Giant from the Unknown
Tags: murder, melodrama

Plot synopsis:
The movie opens with title and credits shown over a rainstorm in a high mountain forest and a 16th century axe imbedded in an old log.We are in the small mountain village of Pine Ridge (Big Bear, California). A station wagon drives into town. Young Charlie Brown (Gary Crutcher) tells the townsfolk that the sheriff will be bringing the body into town. There have been other incidents involving livestock. His sister, Ann Brown (Jolene Brand) nods in agreement. The incidents seem to be localized to Devil's Crag. Sheriff Parker (Bob Steele) pulls up in a pickup truck. Parker explains that "The coroner's report shows Banks died of a brutal beating at the hands of a person or persons unknown." The Café Owner (Oliver Blake) pulls back the tarp covering the body. Ann, and other others, recoil in revulsion. Some of the townsfolk think the goings on are supernatural. A man reminds Ann of the legend of the curse. Another tells Ann to talk to some of the Indians that still populate the town. A well inebriated Indian Joe (Billy Dix) sitting on the stoop of the bait and tackle shop giggles and warns, "All white men die." He then laughs maniacally. The Sheriff asks Joe is he knows anything about the death of Banks. Joe is annoyed that the white men think he's crazy. Joe reluctantly leaves town, but first warns the sheriff, "People who walk on Indian grave die." The sheriff puts Devil's Crag off limits. He plans to ask everyone where they were the night before. One of the men suggests he start with Wayne Brooks as he had another run in with Banks and was run off the Banks' property with a shotgun. Wayne Brooks (Ed Kemmer) wanders into town after three days in the woods. Charlie and Ann tell him about the death of Harold Banks. Wayne walks over to talk to the sheriff. Sheriff Parker asks Wayne about the murder and his whereabouts. Wayne tells him he was up in the mountains collecting rock specimens. Wayne admits to crossing the Banks property a week before. A Jeep pulls up into town. Driving the vehicle is Dr. Frederick Cleveland (Morris Ankrum). His daughter, Janet Cleveland (Sally Fraser), sitting in the passenger seat complains, "Pine Ridge. But Dad, this is just a wide spot in the road." Their destination is the Lagonita Lodge. With no proof, the sheriff reluctantly allows Wayne to leave, but tells him not to leave town. Janet and Wayne enter the store. The sheriff notices two tent poles sticking out of the back of the Jeep and asks Dr. Cleveland for his driver's license. He reminds Cleveland about a warning flag needed on the poles. Dr. Cleveland explains he will be staying up in the mountains and that he is an archeologist. Wayne helps Janet with her bags of supplies. Wayne recognizes Professor Cleveland and admits he attended some of his lectures at the University. He introduces himself to the professor. Parker warns Cleveland to be on his guard, then pointedly tells him to be careful with his associations, nodding towards Wayne. Cleveland tells Wayne he will be around for a week or more. Wayne volunteers to help as he knows the area. Wayne invites the Clevelands to dinner at the Lodge, and Janet quickly accepts.Wayne and Cleveland are sitting at their table in the Lodge. Charlie comes over to take their order. They discuss the sheriff and their clash of personalities. He tells the professor about the livestock mutilations and the ancient curse. Wayne admits he has uncovered a few artifacts and Cleveland asks to see them. Cleveland explains, "This might save me a great deal of time and effort." Cleveland tells Wayne, "I'm looking for a giant, but one that has been dead for over 500 years." Cleveland is working on a book about a Spanish conquistador. To complete his book he wants to know what happened to the Diablo Giant and his band of renegades. Vargas was the name of a lieutenant that deserted and headed inland in search of Indian Gold. Janet joins the men at the table. Dinner arrives and Wayne and Janet make a date to see a picture later.Wayne shows Janet and her father his small field lab. He shows the professor the Indian relics including arrowheads. Janet is frightened by a lizard she saw in a box on the table. Wayne explains that the creature was thought to be extinct. He found the lizard sealed inside a rock in a state of suspended animation. Janet and Wayne exit the lab to see the picture. They leave Cleveland to examine the artifacts. Indian Joe spies on the professor through the window. Wayne and Janet return from their date. Professor Cleveland asks them to come in to see something. Cleveland pushes a couple of pieces of rock together that form a cross, an Indian relic of Christianity. It is an important lead and Cleveland wants to know where it was found. Wayne volunteers to take Cleveland to the spot where it was found. They agree to meet at the lodge for breakfast then start after that. Wayne tells them they will be going to Devil's Crag.The café Proprietor serves a cup of coffee to the sheriff. Parker looks out the window and sees the Cleveland's Jeep drive by. Sheriff Parker gets in his car and drives off after the Jeep. He follows them into the mountains. The Jeep stops near a pile of boulders. Janet sees a face in a clump of bushes. She alerts Wayne and her father. Parker pulls up in his car and tells Wayne he has disobeyed orders: 1) to stay in town, and 2) Devil's Crag is out of bounds to everyone. Cleveland shows Sheriff Parker a permit he has to do his research. Cleveland assures Parker that he will assume responsibility for Wayne and they are armed and able to see to their own safety. The sheriff leaves and Wayne and Cleveland set up camp.The next morning Janet exits her tent. A fire is already burning. She pours herself a cup of coffee as her father wanders back into camp. He tells Janet he and Wayne have been up for hours. Wayne is exploring and notices a broken branch. Indian Joe sees Wayne from behind a boulder. He is armed with a rifle and takes a shot at Wayne. Joe explains he was shooting at a rabbit, and Joe assures him that he never misses what he aims at. Wayne assures Joe he isn't looking for Indian artifacts, but traces of a Spanish soldier. Joe assures Wayne they are friends, but warns him that this is an evil place. Back in camp, Cleveland asks about the shot he heard. Wayne assures him it was just a hunter. Wayne tells Cleveland that a recent storm has changed the landscape. Next on the agenda is Devil's Crag. Wayne shows Cleveland, on a map, where he found the cross. They intend to use a metal detector to search for Spanish artifacts. They leave Janet to tidy up the camp.Wayne and Cleveland take turns searching the area with the metal detector. Janet drops by with coffee and asks about progress. Janet reminds her father he's been on his quest for three years with no luck. Janet plays with the metal detector and asks how it works and tries her luck. By a fallen tree, Janet sits down to rest and reapply a little makeup. Janet and Wayne start walking back, but Wayne returns to the log to get Janet's compact she dropped. The detector registers metal. Wayne calls Cleveland over to the site. They dig down and find a Conquistador helmet and chest armor. They also find a sword and axe. A full suit of armor is also found containing the skull of a human. Janet congratulates her father on the find. Cleveland wants to get the armor and relics to the museum. He admits that he is disappointed there were no traces of Vargas. A storm is brewing. Wayne thinks he knows where a lightning strike hit. It is the same rock formation where Wayne found the lizard. Wayne finds the Diablo Giants Axe, but he is unable to pull it free and leaves to join Janet and Cleveland. Beneath the log a human hand clenches and moves. Under the leaf litter human eyes open and look around. The Diablo Giant/Vargas (Buddy Baer) comes to life. Thunder crashes and lightning lights up the scene as Vargas stands and looks around.The next day, Wayne, Cleveland and his daughter return to the area where Wayne found the axe handle, but it is gone. They look around the area and find a medallion and a breast plate. Janet asks, "Oh no, you don't think he could still be alive?" Wayne thinks it is possible, but the professor thinks it is impossible. They find more armor pieces and place them on a post. Charlie wanders into camp and exclaims, "Holy Mackerel." Wayne tells Charlie not to tell anyone of the find, not even Ann. That evening, Cleveland works on his notes near the fire, while Wayne and Janet go for a walk. Vargas is prowling around and sees the pair admiring the view of the lake. Wayne kisses Janet. Janet hears something and complains of feeling jumpy. She admits to feeling uneasy about disturbing the graves. She asks about Ann and is assured she is only a friend of Wayne's. They walk back to camp and turn in for the night. Janet checks her gun and places it under her pillow. Vargas retrieves his armor and gold medallion and puts them on. He sees Janet undressing, in shadow, in her tent and approaches. The clumsy giant knocks over a can which startles Janet. She fires her gun which startles Vargas and he leaves the camp quickly. Cleveland and Wayne run to her tent. She says she heard footsteps, and Wayne notices the giant's armor is missing. Cleveland notices a huge footprint.Charlie is concerned about leaving his sister home alone. Ann convinces her brother to go to work at the lodge as they need the money. After Charlie drives off, Ann takes a bucket to fetch water from the well. Vargas spots Ann and confronts the girl. She screams. Back in camp, Cleveland notes that the armor of the giant was better preserved than the others. He concludes that there is something in the soil that acts as a preservative, perhaps tannic acid. He speculates that Vargas was not dead, but unconscious when the Indians buried him and that he was held in suspended animation by the substance in the soil. The electrical storm and a bolt of lightning reanimated Vargas. Parker shows up in camp. He is there to arrest Wayne and handcuffs him. The charge is the murder of Ann Brown. Wayne explains he hasn't seen Ann in over a week. The sheriff produces the medallion as proof and takes him away. Wayne explains that someone stole the artifacts and that the same person is responsible for the murder. Wayne convinces the sheriff to visit the cabin of Indian Joe. The cabin appears empty, but up on the wall is the bloodied body of Joe. Cleveland makes a plaster cast of the large footprint. Cleveland moans, and Janet leaves her tent to investigate. She call to her father and walks around looking. She finds her father at the feet of the giant. It approaches her, but she runs away screaming. Cleveland comes to. Janet tries to escape in the Jeep but it floods and she faints at the sight of the giant standing next to her. He pulls her out of the Jeep. A short time later, Cleveland gets in the Jeep and drives away. Wayne and the sheriff drive into town. They spot a large crowd milling about and looking none too friendly. Cleveland drives up to report the giant has Janet. Wayne and Cleveland take the sheriff's car and drive back to the mountains. The sheriff follows in the abandoned Jeep. Wayne and Cleveland arrive at camp first. Cleveland chops the chain of the handcuffs off so Wayne can grab a gun and run into the woods. The sheriff and his men fan out and aid in the search after Cleveland explains things. Vargas carries Janet over his shoulder. He pushes a giant tree towards Wayne, which misses. Vargas carries Janet, then puts her down in a clearing when he hears Wayne approaching. Vargas grabs an axe, and Janet warns Wayne in time to avoid being struck. Shots fired by the sheriff scares the giant away into the forest. Wayne, Janet and the sheriff walk back into camp and greet a very relieved father. The sheriff apologizes to Wayne. They shake hands.Charlie guards the camp. The posse spotted the giant at Box Ledge. The men take flares and track their quarry. Wayne suggests they douse their flares, as the giant will be able to see them. Vargas picks up a rock and kills one of the men. They shoot at the rock throwing giant. A well thrown flare lights up the target and they shoot the giant, but his armor protects him. The sheriff suggests a retreat until morning to care for the wounded. Janet and Charlie meet the men returning to camp. Charlie feels guilty about leaving his sister alone. Charlie, against orders, grabs a rifle and heads off on a little revenge. He finds one of the guards, Bill, dead. He signals with rifle shots. Wayne and Sheriff Parker go look for Charlie. They find Charlie injured, but he did hit Vargas three times. He is able to tell Wayne the giant is heading for the Old Mill. Wayne walks up to the mill as snow begins to fall. He kicks the door in and cautiously explores the interior. Vargas is inside and misses Wayne with his axe. Wayne escapes out a window. Once they are both outside, Wayne hits Vargas with a tree branch. He hits the giant again and again. Cleveland, Janet and the sheriff arrive at the mill. The giant tries to make a run for it over a walkway over the dam. Wayne and the giant struggle and Vargas loses his footing and falls through the handrail and down the waterfall into the river below. Cleveland asks the sheriff to help him recover the body. Sheriff Parker explains to the professor that it is impossible. The river empties into a volcanic lake that is nearly bottomless. They conclude without the body no one will believe their story. We close with a scene of Janet and Wayne kissing.

Review: This was the decade that brought us giant ants and other mutant insects, evil aliens coming to take over our bodies, good aliens out to save mankind from destroying itself, Godzilla and all his Japanese monster buddies destroying every inch of Japan, and the films of Richard Cunha, Missile to the Moon, She Demons, Frankenstein's Daughter, and Giant From the Unknown.
Giant From the Unknown is indeed a bad film.
It tells the story of a professor and his daughter driving through the southwest looking for the remains of a giant Spanish conquistador known for his cruelty.
While driving they just happen to come to a town where Ed Kemmer(an affable leading man if nothing else)just happened to find a lizard alive in rock that was thousands of years old.
The giant is alive in century old rock and begins to eat his way through everyone's livestock and likes to kill for no apparent reason.
Kemmer falls in love with the daughter Sally Fraser, whilst proud pops(the great Morris Ankrum)realizes his dream come true of finding evidence that this giant once lived.
If you just want to be entertained in that magical 50's B picture way....take a look at Giant From the Unknown..
I can't think of any movie that has Morris Ankrum that I didn't really like...and yes, I have seen The Giant Claw (three times, in fact).
That fact notwithstanding, Giant From The Unknown is a pretty good movie.
The basic story has a Spanish Conquistador (who happens to be a giant and who happens to have travelled up into northern California after breaking with Cortez) waking up after five hundred years of suspended animation and going on a rampage of death and cattle mutilation.Don't let the plot turn you off.
Cowboy and serial legend Bob Steele is the sheriff, and the lovely Janet Fraser is the love interest.The monster himself looks pretty good as well...for an unburied conquistador, that is.
That fuzziness is optically-printed snow on the sequence (it took me a couple of minutes to realize that...I thought the print had deteriorated).Giant From the Unknown is a good all-around example of fifties science fiction that is worth a look by fans of the genre..
When I say the giant of the title was just a little bit taller than the rest of the cast I was disappointed at first but the spell of this movie quickly won me over.
I mean, how can you not like a movie that has former B western star Bob Steele as the no-nonsense sheriff of a small mountain town?
Ed Kemmer (EARTH VS THE SPIDER), Morris Ankrum (INVADERS FROM MARS among many others) and Sally Fraser (WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST) are searching a mountain area with the foreboding name of Devil's Crag in the hopes of finding proof that a legendary renegade Conquistador named Vargas really did exist ("A man of unusual size and strength .
Well luckily this film is now on DVD so you can find out without having to stay up until 2 in the morning like I did when I was a kid.The makeup for Buddy Baer was done by Jack Pierce, who created such memorable scary faces as the Frankenstein Monster, I'm-Ho-Tep, Kharis and the Wolfman.
It was directed by Richard Cunha who gave us 3 other memorable late night classics: MISSILE TO THE MOON, SHE DEMONS and the unforgettable FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER..
Darn It, This Movie Was Kinda Fun. Truth to tell, I wasn't expecting a whole lot from "Giant From the Unknown." I'd seen two of director Richard Cunha's later works, "Missile to the Moon" and "Frankenstein's Daughter," and had found them both incredibly awful, albeit entertainingly so.
Still, it was to my surprise that "Giant," although certainly not a good movie by any reasonable definition, turned out to be yet another entertaining diversion from director Cunha.
As played by Buddy Baer (brother of heavyweight prizefighter Max), and featuring a makeup job by Jack "Frankenstein" Pierce, this giant does make for one imposing sight.
Scientist Morris Ankrum, his daughter Sally Fraser, and an ex-student, Edward Kemmer, all happen to be in this CA mountain community when old Vargas goes on his rampage, and the three make for appealing leads.
The old guy has come to town to search for artifacts to prove whites had been there centuries before Columbus and that one of them was a giant.After a few minutes of searching he decides to give up,then they stumble on a mass grave.They dig it up and without any evidence of a giant he gives up again.Then the younger guy finds the giant's armor while hitting on the older guy's daughter, AND IT'S JUST BURIED UNDER SOME LEAVES!!!!!!!!
It's about a trio of expeditionists unearthing an infamous 6' 6" Spanish Conquistador who promptly picks up his axe and stalks around the woods for a while.Ed Kemmer makes a likeable leading man, and Sally Fraser is the standard helpless heroine.
Morris Ankrum seems hesitant to deliver his lines, and the film is sprinkled with enough silly acting to make it endurable for a single viewing.The film falls short with the title character; a helmeted tall man with dirt and mud on his face just doesn't terrify me.
The giant does little during the time he's onscreen, and is disappointing.The best film director Cunha made in the genre - and required viewing for any fifties monster fan - is FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER..
Giant From The Unknown is a standard classic in my collection in that I have watched it nearly a dozen times since purchasing the DVD.
I like most of my generation grew up on these B-movies almost second hand through late night television shows with strange horror hosts who poked harmless fun at the pictures but really taught us to embrace the classic films usually ignored by big box office standard studios.
Push it aside and Giant From The Unknown like a lot of old movies is really a great story that is both entertaining and filled with adventure.
Cunha and stars Ed Kemmer, Buddy Baer, Sally Fraser and Bob Steele.This movie has a pretty interesting and fantastical story that deals with real giants of historical legends which just sets the mind to wonder.
The Giant is pretty intimidating and unlike most movie monsters of the era he looks convincing realistic.
Over all the film is a great way to introduce kids to the old black & white genre stuff and a film that hold's it's own against any giant lizard or mummy.
I have just seen Giant From the Unknown for the third time and I find this movie rather enjoyable.A professor and his daughter driving through the South West looking for the remains of a giant Spanish conquistador come across it at Devils Crag, a scenic landmark near a small town.
The giant has been in suspended animation for hundreds of years and comes to life and starts murdering people for no reason.
One of the locals gets the blame for these murders at first by the town's sheriff but is then let off and the two team up to kill the giant, who falls off a dam into a deep lake in a volcanic crater at the end.The movie's cast includes an excellent performance from 50's sci fi regular Morris Ankrum (Invaders From Mars, Kronos), Sally Fraser (Earth vs the Spider, War of the Colossol Beast), Ed Kemmer (Space Patrol, Earth vs the Spider), Bob Steele as the Sheriff and the giant is played by Buddy Baer.Depite it being a bad movie, this is certainly worth having in any sci fi/horror collection.Rating: 3 stars out of 5..
All small mountain towns have a resident geologist, don't they?Half way through the movie, Vargas, also known as the "Diablo Giant", wakes up and goes on a killing spree...
Giant From The Unknown= 7Ft. Conquistador From Big Bear Ca..
Another good reason is that director Richard Cunha knew how to stretch a budget and keep things moving and absurd and interesting enough to keep ten year olds glued to their seats.
A geologist and a Archaelogist and his hot daughter go hunting in Devils Crag to find traces of El Giant Diablo a sadistic Conquistador of great size.
Now this is weird because the first time we see the comatose giant rise out of the ground is during a lightening storm so either the electricity brought him back to life or he did the murders and then covered himself up with mud and leaves before taking a snooze but it just makes a film like this more fun.
The silly plot for Giant From The Unknown sees a 500-year-old Spanish soldier, Vargas the Giant (played by Buddy Baer), revived during a lightning storm, after which he goes about murdlerising the good folk of Pine Ridge, the blame landing on the shoulders of archaeologist Wayne Brooks (Edward Kemmer), who is busy helping Dr. Frederick Cleveland (Morris Ankrum) dig up various conquistador artefacts (whilst also getting smoochy with Cleveland's tasty daughter Janet, played by Sally Fraser).
When local lawman Sheriff Parker (Bob Steele) finally realises that Brooks isn't the killer (after shooting at the poor guy during a car chase), the men set about trying to catch the giant (while Janet cooks meals, pours coffee, and faints before being carried away by the oversized ancient Spaniard).The name of legendary Hollywood make-up man Jack Pierce is prominently displayed in the opening credits for Giant From The Unknown, but don't go expecting anything as iconic as Frankenstein's monster or the wolf man: Pierce's work here amounts to little more than slapping some mud on the actor's face.
Still, it's in keeping with the rest of the film, which divulges its low-budget in almost every department, from the hastily thrown together script, to the forgettable cast of B-movie no-marks, to the uninspired direction from schlockmeister Richard E.
When archaeologist, Dr. Frederick Cleveland (Morris Ankrum- KRONOS, THE GIANT CLAW, etc., etc.) and his daughter, Janet (Sally Fraser) come to town, they draw the sheriff's suspicion.
Cleveland just happens to be searching for evidence of an ancient, sadistic, towering conquistador known as Vargas, The Devil Giant.
This is one of the most dreadfully bad of the 50's B flicks,rating right down there with turkeys like The Giant Claw,From Hell It Came,Killers From Space,Beginning of the End,Robot Monster,etc.
Giant from the Unknown (1958)* 1/2 (out of 4) Rather boring 50's horror tale about an expedition in Northern California where they unleash a giant Spanish conquistador who has been dead for over four-hundred years.
Buddy Baer, Max's brother, plays the giant here but that doesn't really matter because this is the type of film that holds the monster away until around the fifty-minute mark and even then we only see him ever so often.
Bob Steele does a good job at playing the sheriff and he's the main reason to see this thing.
The movie does have a few good things going for it and that includes the final chase that looks pretty good as the snow is falling.
This isn't an outright horrible movie but I think fans of 50's horror will be disappointed because there's just not much going on here and certainly not enough to carry the 77-minute running time.
That latter movie is considerably more entertaining than Giant from the Unknown.
The basic premise of the film is reasonable enough though, with archaeologists arriving in a remote cabin town to discover that a 500 year old giant conquistador has been preserved and reanimated by special minerals in the local soil.
It just so happens that this giant is a raving lunatic and goes around killing people for no reason other than he is evil, and that's what evil giant reanimated conquistadors do.I suppose the trouble with the movie is that the title villain only really gets into his stride in the latter stages of the film, the rest being a somewhat unremarkable build-up.
While there are some undeniably memorable set-pieces like the final confrontation at the dam, there aren't really enough and the film isn't entertaining in a campy sense either as, to be fair, it's too solidly made and acted to provide many cheap laughs.
Bob Steele, veteran of over 200 films and a familiar face in Westerns, does a very good job as the local sheriff.
He is probably best known today for his recurring role as a trial judge in Perry Mason, but like Steele he had already been in hundreds of movies when "Giant" was filmed.
The supporting cast is good, and manage to approach the silly premise of a giant conquistador on the rampage with a straight face.
The frightened townspeople believe Vargas is the reincarnation of an infamous Spanish Conquistador who was killed in the mountains many years ago.
Folksy anthropologist Dr. Frederick Cleveland (excellently played by Morris Ankrum), his fetching daughter Janet (the really charming and attractive Sally Fraser), and affable local Wayne Brooks (an engaging portrayal by Edward Kemmer) run into Vargas during an expedition into the woods.
Nice supporting performances by Bob Steele as stern, no-nonsense Sheriff Parker, Gary Crutcher as nice guy Charlie Brown, Jolene Brand as Charlie's sweet gal pal Ann, and Billy Dix as crazy doomsayer Indian Joe. The legendary Jack ("Frankenstein") Pierce did the crusty make-up for Vargas.
Local geologist Wayne Brooks (Ed Kemmer) teams up with visiting archaeologist Dr. Fredrick Cleveland (Morris Ankrum) to search the local mountains for the remains of a 300+ year old Spanish conquistador and a reputed giant of a man named Vargas.
Another draw for Brooks is the opportunity to spend a little time with the Dr.'s vacuous but attractive daughter, Janet (Sally Fraser).
It's not long before the giant Vargas makes his return and sets his own sights on young Janet and anything else he can maim and destroy.By all rights, I've most likely overrated Giant from the Unknown.
It features a multitude of easily identifiable weaknesses – a plot that moves at the break-neck pace of a slug, the dim-witted Janet randomly stumbling on the Spanish artifacts, Sheriff Parker's beyond ridiculous persecution of Brooks (Why in God's name would anyone think that Brooks would be running around the country-side slaughtering cows and destroying hen houses?), Bob Steele's laughably bad performance as Parker, the whole notion of Vargas "living" in a sort of suspended animation for 350 years, and the poorly done special effects in the film's finale.
Giant from the Unknown literally has everything you could hope to find in any regular bad movie.
All I know is that for most of Giant from the Unknown, I was entertained.
There's a good little movie here if you just look for it.
I hope the giant took a bath in the lake after getting out of his 500 year old dirt grave!.
Sally Fraser, that's who, in this entertaining but sometimes silly science fiction tale of a Spanish conquistador who comes back from the dead, preserve in a petrified forest, and seeking revenge (and female companionship) as he finds a whole different world around him, even in the great outdoors.
Ed Kemmer escorts scientist Morris Ankrum and his daughter (Fraser) out to this desolate countryside where they find the skeletons of the long dead conquistador's army as well as some of his headgear and weapons.
Veteran western actor Bob Steele plays a local sheriff who doesn't believe in the supernatural causes behind the murder, excelled when a young girl is approached by the grunting Baer, and later found dead, apparently raped before being murdered.
It's when professor Cleveland played by the venerable "Eternal Colonel" himself Morris Ankrum, in a rare non military role, shows up or rolled into town with his lovely and available, yes she's not married, daughter Janet, Sally Fraser, that things really started to get out of hand.That's in the towns handsome and single and unattached hard as well as soft rock specialist Wayne Brooks, Edward Kemmer, by him taking a shine more to Janet then to the rocks that he's studying.
As for the professor he's interested in finding the remains of this giant Spanish Conquistador named Varges "The Diablo Giant", Buddy Baer, who vanished with his men in and around Pine Ridge some 500 years ago.
Rampaging through the area Vargas murders Ann Brown, Joline Brand, as she was fetching water from a nearby well.It turns out that it's Wayne who's suspected in Ann's murder in that a Spanish medallion that belonged to him was found at the murder site.***SPOILERS*** It took a while for Wayne to convince the local Sheriff Parker, Bob Steele, that he's innocent after a number of brutal killings that included that of the wise old Indian Joe, Billy Dix, while Wayne was still in custody.
With a search party organized by Sheriff Parker that included the late Ann's brother Charlie Brown, Gary Crutcher, who by going on his own almost ends up getting himself killed by Vargas.
A criminal group of Spanish conquistadors leave their mark with local mountain Indians.
Police and scientists try to solve crimes and find artifacts.*Special Stars- Bob Steele, Ed Kemmer, Sally Fraser, Morris Ankrum, Buddy Bear.*Theme- Evil is often not buried with a evil person's bones.*Trivia/location/goofs- B & W.
This is an excellent film of the time and still manages to entertain even today..
The film is set in a California mountain town where there are some killings--and the sheriff is a complete moron.
Worth seeing if your standards are pretty low...otherwise you can certainly do better.NOTE: at the end, the giant falls through a fence to his death--smashing the fence in the process.
However, look at the fence immediately after--it's still all in one piece and isn't broken!By the way, the evil giant was played by Buddy Baer.
Long dead, or perhaps hibernating conquistador is revived and terrorizes some people in the wilderness.Not really a giant in what we normally think of as a giant the title character is more a really big man.