Teenage Monster

Teenage Monster is a 1958 independently made science fiction-horror film. It was produced and directed by Jacques R. Marquette,[1] and stars Anne Gwynne and Stuart Wade. The film had a first screening on December 25, 1957, in Los Angeles.[2] It went into general theatrical release in January 1958, in a double feature with The Brain from Planet Arous; the pairing combined science fiction and western film elements, both of which were very popular in the late 1950s.

Teenage Monster
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJacques R. Marquette
Produced byJacques R. Marquette
Dale Tate
Written byRay Buffum
StarringAnne Gwynne
Stuart Wade
Music byWalter Greene
CinematographyTaylor Byars
Edited byIrving M. Schoenberg
Production
company
Marquette Productions Limited
Distributed byHowco
Release date
  • December 25, 1957 (1957-12-25) (US)
Running time
65 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$57,000 (estimated)

Plot

In a 19th century town in the American Southwest, young Charlie Cannon sees a meteorite crash in the desert. While exploring the crash site, he is exposed to mysterious rays emanating from the meteorite that cause him to begin aging rapidly. His mother, a gold prospector named Ruth, hides him and the town believes him dead. However, in a short time span, he ages ten years, while also becoming a hairy, aggressive, and completely psychopathic man-beast. He sometimes escapes his confinement, and terrorizes the community. After his mother strikes gold, she purchases a house in town in the hopes that living in a real home will soothe her son's inner beast. However, he scares more people and kidnaps a young woman, Kathy. Ruth pays Kathy to keep her silence, but Kathy begins to blackmail Ruth plus manipulate Charlie to kill for her. In the final show-down, Charlie understands Kathy's lies and hurls her off a cliff before being shot and killed himself.

Cast

The cast includes:[1][2]

Production and reception

Jacques R. Marquette made the feature because his company needed a cheap film to run as a double bill with The Brain from Planet Arous (1957). Jacques Marquette also helped develop the film's plot and handled some of the cinematography.[1] Jack Pierce handled the make-up effects.[1] Teenage Monster was released by Marquette Productions Limited.

The film's working title was Monster on the Hill,[1] but it was theatrically released as Teenage Monster in an attempt to cash in on the success of horror films from other distributors that used the word "teenage" in their titles. When the film was released to television, the title was changed to Meteor Monster.[1]

The film – as Teenage Monster – was refused a United Kingdom rating certificate in 1959. In 1995, the film was finally released in the UK fully uncut and with a PG certificate rating.

The film currently holds a low 3.3/10 rating at the Internet Movie Database and a 0% rating at the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

References
  1. Warren, Bill (1986). Keep Watching The Skies, Volume 2. McFarland & Co., Inc. p. 767. ISBN 0-89950-170-2.
  2. "Overview for Teenage Monster (1958)". Vault Collection. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 2, 2009.


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