Ancient Cult Files #2 -- Attack of the Puppet People

   Bert I. Gordon (or Mister B.I.G.) is a film-maker who sees the big picture, literally. Throughout his career, he specialized in making films where he utilized rear-projection and process shots to make the desired object (grasshoppers, spiders, bald guys, etc.) appear enormous in comparison to the surroundings and characters. In the latter half of the 1950's, he made some of his most remembered films in rapid succession. However, there was a film in this 

giant-themed period of his filmography that was just the opposite;

shrunken creatures, in this case people. Attack of the Puppet People (or I Was a Teenage Doll, Six Inches Tall, or The Fantastic Puppet People) was released in 1958 as a double-feature with Gordon's other film that year, War of the Colossal Beast. It starred John Agar, John Hoyt, June Kenny, and was the first motion picture appearance of Gordon's daughter, Susan.  The film centers around the office of the eccentric but kindly doll-maker Mr. Franz (John Hoyt), who makes amazingly lifelike dolls and pays close attention to every detail of their clothes, hair,

Mr. Franz and Sally

and accessories. Though a bit unsettled by his fondness for his dolls, Sally Reynolds (June Kenny) takes up the job opening as his secretary since her predecessor vanished and has not been heard from. Her employment under Franz goes fairly well despite his odd nature, until a salesman named Bob Westley arrives and goes about trying to woo the young beauty. Though initially irritated by his advances, Sally warms up to Bob as he begins to assist Mr. Franz with making his dolls; all during this time, both Sally and Bob grow more and more curious about what their employer keeps in his back room, which has a sign warning all to keep out. It is also revealed that Mr. Franz was once a successful marionette performer but abandoned the occupation after his wife left him, causing him to obsess over his doll making.

Bob and Sally's drive-in proposal

   Bob and Sally's  relationship heats up in the most romantic place the 50's can offer, a drive-in movie (showing Bert I. Gordon film The

Amazing Colossal Man), and the two decide that they love each other and that they will return to Bob's hometown and marry immediately (remember, it is the 50's). However, the next day, Bob disappears, and Mr. Franz has begun to market dolls of identical likeness to him. Sally's suspicions reach a breaking point and she goes to the police; but they are soon brushed off by Franz who then attacks Sally after the detective leaves, rendering her unconscious. 
   She awakes to find that Franz has shrunk her down to the size of the dolls he makes. Sally also finds that Bob and others who had known the doll-maker previously have been shrunken as well. Franz keeps them in capsules where they are drugged to keep them in a state of suspended animation while he keeps them as trophies on a

Mr. Franz's "special" doll collection

shelf in the office and, when he feels so inclined, takes them out and throws parties for them (complete with mini-champagne bottles). The rest of the film is the struggle of the captives to entertain their insane host and try any attempt to get to the machine which Franz uses to shrink people to return to their normal sizes and go for help. The film features some of Gordon's traditional uses of his special effects with scenes in which the shrunken characters have to avoid normal sized animals.
   The film was released for the drive-in market, which was advertised in the film itself, and was met with poor critical reception for its weak plot and poor special effects. This is a film whose charm is not in the accolades it received, but rather in the time period it time-capsules. The entire film screams 1950's: the style of clothes and hair, the music and dancing, the forms of entertainment, people's manner of speech, the social customs. 

Bob and Sally battling a "giant" dog

   In some ways, it even puts an unfavorable light to some of the encouraged attitudes of the time. Mr. Franz became mentally unstable and abandoned his life's work only after his wife left him. He then became obsessed with the picturesque lifestyle of the time with nicely dressed and polished people, all under control. Many things in the plot are not explained, such as how exactly Franz manages to create such a powerful machine when the only areas of expertise we know of him possessing are marionette performing and doll making. What scientific explanation that the film attempts to give makes no sense at all.
   The special effects are laughable by today's standards of CGI wonderment and explosions, but they add to the cheesy goodness of the film. A good part of the film's inspiration was actually based on the success of The Incredible Shrinking Man a year prior, and American International Pictures wanted to cash-in on the "shrinking" craze.
   But all those technical things aside, this is a fun, convoluted, absolutely delightful B-Movie. To truly enjoy Attack of the Puppet People, don't focus on the details of the plot or the quality of the effects, just smile at this beautiful piece of 1950's entertainment courtesy of Mr. B.I.G. 
   A three star B-movie classic.
   Oh, and just so you won't be disappointed, the "puppet" people don't actually attack anyone.

The next time you wake up on the wrong side of the bed,
remember how Sally must have felt.