In June of 1880, the Cannon family is mining for gold. A meteor explodes nearby, killing the father, Jim (McCullough), and injuring his young son, Charles (Parker). Now a widow, Ruth Cannon (Gwynne) vows to continue working the mine. Seven years later, Charles (now played by Gilbert Perkins) is nearly an adult, but has mutated into a terrifying wildman. Ruth controls him most of the time, but occasionally he leaves the mine to kill people and livestock. When they finally strike it rich, the secret becomes even harder to keep.
"Teenage Monster" is one of a number of films of the 1950s and 1960s that combined the classic western with the horror genre. Make-up artist Jack P. Pierce (better known for work for Universal on such films as "Frankenstein" (1931) and its sequels) provided the make-up for the grown-up Charles. Okay, so the budget was low and the cast wasn't particularly good. I try to make allowances for such factors and give a lot of leeway to films of this vintage. Unfortunately, this one has little to commend it. Viewers who survived films like "Billy the Kid versus Dracula" (1966) with their sanity intact might want to check this one out. Most others should not subject their VCRs to the taint.
"Teenage Monster" is one of a number of films of the 1950s and 1960s that combined the classic western with the horror genre. Make-up artist Jack P. Pierce (better known for work for Universal on such films as "Frankenstein" (1931) and its sequels) provided the make-up for the grown-up Charles. Okay, so the budget was low and the cast wasn't particularly good. I try to make allowances for such factors and give a lot of leeway to films of this vintage. Unfortunately, this one has little to commend it. Viewers who survived films like "Billy the Kid versus Dracula" (1966) with their sanity intact might want to check this one out. Most others should not subject their VCRs to the taint.