Robot Monster (1953)

Robot Monster (1953)

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Monster from Mars
Monsters from the Moon
Phil Tucker's Robot Monster

Tagline(s):	Moon Monsters Launch Attack Against Earth!
	Adventures Into The Future in New TRU-3 Dimension
	How can science meet the menace of astral assassins?
	New Science Fiction Thrills!
	Incredible! Unbelievable! Told The Untamed Way!
	In Intriguing 2-D
	Danger! Thrills! That crackles [sic.] with adventure!
	Adventures into the Future
	Overwhelming! Electrifying! Baffling!
	Fire Can't Burn Them! Bullets Can't Kill Them!
	Will "Robot Monsters" Come To Destroy the World by Feeding on the Bodies of the Human Race?

Nomination Year: 2025

SYNOPSIS:

A formidible alien named Ro-Man (okay, a guy in a stupid gorilla suit with a fishbowl on his head) uses his Calcinator Beam (okay, a bubble machine) to destroy the world--all except for six pesky humans.

But...what happens when Ro-Man starts developing human feelings? Will his alien overlords (okay, overlord) destroy him, or is it all some kind of nightmare??

Hint: It's some kind of nightmare...for everybody.

Bryan Cassidy

Smithee Award Nominations

Oblivious
"I Can't Find Any Humans" Ro-Man is frustrated that he can't find the humans...and gets chewed out by his boss over it. But there's one right the frick there!

Stupidest-Looking Monster
Isn't It Ro-Man-tic? Has to be seen to be believed. It's a guy in a gorilla suit with a diving helmet on his head. Complete with antennae.

"Whoops!"
The Space Platform Has a Helping Hand When it's not clearly on strings, you can see the "space platform" clearly being moved around by a stick held by a human hand!

Crummiest Ending

Q-Ray Dinos, Earth Destroyed, IT WAS ALL A DREAM!

Frustrated by Ro-Man's softness toward the final remaining humans, Great Guidance sends...uh...Cosmic Q-Rays that create...uh...dinosaurs (stop motion and stock footage), and storms (stock footage)...and stuff. Then come the Cyclotronic Vibrations to smash the planet Earth out of the universe...and stuff.

But worst of all...

There's a sudden transition and we discover Johnny just hit his head and IT WAS ALL A FUCKING DREAM!

Or...WAS IT??? Ro-Man lamely lurches toward the camera (THREE TIMES) after they leave. WHY???

Directors

Director	Claim to Fame
Phil Tucker	Directed nine lackluster films, mostly centered around dancing. The other sci-fi attempt was 1960's The Cape Canaveral Monsters.

Cast

Actor	Character	Claim to Fame
George Nader	Roy	Parlayed his leading role in Robot Monster into a long and lucrative, if mediocre, career as a square-jawed hero type.
Claudia Barrett	Alice	Born Imogene Williams, she was discovered in Hollywood and landed the female lead in lots of Westerns and Republic serials. As well as a slew of bit parts.
John Mylong	The Professor	AKA "Jack Mylong," he was a Ukranian-born actor who had a very prolific career, mainly on '50s and '60s TV. Was Martin Krafft in His Kind of Woman and Col. Duval in For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Selena Royle	Mother	AKA "Selena Royale," she was a character actress throughout the 40s and '50s, usually playing kindly (oldish) women. And if ever there were a Queen of the Concerned Look in the Background, it was she. Portrayed Joan of Arc's mother in Joan of Arc, Miss Bliss in The Harvey Girls, Elizabeth Almond in The Heiress, and Mrs. Foster in A Date with Judy.
Gregory Moffett	Johnny	Johnny, Tommy, Richie, Butch, Jimmy...whatever. He was the cute kid in about 10 things, stopping in 1957. But weirdly, IMDb shows he has two upcoming projects: Greg in Robot Dracula and something called The Girl with the Gargoyle Tattoo. The guy's in his 70's now. Good for him. But probably bad for us.
Pamela Paulson	Carla	She did Robot Monster as a little girl, and the only other thing on record is the S6.E7 of "Discover Indie Film," entitled "Me & My Own Drunk," where she apparently plays a drunk meeting member. I figure she was in her 70's at the time.
George Barrows	Ro-Man / Great Guidance	If there was a gorilla suit, this guy was probably in it. Played gorillas all over the place ("The Addams Family," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Red Skelton," Black Zoo...) Had small parts on TV. Was Mack in Frankenstein's Daughter and George in Mesa of Lost Women.
John Brown	Ro-Man (voice) / Great Guidance (voice)	Famous on radio's "Life of Riley" as "Digger" O'Dell the friendly undertaker, he played many other parts on radio shows as well as being the narrator of many cartoons. But to me he will always be the uncredited voices of the best cartoon ever made: Symphony in Slang. Was also Prof. Collins in Strangers on a Train and the Schoolmaster in Hans Christian Andersen.


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