There was a time in the 1940s and 1950s when Hollywood studios would crank out hundreds of films each year to feed the ever-hungry theaters and drive-ins. The major studios, such as MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox would produce their “A” list films, of course, but they also kept their sound stages busy filming “programmers” or what is also known as “B” pictures. Sometimes even their top contract stars would show up in them. But there was also a group of independent studios and producers who made even more of the variety known as “B” pictures.

There were some “low-rent” studios such as Republic, PRC, Allied Artists, and the granddad of them all, Monogram, which cranked out some of the best---and worst--- of those marvelous black and white screen fillers. Some of the best, however, were made by men (mostly males) who were independent producers and directors who didn’t have a dime to their names, but yet had the talent and guts to fly by the seat of their pants and turn out some memorable “B’s.”

Director Richard E. Cunha and his producer friend Arthur R. Jacobs were two of those ambitious men. They were making small commercials for television and eking out a living with their Screencraft Enterprises. When their friend, actor Ralph Brooks, suggested they branch out to make feature films, they took the dare. “He finally convinced us that it would be kind of fun to do, and that maybe we could make a dollar and a quarter out of it,” said Cunha in a publicity release.

Frank Hart Taussig and Brooke fashioned a screenplay about a menacing Spanish renegade who was buried in the mountains for centuries after the Spanish Conquistadores left California. He was rekindled by a lightning strike and rose from his grave, only to kill and mutilate animals and humans. He was called “The Diablo Giant.” Voila! The screenwriters then fleshed out a story around the legend for the 1958 film, Giant from the Unknown.

Cunha, being a director, cinematographer and lighting expert rolled into one, knew he would have to be clever with his camera and lights and small cast to make a picture on the miniscule budget of $54,000 that he and Jacobs had scratched together.

The company traveled to Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains and took full advantage of the beautiful scenery there for the asking. No sets had to be built. They used the small ski resort town of Fawnskin, California and used actual buildings as their sets. Cheap.

Dashingly handsome Ed Kemmer (1921-2004, famous for TV’s “Space Patrol” from 1951-1956 and soaps “As The World Turns,” “All My Children”) plays Wayne Brooks, a local geologist in the small town when another local man is found to have been brutally murdered. The town sheriff, played by veteran Western star  Bob Steele (1907-1988) suspects Wayne, and the two never get along. Arriving in town are Professor Cleveland, played by veteran actor Morris Ankrum (1896-1964),a distinguished archaeologist, and his daughter, blonde bombshell Janet. Sally Fraser, a well-known actress to horror fans, plays Janet and dutifully  is an airheaded woman of the 1950s whose task it is to make sandwiches and coffee for the men and scream on cue for no reason. Of course, she dutifully wears tight sweaters and falsies that look like two atomic bombs wrestling to get out of the fabric.

They all repair to the mountain to find Diablo and unfortunately, they do find him. He turns out to be boxing champ Buddy Baer tricked out in grubby dirt clogs on his face by veteran makeup genius Jack Pierce of FRANKENSTEIN fame. He missed with this one as Baer doesn’t look menacing—only very untidy and probably stinky after being buried for centuries. Diablo, after being underground for so long without any gourmet Spanish meals, is HUNGRY, dude! So, he gobbles up local beauty Ann Brown (actress Jolene Brand, b. 1934, ne: Bufkin, who promptly married producer George Schlatter of “The Judy Garland Show” and “Laugh-In”).

The film is neither sci-fi nor a horror film, per se, and is rather enjoyable. The lighting effects that Cunha created are wonderful, and the old black and white 35mm looks great. Seeing veteran Bob Steele clash with young, good-looking Kemmer is fun, and oldster Ankrum holds his own as usual. Kemmer, incidentally, was a fighter pilot during World War II and spent two years in a POW camp after being shot down by the Nazis.

This cult classic has been rejuvenated and is now out on both DVD and Blu-Ray for your enjoyment.

(Released by Screencraft Enterprises and Film Detective. Not rated by MPAA.)