A ‘tail end’ baby boomer, I saw my first horror and sci-fi movies as a kid in the 1960s and liked them enough to work up an interest in how they were made, and in the people who made them. But those were dark days for genre movie enthusiasts; there was only a handful of books on the subject, and most of those were simply ‘appreciations’ of the movies, with little or no background material on the production and personnel. The situation began to improve in the 1970s thanks in part to magazines like Photon, Cinefantastique and Fangoria, but even then, it was largely just the best-loved older movies and moviemakers that got the investigative treatment.”
Thus begins the preface by author Tom Weaver in his book Science Fiction Confidential, in which he records twenty-three unique conversations with the artists behind both classic and not-so-classic monster movies. Weaver’s mission to accomplish such work has left a vital mark on the history of genre movies, many of which are neglected by mainstream movie preservation societies. This is through no fault of AFI, TCM, and others; it is a natural by-product of what it means to be a “genre movie”, especially from an era before home video. These movies were made to be disposable so the theater could book the next shocker fast enough to hold the attention of teenagers. Many of the artists and films included in Science Fiction Confidential reflect this teenage-fare from the 1950s; B-movie quickies like The She-Creature (1956) and The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961), but also flicks with higher budgets (and reputations) like The Blob (1958) and The Fly (1958). Through Weaver’s interviews, fans of these movies are given rewarding insight into the fascinating production histories. Weaver’s passion for film history on such a niche level is the book’s strength, giving voice to those writers, producers, actors, and directors otherwise forgotten by time.
Highlights of Science Fiction Confidential include an interview with The Blob‘s screenwriter, Kate Phillips, and co-producer Russ Doughten. Phillips, at the time of the interview, was in her 80s and speaks on her experience writing the seminal monster movie with an air of wistfulness. She is clearly proud of her work, but recounts the failure of the producing company, Valley Forge Films, to honor their promise of a 10% cut of the box office. Regrettably, she admits her own failure in the episode to register her job with the Writers Guild of America, resulting in a lack of bargaining power. As a result, all Phillips would make for penning The Blob was a $125 paycheck! Regarding co-producer Russ Doughten, his experiences are similarly mixed but with less whimsy. In his interview with Weaver, he explains how famed Blob producer, Jack H. Harris, bullied his way into receiving the lion’s share of producer credit; as he states:
I’ve read a couple of interviews that Jack [Harris] has given, and 90 percent of the things he said that he did as far as producing was concerned was what I did! That bugged me quite a bit. When I left, I refused to give a release to them because of the way Jack and ‘Shorty’ [Irvin Yeaworth, director] put me on the outside. The finally said, ‘Well, we’ll put your name on the credits,’ so they put me down as the associate producer on the Valley Forge film credit. Which was sort of equal to… a bucket of warm spit.”
It paints a fascinating picture of The Blob, an independent production by Pennsylvania-based faith studio Valley Forge Films, and starring Hollywood legend Steve McQueen (The Great Escape, Bullitt, The Sand Pebbles) in his breakout role. Phillips’ and Doughten’s best anecdotes are about the then 28-year-old McQueen; Doughten recounts his bumping into McQueen in New York and casting him in the film.
Other interviews worth highlighting are with Alex Gordon of The She-Creature and Audrey Dalton of The Monster that Challenged the World (1957). Their interviews with Weaver are lively and informative. Neither actress achieved mainstream stardom, but are fondly remembered today for their respective cult classics. That, of course, is the strength of Science Fiction Confidential, recording the histories of these films. Even if you have not seen some of the more obscure titles, you will nonetheless enjoy Weaver’s conversations with the stars, many of whom are all too eager to name-drop more famous colleagues and friends. John Alvin, for instance, is remembered by few, but who appeared in The Beast with Five Fingers (1946) with horror icon Peter Lorre (who was apparently quite the practical joker on set!). Many stories are brought to life through Weaver’s ability to get the best from his subjects and it proves an engrossing read. If this is your first introduction to the vast catalog of Tom Weaver, it will have you hooked on reading more.
by Vincent S. Hannam
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SOURCES
Weaver, Tom. Science Fiction Confidential: Interviews with 23 Monster Stars and Filmmakers. McFarland & Company, Inc. Jefferson, North Carolina. 2002.
Fitzgerald, Mike. “An Interview with Mike Fitzgerald: Kay Linaker”. Western Clippings. Website. http://www.westernclippings.com/interview/kaylinaker_interview.shtml. Accessed 02.24.24.
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