Village of the Giants based very loosely on H.G. Wells Food of the Gods is one of those classic cult films that gets worse and more enjoyable on repeated viewings. Later on Bert Gordon actually did make a straight version of the science fiction classic that was quite a bit better. But I'm sure a pile of money was made on this one at many drive-ins across the country.
Sad to say that films like these are what happens to a lot of teen idols. Of the cast in this film only Beau Bridges and Ron Howard went on to careers of real substance. I'm willing to bet that both look back on this film and cringe.
I think what Walt Disney did to Tommy Kirk was a disgrace, but typical of Hollywood in the pre-Stonewall days. Tommy might have had a substantial career had the gay 'scandal' never happened, who knows. Or this might have been where he would have wound up any way, maybe later on. There are too many variables to consider. I would point out that Johnny Crawford didn't fare any better than Tommy in his post Rifleman career and he had no scandal attached to him at this point.
What this is about is six out of town teenagers, drunk and stupid, wind up in a small town where they take some 'goo' that child scientist Ronny Howard invents and grow to be some 15 to 20 feet tall. Led by Beau Bridges, they start running things until the town kids headed by Tommy Kirk and Johnny Crawford fight back and Ron Howard finds an antidote.
Best shot of the film, Johnny Crawford hanging on for dear life to giant Joy Harmon's cleavage. Must have sent them rolling in the aisles back in the day.
Sad to say that films like these are what happens to a lot of teen idols. Of the cast in this film only Beau Bridges and Ron Howard went on to careers of real substance. I'm willing to bet that both look back on this film and cringe.
I think what Walt Disney did to Tommy Kirk was a disgrace, but typical of Hollywood in the pre-Stonewall days. Tommy might have had a substantial career had the gay 'scandal' never happened, who knows. Or this might have been where he would have wound up any way, maybe later on. There are too many variables to consider. I would point out that Johnny Crawford didn't fare any better than Tommy in his post Rifleman career and he had no scandal attached to him at this point.
What this is about is six out of town teenagers, drunk and stupid, wind up in a small town where they take some 'goo' that child scientist Ronny Howard invents and grow to be some 15 to 20 feet tall. Led by Beau Bridges, they start running things until the town kids headed by Tommy Kirk and Johnny Crawford fight back and Ron Howard finds an antidote.
Best shot of the film, Johnny Crawford hanging on for dear life to giant Joy Harmon's cleavage. Must have sent them rolling in the aisles back in the day.