| Giant Gila Monster | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
|
First Appearance |
The Giant Gila Monster (1959) |
|
Original Publisher |
McLendon-Radio Pictures Distributing Company |
|
Created by |
Ray Kellogg & Jay Simms |
Origin[]
Ad for The Giant Gila Monster and its double feature, The Killer Shrews. Both films are in the public domain.
The Giant Gila Monster is the gigantic reptilian monster starring in the eponymous 1959 film, The Giant Gila Monster. It was portrayed by a real Mexican beaded lizard, placed on a miniature set.
Originally an ordinary sized lizard, the creature is speculated to have been exposed to the radiation found in the salt rocks of a local natural hot spring, causing it to grow to unnatural size. It began terrorizing a small rural town in Texas, first attacking and devouring a young couple before sending their car crashing into a ravine. It was followed by a series of attacks, from eating whole herds of livestock to crashing an oil tanker, before eventually destroying a bridge and causing a major train accident.
The beast was brought to a fiery end by Chase Winstead, a young mechanic and hot rod racer, packing his prized car with nitroglycerin and rigging it to speed straight into the Gila monster, killing it in a fiery explosion and heroically saving the town.
Notes[]
- The Giant Gila Monster is in the public domain due to never having its copyright renewed.
- Shot outside of Dallas, Texas, the film was produced back-to-back with The Killer Shrews.