An alien lifeform consumes everything in its path as it grows and grows.
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Here we have the famous Sci Fi/Horror film “The Blob”, even though the film is nearing it’s 50th anniversary it’s a film that fans still talk about it, whether that’s because it was one of Steve McQueen’s first films or because it’s a great film for it’s time, it just doesn’t matter. The fact that people are still interested in the film is such a testament to it.
Talking of Steve McQueen, he does a great job in this feature, despite being a 27 year old playing a high school student, it’s no doubt he shot to stardom so quickly. The Blob itself is the star for me though, every time it shows up on screen I can’t help but smile, it’s emotionless and on a rampage and I love the fact I can’t tell what it’s thinking or feeling, it makes it a truly terrifying character.
The film was originally going to be called “The Glob” (sounds horrible right?!) It was only changed when it was discovered that cartoonist Walt Kelly had already used that title. According to producer Jack H. Harris, the film was titled “The Molten Meteor” when it was in synopsis form, I’m so happy they didn’t use that one either and “The Blob” has become an infamous title.
I’ve always had a soft spot for this film, it was one of the first features I saw when I was delving into the Horror vaults and it instantly became one of my favourites and has remained so since. It has so much charm to it, as did many films from that era, but this one seemed to stick out from the rest. Sure it looks dated but that doesn’t hamper it all.
“The Blob” is essential viewing in my opinion, if you haven’t already then make sure you watch it.
Miscellaneous facts about the film:
Steve McQueen was offered $2,500 or 10% of the profits. He took the $2,500 because the film wasn’t expected to make much. It ended up grossing over $4 million. According to producer Jack H. Harris when being interviewed by film historian Tom Weaver, the film ultimately grossed $40 million.
Steve McQueen was playing a teenage high-school student, but he was actually 27 years old.
The strange movie being shown in the theater was not a phony created for this film. It was an actual movie originally released as Dementia (1955). The scenes shown are from the re-cut version titled “Daughter of Horror”, which had narration added. The voice doing the narration is that of Ed McMahon.
According to producer Jack H. Harris, they added dye to the Blob to make it increasingly redder after it had consumed successive victims.
The title song “The Blob” was co-written by Burt Bacharach and is on his album “Look of Love:The Burt Bacharach Collection.” Paramount tapped Bacharach and Mack David (brother of Bacharach’s usual writing partner, Hal David) to come up with a non-threatening theme that would prevent the faint of heart from going into nostril-flaring terror during the opening credits. Together they came up with “The Blob,” a goofy musical creature that is one part “Temptation” to two parts “Tequila.” Session singer Bernie Knee does the champagne-cork-popping honors by pulling his finger out of his cheek seven times. Only Ralph Carmichael’s score received a screen credit, giving credence to the notion that the song was a last-minute addition. The Five Blobs turned out to be a phantom group that consisted of Bacharach, a bunch of musicians for hire and Nee, who tracked his voice five times to achieve that Boris Karloff-esque quality.
In an attempt to profit from Steve McQueen’s success in The Towering Inferno (1974), this film was re-released in various countries during the mid-’70s, falsely promoted as an Irwin Allen-style new disaster movie.
Steve McQueen had the poster of this film on his bedroom wall at the time of his death.
Dick Powell, who was the head of Four Star Productions, asked to see a rough cut of this film. This led to the casting of Steve McQueen in the television series Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958).
According to producer Jack H. Harris, director Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr. initially met Steve McQueen when the actor’s wife Neile Adams was appearing in a short religious film Yeaworth was making. According to Harris, Yeaworth found McQueen to be “a dirty jerk, an opinionated pain in the ass,” among other things, and reportedly kicked him off of the set after Adams’ part was completed. Hopeful of signing ‘Anthony Franciosa’ for the lead in “The Blob,” Harris attended a performance of “A Hatful of Rain” in which Franciosa was appearing, but when he saw understudy McQueen filling in for an ailing Ben Gazzara, the producer decided to sign McQueen to a three-picture deal. McQueen proved so difficult that rather than find an entirely new director and crew to work with him, Harris decided to shoot the two subsequent films, 4D Man (1959) and Dinosaurus! (1960), with other actors, a decision he ultimately regretted.
Partially filmed in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The theater everyone is seen running from is the Colonial Theater.
The Blob was created with a modified weather balloon in the early shots, and in the later shots with colored silicone gel.
The monster is referred to as “the mass” in the shooting script.
Final film of Olin Howland (the farmer who is the first victim of “The Blob”).
Although producer Jack H. Harris always claimed that this film cost $240,000 to produce, years later director Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr. said that the actual cost was only $120,000. Other sources list the budget as low as $110,000.
This independent production was originally picked up by Paramount Pictures for use on the bottom half of a double bill with Paramount’s production, I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958). Early marketing tests and initial bookings indicated that a larger share of the ticket buyers were coming for this film rather than the top-billed picture, so it became the main feature and more money was spent on its promotion.
The last time Steve McQueen was billed as Steven.
After the Blob had consumed the old man, the doctor tells his nurse to dump some “trichloracetic acid” on the it. That is a weak acid used to treat genital warts.
When Steve and Jane go to the police station to report the death of Dr. Hallen, the calendar on the wall reveals that it is July 1957.
Film debut of Aneta Corsaut.
In some of the promo material, the character played by Aneta Corsaut is referred to as Judy. Her character in the film is named Jane.
Jack H. Harris’ personal favorite of all his films.
According to producer Jack H. Harris, Aneta Corsaut was interviewed and hired only two days before shooting started.
In changing the title from “The Glob” to “The Blob,” producer Jack H. Harris has hoped that comedians would still pick up on it. As he predicted, many comedians mentioned “The Blob” during their routines. This resulted in this low budget movie getting many free plugs on national television.
Bart Sloane is credited for special effects. He also served as the art director and animator. He created the animated sequence and main title over which the cast and credits were matted. His other animated sequences included the shot of the electric cable being shot off of the pole and the live electric line striking the blob. He also created the matte paintings.
The old man’s cabin and the crater were filmed in a soundstage. There were two versions of the cabin built. One was full size for the actors to use. The second version was only about three feet high and was used in the background of wide shots to create a false perspective.
There’s a scene where the Blob goes to the diner down the street from the theater. In reality, the two are 11 miles apart from each other.
Aneta Corsaut’s name is misspelled “Aneta Corseaut.”
The credits list this as a “Tonylyn Production.” This was actually a combination of the names of producer Jack H. Harris’ two children, Tony and Lynda.
Veteran actor Olin Howland is listed in the credits as “Olin Howlin”
McQueen’ s car in the movie is a 1953 Plymouth Cranbrook blue convertible.
Producer Jack H. Harris had experience as a distributor, but this was his first foray into motion picture production.
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