''Attack of the 50 ft. Woman'', 1958 - art by Reynold Brown

Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman is a 1958 science fiction film directed by Nathan H. Juran. The movie is a classic example of 1950s B-movie sci-fi and... more

by Movie World Posters

Title

''Attack of the 50 ft. Woman'', 1958 - art by Reynold Brown

Artist

Movie World Posters

Medium

Mixed Media - Digital Art

Description

"Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" is a 1958 science fiction film directed by Nathan H. Juran. The movie is a classic example of 1950s B-movie sci-fi and is known for its over-the-top premise and low-budget special effects.

Plot:
The film follows the story of Nancy Archer (played by Allison Hayes), a wealthy and troubled woman who claims to have encountered an alien spacecraft while driving in the desert. After her encounter, Nancy begins to grow to an enormous size, reaching a height of 50 feet. Her growth causes a sensation in the town, leading to disbelief and mockery from those around her.

Convinced that the alien encounter is responsible for her transformation, Nancy becomes increasingly erratic and seeks revenge against her unfaithful husband, Harry Archer (William Hudson), and his lover, Honey Parker (Yvette Vickers). As she wreaks havoc on the town, she becomes a menace, and the military is called in to deal with the giant woman.

Legacy:
"Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" is a notable example of the campy and kitschy science fiction films that were popular during the 1950s. It is celebrated for its absurd premise, low-budget special effects, and unintentional humor. The film's portrayal of a giant woman wreaking havoc in a small town has made it a cult classic in the genre of B-movie sci-fi.

Despite its modest production values and the campy nature of the film, "Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" has endured as a beloved cult film. It has been referenced and parodied in various forms of popular culture over the years, and the image of the giant woman has become an iconic representation of the era's fascination with atomic and space-age fears.

The film's enduring popularity is a testament to its status as a cult classic and its ability to entertain audiences with its unintentional humor and outrageous premise. While it may not be considered a cinematic masterpiece, it remains a beloved and memorable entry in the annals of 1950s science fiction cinema.
About the artist:

William Reynold Brown (October 18, 1917 – August 24, 1991) was an American realist who painted around 250 Hollywood film posters. He was also briefly active as a comics artist and he worked as a technical artist at North American Aviation during World War II.

Following the war, Brown drew paperback book covers along with advertisements and illustrations for numerous magazines including Argosy, Popular Science, Saturday Evening Post, Boys' Life, Outdoor Life, and Popular Aviation.

Brown taught at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles before he started creating film posters. Among the dozens he designed was an original painting for The Alamo, which hung for years at the actual Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Some of his other well-known posters at the time included How the West Was Won, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Dr. Zhivago, Ben Hur, Spartacus, Mutiny on the Bounty, and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Today, he is best remembered for his posters for The Creature From the Black Lagoon and the cult classic Attack of the 50-Foot Woman.

Brown's posters imparted a sense of cinematic adventure to movie theater lobbies across the country. The posters became popular due to his ability to portray movie scenes using a dramatic collage effect. Unlike earlier poster designers, he based his illustrations and compositions not on traditional graphic design but on the dynamic nature of popular filmmaking.

Although his posters were widely recognized and contributed to the success of many popular films, Brown, like other movie poster artists, was contracted to maintain his anonymity and could not sign his work.

In 1953, Brown cofounded the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles. He suffered a stroke in 1976, after which he spent the remaining years of his life on a 180-acre plot of land in Nebraska.

In 1994, a documentary about Brown was broadcast on television, titled The Man Who Drew Bug-Eyed Monsters. In addition, a book with many of his artworks was published in 2009, “Reynold Brown: A Life in Pictures.” According to a movie reviewer in Nebraska, as a result of the documentary, Brown and his colleagues are beginning to get the recognition they deserve, not only as talented artists but for their broader impact on popular culture.

Uploaded

December 28th, 2020