Bert I. Gordon, nicknamed “Mr. BIG” by Famous monsters from Movieland Editor Forrest J. Ackerman, not only because it suited his initials, but also because it suited the director’s favorite subject on the big screen – giant monsters – died today. He turned 100. His daughter Patricia Gordon confirmed the filmmaker’s death to the New York Times.
Gordon often produced, directed, wrote and created the special effects for his films, which were shot over the course of several weeks on a very small budget. Consequently the times his first film, 1955 king dinosaurwas filmed over seven days with four actors for about $15,000.
In addition to monsters, Gordon’s films also featured screen legends who did the job for several days. These include Orson Welles, Basil Rathbone, Ida Lupino, Lon Chaney, Don Amiche, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Peter Graves.
But the monsters were the real stars. His two dozen films include a cyclops, dinosaurs, giant mealworms, oversized rats, giant spiders and grasshoppers, dragons and – perhaps most frighteningly – giant teenagers.
Among Gordon’s most famous works The cyclops (1957), Town of Giants (1965), necromancy (1972), The food of the gods (1976) and Kingdom of the Ants (1977).
Many of his films were distributed by American International Pictures, which often combined Gordon’s films with another ghostly doubleheader project.
Source: Deadline
Bernice Bonaparte is an author and entertainment journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for pop culture and a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest entertainment news, Bernice has become a trusted source for information on the entertainment industry.
