The Blob [1958]

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1958
Running Times: 86 mins
Format: colour     35mm
Ratio:
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: A Paramount Release  A Tonylyn production
Copyright: MCMLVIII by Tonylyn Productions, Inc.
Produced by: Jack H. Harris
Associate Producer: Russell Doughten

SCRIPT
Screenplay by: Theodore Simonson and Kate Phillips (real name: Kay Linaker)
From an Original Idea by: Irvin H. Millgate

DIRECTION
Directed by: Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr
Assistant Director: Bert Smith

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Thomas Spalding
Cameraman: Wayne Trace
Chief Set Electrician: Vincent Spangler
Colour by DeLuxe

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Alfred Hillman
Assistant Editor: Floyd Ver Voorn

MUSIC
Music Composed and Conducted by: Ralph Carmichael
Music Supervisor: Jean Yeaworth

SONGS AND ADDITIONAL MUSIC
"The Blob" (uncredited)
Written by Burt Bacharach and Mack David

SOUND
Sound: Gottfried Buss, Robert Clement
Western Electric Recording

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Vin Kehoe

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Bart Sloane

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: William Jersey, Karl Karlson

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Travis Hillmann
Assistant to the Producer: Frank Fuhr

LOCATIONS
Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, USA; Downingtown, Pennsylvania, USA; Colonial Theater, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA; Royersford, Pennsylvania, USA
Produced at Valley Forge Film Studios

CAST
Starring
Steven McQueen [Steve Andrews]

Co-Starring
Aneta Corsaut [Jane Martin]
Earl Rowe [Lieutenant Dave]

Featuring
Olin Howlin [old man]
Steven Chase [Dr T. Hallen]
John Benson [Sergeant Jim Bert]
George Karas [Officer Ritchie]
Lee Payton [Kate]
Elbert Smith [Henry Martin]
Hugh Graham
Vince Barbi [George, the Cafe Owner]
Audrey Metcalf [Elizabeth Martin]
Jasper Deeter [Civil Defense Volunteer]
Tom Ogden
Elinor Hammer [Mrs Porter]
Pamela Curran [smooching teenager]
Ralph Roseman
Charlie Overdorff
David Metcalf
Josh Randolph
George Gerbereck
Julie Cousins [Sally]
Kieth Almoney [Danny Martin]
Eugene Sabel

And Introducing the Teenagers
Robert Fields [Tony Gressette]
James Bonnet ['Mooch' Miller]
Anthony Franke [Al]
Molly Ann Bourne
Diane Tabben

A meteorite crashes to Earth near a small town and unleashes an oozing, blob-like creature that devours everything it touches. Some teenagers discover the creature but are unable to get anyone to listen to them - can they alert the townspeople before the ever-growing monster destroys them all.

Over-rated but still a lot of fun, The Blob isn't quite classic its hailed as in some quarters. At times the pace slackens alarmingly and some of the acting is stilted in the extreme. The blob effects are great fun though and of course it's fascinating now to see a very young 'Steven' McQueen going through his paces.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Paramount

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Paramount Pictures; Allied Artists Pictures Corporation [1964 re-issue]
Video Distributor: Video Gems; Video Warehouse; Mad Monster Video
Laserdisc Distributor: Criterion [CC 1165L - includes: an interview with Steve McQueen; trailers for this and and the 1988 versions]
DVD Distributor: Criterion [CC 1560D - includes: audio commentaries by Robert Fields and Bruce Eder; BLOB-abilia! feature on Wes Shank's collection of stills, posters and props; collectible poster]

Finland
Rating: K-16

UK
Rating: X

USA
MPAA: 18893

1959
May
8: Finland - theatrical release

1960
March
18: West Germany - theatrical release

1976
April
8: UK - television broadcast [on ITV (Thames Television)]

1990
September
7: UK - television broadcast [on Channel Four]

1996
August
4: UK - television broadcast [on Channel Four]

2001
June
2: UK - television broadcast [on Channel Four]

2000
June
2: UK - television broadcast [on Channel Four]

November
14: USA - DVD release [Criterion [CC 1560D]]

2003
January
11: UK - television broadcast [on Channel Four]

2007
January
13: UK - television broadcast [on Five US]

Indescribable... Indestructible! Nothing Can Stop It!

Indescribable... indestructible... insatiable

The indestructible creature! Bloated with the blood of its victims!

It crawls.... It creeps.... It eats you alive!

The Glob That Girdled the Globe - working title
The Glob - working title
The Meteorite Monster - working title
The Molten Meteorite - working title
The Night of the Creeping Dead - working title

SEQUEL
Beware! The Blob [1971]

REMAKE
The Blob [1988]

SEE ALSO
Caltiki, il mostro immortale [1959]
X the Unknown [1956]

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Beware! The Blob [1972]
Blobermouth [1990]
Creepy Classics [1987]
Grease [1978]
Horrible Horror [1986]
Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here [1987]
It Came from Hollywood [1982]

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique vol.19 no.1/2 [January 1989] pp.98-99 [USA]
illustrated credits, review

Daily Cinema no.8111 [30 January 1959] p.5 [UK]
review

Fangoria no.53 [1986] [USA]
illustrated interview with Jack H. Harris [The Father of the Blob by Tom Weaver]

Filmfacts 1958 p.214
credits, reprinted review extracts

Hollywood Reporter vol.151 no.30 [10 September 1958] p.3 [USA]
credits, review

Monthly Film Bulletin March vol.26 no.302 [March 1959] p.31 [UK]
credits, synopsis, review

Motion Picture Herald vol.212 no.12 [20 September 1958] p.984 [USA]
review

Starlog no.214 [May 1995] [USA]
illustrated interview with Irvin S. Yeaworth [Birth of the Blob by Tom Weaver]

Starlog no.278 [September 2000] pp.82-87 [USA]
illustrated interview [Mother of the Blob by Tom Weaver]

Starlog no.279 [October 2000] pp.82-87 [USA]
illustrated interview with Russell S. Doughten Jr [Brother of the Blob by Tom Weaver]

Variety 10 September 1958 [USA]
credits, review

BOOKS

Aurum Encyclopedia of Film: Science Fiction p.176
credits, review

Creature Features Strikes Again p.47
credits, review [by John Stanley]

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.47
credits, review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.40
credits

aliens, blobs, monsters, teenagers, doctors, police

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007