not sure I would agree with them that it’s a ‘fun movie’ when you consider how many died but I can see its attraction even today.
There’s also a near two minute trailer which, as usual, practically precises the entire story.
A little more analysis after reading my comments above. We have a giant who causes Nancy to grow for whatever reason and yet has no effect on anyone else. When you consider the Sheriff and Stout entered the satellite, you would have thought that there was something there to cause it. There’s also no reason why the alien giant would need Nancy’s necklace or how he got it off her neck. I’m probably over-analysing a B-movie so just watch and enjoy.
GF Willmetts
July 2025
(pub: Warner Bros, 1958 released 2024. 1 blu-ray disk 65 minute film and audio commentary. Price: varies. ASIN: B0CL7RS27V)
cast: Allison Hayes, William Hudson, Yvette Vickers, etc
check out website: www.warnerbros.com/movies/attack-50-ft-woman
