THE MONOLITH MONSTERS - Gallery

Monsters For Sale · March 14, 2015, 12:21:59 AM

Most UMA members know I collect Frankenstein items almost exclusively. Occasionally, I will acquire an odd item that appeals to the monsterkid in me, but I try to stick to Frankenstein for financial reasons and the wide range of variety on a single subject that I think makes an interesting collection all the more fascinating.

I do have one major weakness. I am a huge fan of one of Universal-Internationals lesser-appreciated little 50's science fiction classics, "THE MONOLITH MONSTERS" from 1957.

Monolith was co-written by Jack Arnold of "It Came From Outer Space", "Creature From the Black Lagoon", "Tarantula" and "The Incredible Shrinking Man" fame - and directed by John Sherwood, who also directed "The Creature Walks Among Us". It also stars Shrinking Man's Grant Williams. Universal must have been a fun place to work in the 1950's.

Monolith was a unique take on movie science fiction for its time. So unique that I was disappointed the first time ten-year-old me saw it in the theater back in 1957. It was the stupid title. I left the theater feeling vaguely cheated that there had been no "monster" as I understood them. I suppose I was expecting yet another guy in a rubber suit to identify with.

After much deliberation, I came to appreciate what I had seen. Repeated viewings over the years has petrified my fondness for this little gem into a full-fledged love affair.

I know not everyone treasures this film as much as I do. But for those few of you who do, I present my personal collection of promotional material for "THE MONOLITH MONSTERS".

"From time immemorial..."

From the Advertising Department:

1849-01AD: Les Tremayne - Martin Cochrane

1849-02AD: Trevor Bardette - Professor Arthur Flanders

1849-03AD: Phil Harvey - Ben Gilbert

1849-04AD: Phil Harvey - Ben Gilbert

1849-05AD: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett

1849-06AD: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett

1849-07AD: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett

1849-08AD: Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett

1849-09AD: Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett

1849-10AD: Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-11AD: Grant Williams - Dave Miller

From the Publicity Department:

1849-01P: Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett Linda Scheley - Ginny Simpson

1849-04P: Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-05P: Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-06P: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett

1849-08P: Ellis Carter, Director of Photography - Lola Albright - John Sherwood, Director - Grant Williams

1849-09P: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett

1849-10P: Jock Mahoney (visiting set) Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett

The stills:

1849-01: Les Tremayne - Martin Cochrane Phil Harvey - Ben Gilbert

1849-02: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Phil Harvey - Ben Gilbert

1849-03: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Les Tremayne - Martin Cochrane William Flaherty - Police Chief Dan Corey Richard Cutting - Dr. E.J. Reynolds

1849-04: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Linda Scheley - Ginny Simpson

1849-05: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett Linda Scheley - Ginny Simpson Richard Cutting - Dr. E.J. Reynolds

1849-06: UNIDENTIFIED Grant Williams - Dave Miller UNIDENTIFIED William Flaherty - Police Chief Dan Corey

1849-07: Trevor Bardette - Prof. Arthur Flanders Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-08: UNIDENTIFIED Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett Linda Scheley - Ginny Simpson Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-09: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Harry Jackson - Dr. Steve Hendricks Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett

1849-10: Trevor Bardette - Prof. Arthur Flanders Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-11: Grant Williams - Dave Miller Trevor Bardette - Prof. Arthur Flanders

1849-12: Trevor Bardette - Prof. Arthur Flanders Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-13: Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-14: Trevor Bardette - Prof. Arthur Flanders Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-15: Trevor Bardette - Prof. Arthur Flanders Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-16:

1849-17: William Flaherty - Police Chief Dan Cory Grant Williams - Dave Miller Trevor Bardette - Prof. Arthur Flanders

1849-18: William Flaherty - Police Chief Dan Cory Grant Williams - Dave Miller Trevor Bardette - Prof. Arthur Flanders

1849-19: (Front row) Les Tremayne, William Flaherty, Eddie Parker, Katherine Howard & Dean Cromer

1849-20:

1849-21: Grant Williams - Dave Miller (art dept. depiction)

1849-22: Back Row: Les Tremayne & Trevor Bardette Front Row: Dean Cromer & Grant Williams

1849-23: Trevor Bardette - Prof. Arthur Flanders Grant Williams - Dave Miller Lola Albright - Cathy Barrett

1849-24: Les Tremayne - Martin Cochrane Grant Williams - Dave Miller

1849-25: Les Tremayne - Martin Cochrane Otto Malde - Printer

(Close-up of notice in previous still.)

(I typed out something that is easier to read.)

1849-26: UNIDENTIFIED (See the Salt Works in the distance?)

1849-27: Grant Williams, Trevor Bardette. Les Tremayne, Lola Albright & William Flaherty

1849-28: Troy Donahue - Hank Jackson (in white cap) UNIDENTIFIED Extras

1849-29: The dam is blown.

1849-30: Flooding the Salt Works.

1849-31: UNIDENTIFIED Troy Donahue - Hank Jackson (in white cap)

1849-32: Grant Williams, Trevor Bardette, Lola Albright & Les Tremayne

1849-33: The flood reaches the Monoliths.

To see all of these in full-sized scans, complete with publicity snipes on the reverse, visit my Flickr album for The Monolith Monsters here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/51514834(*at*)N00/sets/72157645378689171/ If the link does not take you directly there, just copy it and paste into the Web address line. That seems to work every time.

(Feel free to copy any and all images and use whatever way you want. Some of these images are on the rare side.)

Monsters For Sale · March 14, 2015, 05:02:32 AM

In addition to the Universal issued photos in the first post, I have acquired some other bits of promotional material:

UK Lobby Cards - Front of House Stills

Same as U.S. Still No. 1849-01

Same as U.S. Still No. 1849-15

Same as U.S. Still No. 1849-18

Same as U.S. Still No. 1849-25

Same as U.S. Still No. 1849-26

Arcade Card

Grant Williams, 3½" X 5" - Cropped from Advertising Dept. Photo 1849-AD11 (rotated counter-clockwise)

Showman's Manual - Ad Mats

Utility Mat No. 1-A

Utility Mat No. 1-B

Utility Mat No. 1-C

Utility Mat No. 1-D

Utility Mat No. 101

Utility Mat No. 102

Utility Mat No. 103

Utility Mat No. 104

Utility Mat No. 106

Utility Mat No. 201

Utility Mat No. 202

Utility mat No. 203

Utility Mat No. 204

Utility Mat No. 205

Utility Mat No. 206

Utility Mat No. 402

Utility Mat No. 403

Posters and Lobby Cards - Color

Lobby Card No. 2 - 11" X 14" - (Based on Still No. 1849-06)

Lobby Card No. 3 - 11" X 14" - (Based on Still No. 1849-15)

Lobby Card No. 4 - 11" X 14" - (Based on Still No. 1849-17)

Lobby Card No. 5 - 11" X 14" - (Based on Still No. 1849-32)

Lobby Card No. 7 - 11" X 14" - (Based on Still No. 1849-19)

Poster - 1-Sheet - 27" X 41" - (Linen-Backed)

Poster - Insert - 14 X 36"

Poster - Daybill - 13" X 30" (Australian)

Poster - Window Card - 14" X 22"

Poster - Window Card - (10⅞" x 4" - Coming Attractions)

I hope to add the missing 3 U.S. Lobby Cards and maybe a nice Half-Sheet poster sometime in the future.

But, this is what I have collected so far...

Mike Scott · March 14, 2015, 05:56:15 AM

Great collection of stills, Adam! MM is one of my fave '50s sci-fi movies!

typhooforme · March 14, 2015, 01:18:18 PM

I love "dedicated collections" and this is a great one! MM is a fascinating movie, unique to say the least, and I certainly understand your interest in it. Kudos on a fine collection! MOST impressive!

Mike Scott · March 14, 2015, 03:34:15 PM

You really do have quite the MM collection! Nice one sheet! Hope you get to finish the LC set.

Love this on high view of Courthouse Square! If you look close, you can see Marty and Doc Brown standing by a lamppost.

Monsters For Sale · March 15, 2015, 01:45:22 AM

Even though these are all posted on Flickr, I wanted to also post them here, because this is where more fans will come looking for such items. I hope they are copied and re-copied all over the place. Many of these photos are the only examples I have ever seen anywhere.

I didn't collect all these images to hide away in my private stash, only to be thrown out someday by whoever rifles through the belongings I leave behind after my death. I want them to find a new life out there in the Interwebnet and continue on long after me.

Wish I could get to whoever might be preparing MM for a definitive collector's Blu-Ray release on its 60th anniversary in 2017. (I can wish.) It would be my dream to have all the photo images included as an extra.

Still missing 3 Publicity Department photos and there are 3 Stills and 1 Advertising Dept. Photo I would like to get better original prints of. Oh yeah, there is also a photo advertising "The Incredible Shrinking Man" that uses an image of Grant Williams in his "The Monolith Monsters" costume. So that makes 4 photos I am missing.

With those 4, I will have a complete set - at least of the numbered U.S. photos.

Mike Scott · March 15, 2015, 03:21:16 AM

Quote from: Monsters For Sale on March 15, 2015, 01:45:22 AM
Wish I could get to whoever might be preparing MM for a definitive collector's Blu-Ray release on its 60th anniversary in 2017. (I can wish.) It would be my dream to have all the photo images included as an extra.

Yeah, that would be cool, but since they're rereleasing those movies on DVDR, I don't know if we'll be seeing Blu-Rays anytime soon.

Monsters For Sale · March 15, 2015, 03:25:42 AM

Quote from: Mike Scott on March 15, 2015, 03:21:16 AM
... since they're rereleasing those movies on DVDR, I don't know if we'll be seeing Blu-Rays anytime soon.

If it were at all likely, it wouldn't have to be a wish.

Mike Scott · March 15, 2015, 03:51:29 AM

I think most, if not all of them, have been released on European Blu-Rays.

Monsters For Sale · March 15, 2015, 05:30:03 AM

Monolith Monsters was released on a German Blu-Ray.

No English-language Blu-Ray that I know of.

Monsters For Sale · March 20, 2015, 10:15:56 PM

I've just received another Lobby Card:

Lobby Card No. 6 - 11" X 14" - (Based on Still No. 1849-21)

Still looking for Lobby Cards Nos. 1 and 8 for a complete set.

Mike Scott · March 21, 2015, 12:22:47 AM

Quote from: Monsters For Sale on March 20, 2015, 10:15:56 PM
I've just received another Lobby Card:

BEST CARD!! Congrats on that score!

Hepcat · March 21, 2015, 12:30:50 AM

Quote from: Monsters for SaleI hope to add the missing 3 U.S. Lobby Cards and maybe a nice Half-Sheet poster sometime in the future.

Wow! Too cool! How long have you had the posters and lobby cards, where did you buy them and are they expensive these days?

Monsters For Sale · March 21, 2015, 12:34:39 AM

Actually, the Lobby Cards pictured are Internet images that I borrowed. I am not set up to do scans of my cards, so I fudged.

In all cases my cards are in amazingly good shape with bright colors and unblemished white borders and zero water stains.

The Number 6 card that I have is so nice that I was not satisfied that it was not a reprint, until I had examined it very closely. It always amazes me when I find old paper items that have been kept from harm for so many years.

Card Number 8 should be easy enough to find in the condition I demand. Card Number 1 may take me a long time.

But, I never really thought my Monolith Monsters memorabilia collection would ever get as nearly complete as it is.

Monsters For Sale · March 21, 2015, 12:48:39 AM

Quote from: Hepcat on March 21, 2015, 12:30:50 AM
Wow! Too cool! How long have you had the posters and lobby cards, where did you buy them and are they expensive these days?

Most of the Lobby Cards for this movie are quite reasonable. Several were $20 to $25 each. The fully restored Linen-Backed 1-Sheet was only $250.00 off eBay.

The U.S. Insert was quite cheap and the Australian Daybill was only about $60.00. All of them are well-centered and in amazing shape. I think the big Window Card was about $45.00 and the little "Coming Attraction" Window card (the only one I have ever seen anywhere) was $12.00.

I am usually very patient and shop around a long time for the things I want.

I've had a lot of luck - and it didn't hurt that I have such a fondness for a generally underappreciated film.