Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
A 1958 sci-fi horror film about a giantess.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is a 1958 American science fiction horror film made independently, directed by Nathan H. Juran (under the name Nathan Hertz). The cast includes Allison Hayes, William Hudson, and Yvette Vickers. Bernard Woolner produced it, Mark Hanna wrote the screenplay, and Ronald Stein composed the music. Allied Artists released it in the U.S. on May 18, 1958, as a double feature with *War of the Satellites*. The story follows a wealthy heiress who, after encountering a giant alien near its round spacecraft, grows to enormous size, straining her already shaky marriage to a cheating husband. The film belongs to a 1950s trend of size-change sci-fi movies like *The Amazing Colossal Man* and *The Incredible Shrinking Man*, but with a female lead. Its lasting popularity has led to many parodies and homages.
The plot begins with news reports of a red fireball seen worldwide. Nancy Archer, a wealthy woman with a history of drinking and emotional trouble, drives through the desert at night. A glowing sphere lands on the road, causing her to crash. When she investigates, a huge creature emerges and reaches for her. She escapes and tells the town, but no one believes her due to her drinking and recent mental hospital stay. Her husband, Harry, is having an affair with Honey Parker and hopes Nancy will be committed again so he can control her $50 million estate. Nancy agrees to search the desert with Harry, promising to return to the sanatorium if they find nothing. That night, they locate the spacecraft, and a giant male alien appears. Harry fires his pistol, but it has no effect, and he flees, leaving Nancy behind.
Nancy is later found delirious on her pool house roof. Her doctor, Dr. Cushing, sedates her and notices scratches on her neck, suspecting radiation exposure. Encouraged by Honey, Harry plans to inject Nancy with a lethal dose of sedative, but when he enters her room, he finds she has grown to giant size—only her enormous hand is visible as he reacts in horror. Dr. Cushing and a specialist, Dr. Von Loeb, are baffled. They keep Nancy in a morphine coma, chained, while waiting for authorities. The sheriff and Nancy’s butler, Jess, follow giant footprints to the alien sphere, where they find Nancy’s diamond necklace and other large diamonds in orbs, possibly powering the ship. The giant alien reappears, and they flee. Nancy awakens, breaks free
- Release date
- May 18, 1958
- Director
- Nathan H. Juran (credited as Nathan Hertz)
- Starring
- Allison Hayes, William Hudson, Yvette Vickers
- Genre
- Science fiction horror
- Production company
- Allied Artists
- Budget
- Approximately $88,000
- Running time
- 66 minutes (theatrical); 75 minutes (television version)
Lore & Background
The film's storyline follows Nancy Archer, a wealthy heiress with a history of emotional instability and drinking, who encounters a glowing sphere in the desert. A huge creature emerges, and after the encounter, Nancy begins to grow to giant size. Her philandering husband Harry Archer, more interested in his mistress Honey Parker, plots to have Nancy committed to regain control of her $50 million estate. As Nancy grows to 50 feet tall, she breaks free of restraints, tears off her mansion's roof, and heads to town to confront her unfaithful husband. She kills Honey by dropping a ceiling beam, then picks up Harry and walks away before being killed when a shotgun blast causes a power line transformer to explode.
Reader's Guide
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman has achieved cult classic status, confirmed by retrospective reviews and scholarship. The film was produced on a low budget of around $88,000 and made enough money to prompt discussion of a sequel, though the project never advanced beyond the script phase. Several remake attempts were announced over the decades, including a 1979 plan by producer Steve Krantz and director Paul Morrissey, a mid-1980s project with Sybil Danning, and a 1993 HBO remake directed by Christopher Guest starring Daryl Hannah. In early 2024, Tim Burton and Gillian Flynn were reported to be developing a remake for Warner Bros. with Margot Robbie attached to star. The film has inspired numerous parodies and homages, including the 1995 parody Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold, the 1999 music video for 'Miserable' by Lit featuring Pamela Anderson, the animated film Monsters vs. Aliens (2009), and music videos by Lana Del Rey and Beyoncé. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 71% approval rating based on 14 reviews.
Did You Know?
- The film was originally titled The Astounding Giant Woman and was also known as The Mammoth Female Monster and The Colossal Female Monster.
- The edited Allied Artists television version runs 75 minutes instead of 66, adding a long printed crawl, repeated sequences, and hold-frames to optically lengthen the running time.
- The film was distributed as a double feature alongside War of the Satellites.
- In 2024, Tim Burton and Gillian Flynn were reported to be developing a remake for Warner Bros. with Margot Robbie starring.
More in Films about giants 1-24
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