The Hideous Sun Demon is a 1958 American sci-fi horror film written, produced and directed by actor Robert Clarke.
In his 1996 autobiography To ‘B’ or Not to ‘B‘ (co-written by Tom Weaver), Robert Clarke revealed that he made the movie for less than $50,000, including $500 for the rubberised lizard suit which was created by production designer Richard Cassarino and was built over a diver’s wetsuit. Conditions inside the suit were very hot; combined with the humid weather, this caused Clarke, who performed his own stunts in the film, to sweat profusely (Cassarino later designed the notable sea creature costume for Destination Inner Space (1966).
Robert Clarke shot the movie over twelve weekends to get two days’ use of rental camera equipment for one day’s fee.
The movie was featured in the 1982 satire It Came from Hollywoodand with Clarke’s permission was re-dubbed as the 1983 comedy Revenge of the Sun Demon akaWhat’s Up, Hideous Sun Demonfeaturing the voice ofJay Lenoand new scenes starring veteran voice actorCam Clarkereprising his father’s role with the nuclear accident origin turned into a mishap with an experimental sun tan lotion.
An A4 book,Scripts from the Crypt: ‘The Hideous Sun Demon by Tom Weaver, was published in 2011.
Plot:
When research scientist Doctor Gilbert McKenna falls unconscious after accidentally being exposed to radiation during an experiment with a new radioactive isotope, he is rushed to a nearby hospital. Attending physician Doctor Stern is surprised to find that Gil shows no signs of burns typical to a five-minute exposure to radiation and informs Gil’s co-workers, lab assistant Ann Lansing and scientist Doctor Buckell, that he will keep the patient for several days of observation.
Meanwhile, Gil is taken to the solarium to receive the sun’s healing rays, but while he naps, the sun’s rays metamorphose Gil into a scaled creature, horrifying the other patients. Seeing his own skin, Gil flees to the bathroom to confront his new appearance.
Later, Stern explains Gil’s affliction to Lansing and Buckell: Humans have evolved from a chain of living beings beginning with one-celled organisms that progressed into fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and finally humans. Stern assumes that the radiation poisoning has caused a reversal of evolution changing Gil into a prehistoric amphibian and that the catalyst for the regression is sunlight.
Buy The Hideous Sun Demon: The Original Screenplay from Amazon.com
Full film – free to watch online [1080p}:
Choice dialogue:
Doctor Frederick Buckell [Patrick Whyte]: “Careful? Hmmm. How can anybody be careful with a hangover?”
Doctor Gilbert McKenna [Robert Clarke]: “Darwin never even scratched the surface. How could he? Evolution backwards to the age of the reptile. Half-human, half-lizard. And I’m the guinea pig to be locked up alone.”
Full plot [includes spoilers]:
When research scientist Doctor Gilbert “Gil” McKenna (Clarke) falls unconscious after accidentally being exposed to radiation during an experiment with a new radioactive isotope, he is rushed to a nearby hospital. Attending physician Doctor Stern (Robert Garry) is surprised to find that Gil shows no signs of burns typical for five-minute exposure to radiation and informs Gil’s co-workers, lab assistant Ann Russell (Patricia Manning) and scientist Doctor Frederick Buckell (Patrick Whyte), that he will keep the patient under observation for several days.
Later, Gil is taken to a solarium to receive the sun’s healing rays. While he naps, he transforms into a reptilian creature, horrifying the other patients. Fleeing from the scene, Gil discovers his new appearance. Stern notifies Ann and Doctor Buckell about the incident, theorizing that the exposure to radiation caused a reversal of evolution, transforming Gil into a prehistoric reptile after exposure to sunlight. Stern suggests that Gil can control his symptoms by staying in the dark and remaining in the hospital, but admits that the patient cannot be held against his will.
Having reverted to normal, a disconsolate Gil notifies Ann of his resignation. Confining himself to his house and only coming out at night, Gil spends his hours drinking and wandering aimlessly around the grounds of his estate. He later drives to a bar where sultry piano player Trudy Osborne (Nan Peterson) is performing.
Buckell soon receives word that noted radiation-poisoning specialist Doctor Jacob Hoffman (Fred La Porta) has agreed to help Gil and plans on arriving in the area within a few days. When radiation poisoning studies offer no leads on solving Gil’s own particular symptoms, the distraught scientist contemplates suicide but soon changes his mind. Instead, Gil returns to the bar where Trudy joins him for a drink and comments that the evening is not over because it is “never late until the sun comes up.” Although Gil is disturbed by the comment, his loneliness draws him closer to her. When bar patron George insinuates that he has purchased Trudy’s company for the evening, Gil defends her, causing a fight between the two men. After knocking George unconscious, Gil flees with Trudy into the night. Later that evening, after walking the shoreline, they make love, falling asleep in the sand until the morning light awakens Gil. Horrified, Gil flees in his car leaving Trudy stranded on the beach. Arriving at the house, Gil runs in, but not before the transformation occurs.
Ann soon arrives, discovering Gil cowering in the cellar in a state of shock. Believing that he is beyond help, Gil at first refuses to see Doctor Hoffman, but after Ann’s tearful pleading, Gil reluctantly agrees. During the examination, Doctor Hoffman orders Gil to remain in the house at all times as a precaution until he can return with help. Feeling guilty for leaving Trudy, Gil returns to the bar but is brutally beaten by George and his gang. Gil regains consciousness the next morning and discovers that Trudy, having felt sorry for him, brought him home to her apartment. George soon arrives and, upon seeing Gil, forces him at gunpoint out into the daylight. Transforming into the creature, Gil murders George in front of the horrified Trudy before fleeing into the hills. Returning to the house, Gil finds Ann, Doctor Hoffman and Buckell waiting there and returns to his normal human state. A disturbed Gil later admits to the murder, with the others assuring him that he acted in self-defence, but when the police arrive with an arrest warrant, the hysterical Gil flees from the grounds in his car and accidentally hits a police officer.
Hiding inside an oil field shack while police comb the area and set up roadblocks, Gil is discovered by young Suzy who offers to fetch him cookies. Hurrying back to her house, Suzy is caught hoarding cookies by her mother and is forced to reveal who they are for.
While her mother calls the police, Suzy slips out of the door to return to Gil. Her mother chases after her into the oil field, and police cars soon arrive. Realising Suzy is endangered by being with him, Gil carries the girl out of the shack into the sunlight where he lets her go. He soon transforms into the creature.
In the ensuing police chase, Gil slaughters one of the officers and then climbs the stairs to the top of a tall natural gas tank, where the remaining officer chases after him. As Gil begins to strangle him, the officer shoots Gil in the neck. Mortally wounded, the mutated Gil falls several stories to his death while Buckell, Hoffman and a sobbing Ann watch in dismay.
Filming locations:
Boarding House, Lafayette Park Ave., Los Angeles, California (interiors: McKenna home)
Long Beach, California
Santa Monica, California (bar)
Signal Hill, California (oil fields and gas storage tank)
Trancas Beach, Malibu, California (beach)
Technical details:
1 hour 15 minutes
Black and white
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
Audio: Mono
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