The Beast with a Million Eyes ** (1955, Paul Birch, Lorna Thayer, Dona Cole, Dick Sargent, Leonard Tarver, Chester Conklin) – Classic Movie Review 7727

An extra-terrestrial beast with, in fact, two eyes that looks like a coffee percolator (it also sees through animals in its power) descends on the American South-West desert and gets various farmyard creatures, a blackbird, a pet dog and a simple, mute farm-hand (Leonard Tarver) to attack rancher Allan Kelley (Paul Birch), his wife Carol (Lorna Thayer) and daughter Sandra (Dona Cole).

Allan Kelley’s family combats it by the force of love, which it cannot withstand, in director David Kramarsky’s amusing 1955 sci-fi ultra-cheapie The Beast with a Million Eyes. Dick Sargent plays Deputy Larry Brewster and Bruce Whitmore provides the voice of The Beast.

After the exhibitors were shocked at the pathetic monster, eerie lightning flash designs were overlaid on the original images, thus appearing to come from the monster, and concealing it enough to save the day!

Alas, Tom Filer’s weak and meandering screenplay, various technical inadequacies and Kramarsky’s unfocused direction all but squander a very interesting set-up and Birch’s stalwart performance. The revered silent comic Chester Conklin appears, very unexpectedly, as Ben Webber, an elderly neighbour of Kelley’s who gets killed by a mad cow!

The Beast with a Million Eyes was shot in the desert for $23,000. The hand-puppet beast, the slave of the title monster, was built and operated by special effects man Paul Blaisdell. In fact, the monster is a tea-kettle with a lot of holes driven in it.

The Beast with a Million Eyes is directed by David Kramarsky, runs 78 minutes, is made by San Mateo Productions and Palo Alto Productions, is released by American International Pictures, is written by Tom Filer, is shot in black and white by Everett Baker, is produced by James H Nicholson, Roger Corman and David Kramarsky, is scored by John Bickford, and is designed by Albert Ruddy, with special effects by Paul Blaisdell.

It is one of producer Roger Corman’s long line of profitable grade Z sci-fi action adventure chillers that started with Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954).

It is available on a double feature DVD Region 1 US Import with The Phantom from 10000 Leagues.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7727

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