- For the MST3K episode, see MST3K 523 - Village of the Giants.
Village of the Giants is a 1965 giant teenager film directed by Bert I. Gordon. It was co-written by Gordon and Alan Caillou, and is very loosely based on the novel Food of the Gods by H.G. Wells.
Plot[]
A kid called Genius inadvertently invents a substance that causes all animal life to grow. Genius' sister Nancy and her boyfriend Mike see the money-making potential in the substance (dubbed "Goo") and plan to get rich by selling it.
Village of the Giants
A greedy young opportunist and his delinquent friends learn about the substance and are inspired to steal the Goo and use it for their own purposes. They soon decide to eat it themselves. They grow to gigantic proportions and temporarily take over the town. The giants are opposed by Mike and his friends until Genius can develop an antidote and the giant teens are returned to normal size.
Cast[]
- Tommy Kirk as Mike
- Johnny Crawford as Horsey
- Beau Bridges as Fred
- Ron Howard as Genius
- Charla Doherty as Nancy
- Jim Begg as Fatso
- Joy Harmon as Merrie
- Robert Random as Rick
- Joe Turkel as Sheriff
Village of the Giants
Notes[]
- The Beau Brummels and Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon make musical guest appearances.
- As the giant teens rampage through residential streets, some recognizable homes from TV series can be seen, including the Cleaver's house from Leave It to Beaver and the Stevens' house from Bewitched.
- Several of the outdoor shots during the showdown between Tommy Kirk and Beau Bridges were filmed on the Courthouse Square location later made famous in the Back to the Future franchise.
- Red, the red-headed dancer, is played by Toni Basil, who later became well-known for her 1982 hit song "Mickey".
MST3K Connections[]
- Director, writer, producer, and special effects technician Bert I. Gordon was also director, writer, producer, and special effects technician for King Dinosaur, The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth vs the Spider, War of the Colossal Beast, The Magic Sword, and Tormented, as well as director, producer, and special effects technician for Beginning of the End.
- Source material writer H.G. Wells also had his writing loosely adapted in Riding with Death and H.G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come.
- Tommy Kirk also portrayed Don Pringle in Catalina Caper.
- Johnny Crawford also portrayed Ken Brewster in The Space Children.
- Robert Random also portrayed Jack Parker in Being from Another Planet.
- Jim Begg also portrayed Lawrence in Catalina Caper.
- Joe Turkel (sheriff) also portrayed Nick in Tormented.
- June Kenney (basement girl) also portrayed Carol Flynn in Earth vs the Spider, Asmild in The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent, and Betty Scott in Bloodlust!.
- Cinematographer Paul Vogel was also cinematographer for The Magic Sword
- Editor John A. Bushelman was also assistant producer for King Dinosaur and editor for Tormented.
- Art director Franz Bachelin was also production designer for The Magic Sword.
- Art director Hal Pereira was also art director for The Space Children.
- Hair styles supervisor Nellie Manley was also hair styles supervisor for The Space Children.
- Makeup supervisor Wally Westmore was also makeup supervisor for The Space Children.
- Sound effects technician Arthur Cornell was also editor for King Dinosaur.
- Sound recordist Charles Grenzbach was also re-recording mixer for Being from Another Planet and Alien from L.A. as well as sound recordist for The Space Children.
- Special effects technician Herman E. Townsley also did special effects for Tormented.
- Process photographer Farciot Edouart also did process photography for The Space Children.
- Special effects technician Flora Gordon also did special effects for King Dinosaur (as well as wardrobe), The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth vs the Spider, War of the Colossal Beast, The Magic Sword, Tormented, and Beginning of the End.
- Presenter Joseph E. Levine was also executive producer for Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and presenter for the American versions of Hercules Unchained and Hercules.
- Talent coordinator Marvin Paige was also casting consultant for Women of the Prehistoric Planet and The Human Duplicators.