Lt. Col. Glenn Manning (Glenn Langan) is inadvertently exposed to a plutonium bomb blast at Camp Desert Rock. Though burned over 90% of his body, he survives, and begins to grow in size.
Jim Nicholson of American International Pictures had the rights to Homer Eon Flint's 1928 novel, "The Nth Man" about a man who was 10 miles high. Nicholson thought it could be adapted to cash in on the success of "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (released six months earlier in 1957) and originally announced Roger Corman as director. Charles B. Griffith was hired to adapt the novel and he turned it into a comedy. Then Corman dropped out and Bert Gordon was hired. Gordon worked on the script with Griffith but the collaboration only lasted a day before Griffith quit. Instead, Griffith's regular writing partner, Mark Hanna stepped in.
Before Gordon became involved, the film was conceived with Dick Miller in mind for the lead. Unfortunately, this never happened, though it would have been a great casting coup. It was Gordon's first movie for AIP. Interestingly, although he has come to be known as "Mr. BIG", this was not even his own idea!
Paul Corupe calls the film "a surprisingly nuanced creature feature dealing with the emotional aspect of body horror." He sees it as an "atomic-age update" to "The Wolf Man" in that sense, which seems a stretch. But the point is correct -- although now seen as campy or cheap, it was actually rather clever in its own way. They even bothered to address the issue of how his clothes grow.
Jim Nicholson of American International Pictures had the rights to Homer Eon Flint's 1928 novel, "The Nth Man" about a man who was 10 miles high. Nicholson thought it could be adapted to cash in on the success of "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (released six months earlier in 1957) and originally announced Roger Corman as director. Charles B. Griffith was hired to adapt the novel and he turned it into a comedy. Then Corman dropped out and Bert Gordon was hired. Gordon worked on the script with Griffith but the collaboration only lasted a day before Griffith quit. Instead, Griffith's regular writing partner, Mark Hanna stepped in.
Before Gordon became involved, the film was conceived with Dick Miller in mind for the lead. Unfortunately, this never happened, though it would have been a great casting coup. It was Gordon's first movie for AIP. Interestingly, although he has come to be known as "Mr. BIG", this was not even his own idea!
Paul Corupe calls the film "a surprisingly nuanced creature feature dealing with the emotional aspect of body horror." He sees it as an "atomic-age update" to "The Wolf Man" in that sense, which seems a stretch. But the point is correct -- although now seen as campy or cheap, it was actually rather clever in its own way. They even bothered to address the issue of how his clothes grow.