The Hideous Sun Demon (1958)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Good concept, poorly executed.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

If I have this right, Richard Clarke made this movie on his own (starred in it, wrote it, and directed it) after finishing up "The Astounding She-Monster" because he thought he could do better. Well, yes, that turned out to be correct. "The Hideous Sun Demon" is better than that movie in every way. So in that sense, Clarke's decision was vindicated. And to be fair, every aspect of this film is also better than anything Z movie maestros such as Ed Wood Jr, Larry Buchanan, and Coleman Francis ever put to film. Clarke may have had his limits, he may have over estimated his talents...but he was still a professional, and it shows. So it's not grade Z awful...but it's still not very good. The movie drags in spots and the plot has very little going for it after the initial idea of a man who becomes sort of a "reverse werewolf", because of, you know, radiation. Aside from that, the proceedings are kind of threadbare. Some of the acting is mediocre. Clark is OK-to-decent - when a guy is that good looking, sometimes he forgets he has to do more than emote. The monster suit sucks. The fight choreography is half baked and unconvincing. The final chase (although enlivened by some "arty" shots and compositions) is way too long. The sound track is composed of every cliché a sound editor could pull out of a studio music library. And you've never seen a worse "fake" music performance than Nan Peterson "playing" piano and singing a torch song called "Strange Pursuit". In fact, that's where I called it - things almost worked up until that point, but after "Strange Pursuit", the movie's brains leaked out of its ears and you knew the movie was just something you were going to just sit through. Still, there were flashes of something decent here...I can't help but wonder if the movie would have done better and been better if Clarke had better collaborators to help with some of the decisions that divide a good movie from a "wanna-be", and polish some of the cheesier edges. Or maybe the movie was actually unwatchable and the editor saved it...hard to say. You don't need to see this at all, ever...but as an episode of "Svengoolie", this would be OK.

Definitely one of the more enjoyable low-budgeted SciFi/horror hybrids of the late 50's, thanks to a combination of interesting plot and characters and – oh yeah – a whole lot of unintentionally hilarious incompetence! The film distinguishes itself from contemporary efforts in two important areas, namely more fast-paced action and less polished lead characters. There were most 50's Sci-Fi flicks always feature eloquent & sophisticated male scientists and their docile female love interests, this one comes up with a pompous and alcoholic protagonist and a bimbo bar singer with the most dazzling cleavage and voluptuous hips ever seen throughout the entire fifties decade! Whenever the script does attempt to get scientific and intellectual, it only provokes laughter and disbelief, like for example during the evolution-backwards theory speech and the totally irrelevant insect slide show. During his research on radioactive isotopes, for the sake of science of course, the rather self-centered Dr. Gil McKenna accidentally becomes exposed to a whole lot of radiation for too much time. Only later, at the hospital, he discovers that ordinary sunlight now causes him to turns into a hideous and destructive monster. Whirling in self-pity and rage, McKenna crushes into the night life and develops an (even heavier than before) drinking problem. His obsession for the hot blond bar singer Trudy also drives him to murder… Lead actor Robert Clarke also signed for the direction and he neatly divides the film into three equally exciting parts. The intro centering on the Doc's strange and still largely mysterious condition is quite compelling, whereas the middle section about his wild escapades with Trudy are delightfully trashy. The movie ends with a tense and adequately staged manhunt for a monster that lost all control. If you're a fan of cheap old science-fiction, you simply got to love the flamboyant monster design! He's supposed to be a lizard creature, but he actually looks more like the bastard baby of Creature from the Black Lagoon and some character from Sesame Street. Nevertheless, a truly magnificent monster and it's a damn shame that the film is shot in black and white, because according to the DVD-cover he's bright green! By the way, did I mention already that actress Nan Peterson is one cute hussy with enormous blouse bunnies...!?!

The Hideous Sun Demon is set in Los Angeles where there has been an accident, obscure scientist Dr. Gilber McKenna (producer & co-director Robert Clarke) has been accidentally exposed to a radioactive isotope & has been rushed to hospital. McKenna seems fine but while outside relaxing he transforms into a prehistoric half-man half reptile sun demon creature because of the radioactive rays of the sun, McKenna becomes a recluse as he stays inside his house all day only daring to come out at night away from the harmful rays of the sun. McKenna's colleagues Dr. Frederick Buckell (Patrick Whyte) & Ann Russell (Patricia Manning) ask radiation expert Dr. Jacob Hoffman (Fred La Porta) to help McKenna. Things become complicated when McKenna falls in love with nightclub performer Trudy Osborne (Nan Peterson) & he kills her abusive boyfriend...Apparently shot under the working title of Terror from the Sun this was edited & directed by Tom Boutross along with Robert Clark who also directed, produced & starred in it & is a surprisingly dull late 50's monster flick that should really have been better. The script relies on that staple 50's standby of it's monster being a direct result of radiation, I wasn't around back then but I guess people's fears of radiation & it's unknown potentially harmful effects were at their height & maybe it would have resonated with audiences slightly better back in 1959 than it does when viewed now fifty years later in 2009. The main thing that struck me while watching The Hideous Sun Demon was just how padded out & rather dull the whole affair actually is, I was surprised just how padded The Hideous Sun Demon felt considering it lasts for a modest 74 minutes. The film is also plagued by the usual problems these 50's monsters flicks have, quite a bit of stock footage of cars driving around, the title monster is barely seen until the end & the romantic subplot between Gilbert & Trudy gets more screen time than the horror & sci-fi stuff which just isn't right in my book. Having said that the film is watchable, the central character of Gilbert is slightly better fleshed out than one might expect, it's quite fun when the hideous sun demon show's up & at least it's short. Not exactly brilliant by any means but not a complete disaster either, it's just stuck somewhere between the two.The film has a very static somewhat dull look to it as the camera barely ever moves. There are a couple of fairly poorly staged fights & probably the worst piano miming sequence ever, Tudy barely moves her arms yet manages to bang out a tune without so much as a misplaced note. There's not too much violence, the sun demon kills a couple of people, a dog & a rat but there's nothing graphic here. The sun demon itself looks alright as far as 50's men in rubber suits type monsters go but ultimately it never really looks anything like a man in a rubber suit, the face mask is quite good but I doubt it would scare too many people these days. For some bizarre reason this was retitled to & released under Blood on His Lips here in the UK in early 1961 which makes no sense as a title at all. It's amazing how much The Hideous Sun Demon influenced William Sachs when he made the infinitely better The Incredible Melting Man (1977) which copies lots of scenes especially the climax which is virtually identical in both films.Filmed in California on a supposed budget of about $58,500 the production values are decent enough if dated by todays standards, lets just put it this was The Hideous Sun Demon isn't as badly made as some 50's sci-fi films. The acting is alright but nothing special & does tend to be a little wooden & static at times.The Hideous Sun Demon is an OK 50's black and white monster flick that could have been better but also could have been worse, it's one of those films that I sat through without any problems but will probably have forgotten about within a week.

I remember watching the hideous sun demon back in the day on chiller theater or creature features,and it was just one of those monster movies you remember.i recently watched the sun demon on off beat cinema they always put on good bad cheese movies.the best thing about the hideous sun demon is beautiful buxom sexy blonde Nan Peterson.she plays piano with a slow right hand but she looks good so who cares if she sings off key,well anyway the sun demon is a poor fellow who is affected by the suns rays,much like Larry Talbot and the full moon.well veteran horror actor;Robert Clarke is a research scientist that gets exposed to radiation and turns into a scaly beast in need of some powerful sun screen.most horror buffs will notice the soundtrack was later used in the killer shrews and night of the living dead.by the way Robert Clarke produced and directed this mini masterpiece.but the best thing about this movie is sexy Nan Peterson.kudos to off beat cinema showing this gem.its the first time i've seen this in years. this was remade sort of in 1976 as;track of the moon beast.but it was'nt very good.this film will make you remember the era when monster movies ruled.i enjoyed the hideous sun demon as a good bad movie.i think Robert Clarke did pretty good.and of course double honors to Nan Peterson,she makes singing off key sexy.7 out of 10.