THE CYCLOPS (1957)
Article #23 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 4-7-2001
Posting date: 8-21-2001

In this Bert I. Gordon movie, Gloria Talbot plays a woman searching for her fiance whose plane crashed in a South American jungle loaded with uranium and radioactivity. She searches the area with the help of three men (including Lon Chaney Jr.), and discovers a bunch of giant animals, and finally a giant with half his face melted away and only one eye.

I think this movie predates THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, so that would make it Gordon’s first Giant Man movie: the giant man in WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST is very similar to this one. Unfortunately, it’s a very dull movie, one that takes forever to get to the action (like KING DINOSAUR). The presence of Lon Chaney Jr. is interesting, but it’s definitely one of his weaker performances; I don’t think he’s right for the broad villainous type of character he plays here. On the other hand, he was given one of those greedy stupid conniving coward roles that are hard to watch no matter who is playing them; they’re the type of character whose death is inevitable, and when it occurs, you feel neither sadness nor joy, just relief.