The Hideous Sun Demon (1958) User Reviews

It's not terrible--fun for fans of cheesy horror and all others should beware

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 11 March 2009]

My score of 3 doesn't really mean that I hated this film. In fact, I enjoy watching cheesy 1950s and 60s horror films. However, no matter how much I enjoy them, I have to be realistic and admit that their technical merits are usually horrendous. With THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON (a rather inappropriate title, by the way), the budget was next to nothing and it really shows. The script also is not particularly inspired or original, though the film is watchable.

Actor Robert Clarke stars in this film he also wrote and co-directed. While his name is probably not one you've heard of before, he did a ton of TV appearances over the years--particularly in the 1960s in such shows as "Dragnet". He's a competent actor though given the budget, you really can't blame him for coming up with a silly film.

This is another nuclear radiation film where a scientist is exposed to the stuff. But, instead of turning really big (THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN) or tiny (THE AMAZING SHRINKING MAN), here the guy cannot go into sunlight or he becomes a hideous looking monster--at least until he's left the sunlight and allows himself to become normal once again. To me I kept wondering why Clarke's character was so stupid that he'd "forget" and suddenly realize it's becoming daytime throughout the film. People with Porphyria learn to avoid sunlight, yet this dummy keeps making the mistake of being out too long. Unfortunately, when he is out in the sun, he seems to become a bit emotionally unstable, though he's nothing like a "sun demon". He's more like a guy who's a bit cranky and stupid, that's all! Overall, very watchable for fans of the genre but don't expect it to be among the best. Just a typical film you'd find on a typical exceptionally tiny budget.

By the way, look at the box art that is shown on IMDb. I think the yellow artwork might just rank as the ugliest in film history.

Turgid little sci fi pot boiler, but it has its moments.

[lemon_magic · 4/10 · 29 June 2016]

If I have this right, Richard Clarke made this movie on his own (starred in it, wrote it, and directed it) after finishing up "The Astounding She-Monster" because he thought he could do better.

Well, yes, that turned out to be correct. "The Hideous Sun Demon" is better than that movie in every way. So in that sense, Clarke's decision was vindicated. And to be fair, every aspect of this film is also better than anything Z movie maestros such as Ed Wood Jr, Larry Buchanan, and Coleman Francis ever put to film. Clarke may have had his limits, he may have over estimated his talents...but he was still a professional, and it shows.

So it's not grade Z awful...but it's still not very good. The movie drags in spots and the plot has very little going for it after the initial idea of a man who becomes sort of a "reverse werewolf", because of, you know, radiation. Aside from that, the proceedings are kind of threadbare.

Some of the acting is mediocre. Clark is OK-to-decent - when a guy is that good looking, sometimes he forgets he has to do more than emote. The monster suit sucks. The fight choreography is half baked and unconvincing. The final chase (although enlivened by some "arty" shots and compositions) is way too long. The sound track is composed of every cliché a sound editor could pull out of a studio music library. And you've never seen a worse "fake" music performance than Nan Peterson "playing" piano and singing a torch song called "Strange Pursuit".

In fact, that's where I called it - things almost worked up until that point, but after "Strange Pursuit", the movie's brains leaked out of its ears and you knew the movie was just something you were going to just sit through.

Still, there were flashes of something decent here...I can't help but wonder if the movie would have done better and been better if Clarke had better collaborators to help with some of the decisions that divide a good movie from a "wanna-be", and polish some of the cheesier edges. Or maybe the movie was actually unwatchable and the editor saved it...hard to say.

You don't need to see this at all, ever...but as an episode of "Svengoolie", this would be OK.

Brings back memories

[ebiros2 · 5/10 · 21 February 2009]

While not the great classic, this movie does have a solid place in '50s sci-fi movie. The plot is pretty original, and I can see why a person would be in lot of trouble if he turns into a reptile as soon as he's exposed to sun. I watched this movie on TV when I was a kid and have been looking to find it for some time. Now it's up on Youtube, and I've seen it after over 40 years. What interested be after watching was of course the plot which I didn't understand when I was a kid, and also the gas station scenes. The gas was going for $.27 per gallon, and it was full service back then. Another thing is that people smoked a lot more then than now. It's not bad of a movie for one man to produce, star and direct, and I give Robert Clarke high score for the attempt. For one who didn't live that time or seen this movie back then, this movie probably don't mean much, but watching it now, I see that people really were different back then, and this movie brings back memories of how things were.

Definitely a must for any B-movie collection

[fabric88 · 28 May 2002]

6 reasons why you should watch it?

1. Robert Clarke's quasi convincing performance during the "why me? Why Me? WHY ME?" scene. Quasi. 2. The worst fake-piano playing (by Trudy-Nan Peterson) in the history of cinema. Mind you, you don't notice it the first time round. You're too busy looking at something else. 3. Watch the Sun Demon slaughter a dog. Definitely not politically correct. 4. Does the Sun Demon make love with Trudy on the beach? We'll never know. 5. The Sun Demon's car. It's brilliant. Too bad we don't know the make. 6. The Sun Demon didn't really run over the policeman. Or did He?

I could go on but I don't want to spoil the movie.

"I'm beyond help!" Rather dull late 50's monster flick.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 18 April 2009]

The Hideous Sun Demon is set in Los Angeles where there has been an accident, obscure scientist Dr. Gilber McKenna (producer & co-director Robert Clarke) has been accidentally exposed to a radioactive isotope & has been rushed to hospital. McKenna seems fine but while outside relaxing he transforms into a prehistoric half-man half reptile sun demon creature because of the radioactive rays of the sun, McKenna becomes a recluse as he stays inside his house all day only daring to come out at night away from the harmful rays of the sun. McKenna's colleagues Dr. Frederick Buckell (Patrick Whyte) & Ann Russell (Patricia Manning) ask radiation expert Dr. Jacob Hoffman (Fred La Porta) to help McKenna. Things become complicated when McKenna falls in love with nightclub performer Trudy Osborne (Nan Peterson) & he kills her abusive boyfriend...

Apparently shot under the working title of Terror from the Sun this was edited & directed by Tom Boutross along with Robert Clark who also directed, produced & starred in it & is a surprisingly dull late 50's monster flick that should really have been better. The script relies on that staple 50's standby of it's monster being a direct result of radiation, I wasn't around back then but I guess people's fears of radiation & it's unknown potentially harmful effects were at their height & maybe it would have resonated with audiences slightly better back in 1959 than it does when viewed now fifty years later in 2009. The main thing that struck me while watching The Hideous Sun Demon was just how padded out & rather dull the whole affair actually is, I was surprised just how padded The Hideous Sun Demon felt considering it lasts for a modest 74 minutes. The film is also plagued by the usual problems these 50's monsters flicks have, quite a bit of stock footage of cars driving around, the title monster is barely seen until the end & the romantic subplot between Gilbert & Trudy gets more screen time than the horror & sci-fi stuff which just isn't right in my book. Having said that the film is watchable, the central character of Gilbert is slightly better fleshed out than one might expect, it's quite fun when the hideous sun demon show's up & at least it's short. Not exactly brilliant by any means but not a complete disaster either, it's just stuck somewhere between the two.

The film has a very static somewhat dull look to it as the camera barely ever moves. There are a couple of fairly poorly staged fights & probably the worst piano miming sequence ever, Tudy barely moves her arms yet manages to bang out a tune without so much as a misplaced note. There's not too much violence, the sun demon kills a couple of people, a dog & a rat but there's nothing graphic here. The sun demon itself looks alright as far as 50's men in rubber suits type monsters go but ultimately it never really looks anything like a man in a rubber suit, the face mask is quite good but I doubt it would scare too many people these days. For some bizarre reason this was retitled to & released under Blood on His Lips here in the UK in early 1961 which makes no sense as a title at all. It's amazing how much The Hideous Sun Demon influenced William Sachs when he made the infinitely better The Incredible Melting Man (1977) which copies lots of scenes especially the climax which is virtually identical in both films.

Filmed in California on a supposed budget of about $58,500 the production values are decent enough if dated by todays standards, lets just put it this was The Hideous Sun Demon isn't as badly made as some 50's sci-fi films. The acting is alright but nothing special & does tend to be a little wooden & static at times.

The Hideous Sun Demon is an OK 50's black and white monster flick that could have been better but also could have been worse, it's one of those films that I sat through without any problems but will probably have forgotten about within a week.

Surprisingly Not THAT Bad

[charliesonnyray · 5/10 · 19 August 2016]

Plan 9 from Outer Space. Howard the Duck. Return of the Kung Fu Dragon. There, three films that are much worse than this one and yet they all have higher scores. Granted I am not saying Sun Demon is some hidden masterpiece but it does have some merits. So the story goes that a scientist is exposed to a new radioactive isotope never encountered before. They find out that the scientist-who is named Gil-now has to live with the terrible side effect of transforming into a lizard creature in the sunlight. Kind of a random really but I have seen radiation do stranger things. Plus the explanation behind it is kind of clever. Kind of. So Gil has to stay inside all the time and also starts up a romance with a nightclub singer who has some mafia ties. Things quickly go downhill from there. Sun Demon was written and directed by Clarke and for being his first time in both departments, he does a pretty decent job. The story is pretty well structured and he knows how to frame a good shot. The monster costume-while not great-certainly isn't bad and I actually give it props for being unique. Clarke-who also plays Gil- brings a real conviction to the character and I can actually buy that this guy is going through some real turmoil. You get a sense of helplessness from Gil and I really sympathized with him. Someone said that Sun Demon was like a "reverse Wolf-Man" which perfectly summarizes the situation. However, that is where my praises end as the other stuff is pretty standard. It deals with elements of nuclear radiation and tampering with the universe, typical 50's sci-fi stuff. It's nothing really new or groundbreaking. Which I think stops it from being more than just typical convention. The other problem is that the dialogue and acting can be awkward and clunky in spots. At one point, Gil starts fighting with this mob guy and it looked so fake that it made me laugh. Not to mention one scene where the singer is supposed to scream in horror at something off screen, but it comes off as so forced. Little moments like that are sprinkled throughout and add up pretty quickly. Still, I think there are some pretty decent parts to this film that are at least worth a pat on the back. If you want a laugh out load bad movie, just go watch Plan 9. Sun Demon is more like a mixed bag that I would only suggest watching if you love classic sci-fi or really enjoy werewolf or werewolf like movies.

Cloudy With A Chance of Sun Demon Plus a King Family Reunion

[thejcowboy22 · 5/10 · 18 September 2015]

Our movie starts with an radiation accident in a laboratory. A body is taken into an ambulance. This is the tragic story of our over exposed Scientist Dr. Gilbert McKenna played by Robert Clarke. I remember the soft spoken actor from his frequent appearances on Dragnet and Adam 12. Robert was also married to one of the King Sisters, Maxine. Known in the 60's for their specials, the King Family alone with the extended bunch, entertained us with holiday songs on ABC. Enough with the TV connections which will show relevance later in the review. Dr. McKenna was exposed to radiation but initially is recovering at an Los Angeles hospital in a wheelchair getting some sun in a solarium. The woman next to him sees the transformation and screams but the scaly rep tiled man runs off. Thank goodness, I wasn't ready for a bloody slashing sequence so early in the movie. McKenna changes back to his normal self as Doctors scratch their heads and are stumped and amazed with this deadly exposure. McKenna young and viral wants to get out of his cramped surroundings to feel somewhat normal despite his problem with the sun light. Runs into town evening hours of course and gets involved with a wild woman. This movie reminds me of the cartoon the Hulk as our good nature Gilbert McKenna puts himself in compromising positions as the Sun begins to rise. Mckenna decided that his situation is rendered hopeless and takes to the nightlife and drinking. Jealous boyfriends beware of the daylight hours as their no match for our Demon. During this entire movie Clarke dilemma makes you empathize with his misfortune. One touching moment in the picture stands out as our sad scientist who is in hiding in backyard shed meets a little girl Suzy played by Alexandra Conkling who in reality Robert Clark's niece. Suzy offers our on the lamb Scientist some cookies to eat. Suzy tries to sneak out some snacks but is caught by her Mom played by Donna Conkling, Clarke's sister-in-Law another King family member. Can Alvino Rey be far behind? I just couldn't help feeling the pain and anguish suffered by our leading man or reptile. Clarke wrote, directed and produced this movie. Tragically it didn't cut it at the box office either. Maybe if the Demon sang a few King family numbers it could gain some more interest. Happy Holidays!!

Cheap and cheerful

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 27 September 2017]

THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON is a cheap and cheerful science fiction film of the 1950s, featuring a plot that makes little sense. A scientist is exposed to radiation - inevitable, given the decade - and ends up transforming into a murderous lizard man whenever he ventures into the sunlight. That plot feels absolutely wacky to me, and as it turns out this film has a very low budget which means that there's a slapdash feel to it. Scenes of the rampaging monster are a lot of fun, but these are few and far between while the emphasis of the screenplay is very much on reaction and the emotional state of the affected man. Still, fans of the era will find it a hoot.

"Liquor and science don't mix well, apparently."

[bensonmum2 · 5/10 · 11 February 2017]

Dr. Gilbert McKenna (Robert Clarke) is a research scientist who is accidentally exposed to a new type of radiation. At first, he seems to be doing remarkably well. However, once in direct sunlight, Gil's body begins to change. He goes through a devolution process and turns into some sort of out-of-control, lizard-type creature.

"Hideous" is the right word to describe Gil's transformation. The special effect suit is about as good as I've seen in a 1950s era sci-fi/horror film. I'd rate it right up there with the suit from Creature from the Black Lagoon. It's really nicely done. The acting is hit or miss. Clarke does a good job playing the tortured victim. I also enjoyed Nan Peterson as Trudy Osborne - not because she's a particularly great actress, but she channel's Marilyn Monroe quit well. Some of the performances, however, are laughable. I'm thinking of the dude who played the gangster - I think it was Peter Similuk. Just awful.

The problem with The Hideous Sun Demon and the thing that keeps me from rating it higher is there's really not much plot here. The movie is full of padding. The runtime is only 74 minutes, but I'd bet at least 20 of those minutes felt like filler. For example, I think there are more scenes of people driving around California than there are scenes devoted to the titular Sun Demon.

A radiation accident gone extremely bad!!

[ninfar · 6/10 · 31 December 2006]

I bought the movie and watched it yesterday..I thought it was above average for a B-movie..I have seen recent movies a lot worse then this..a little slow in parts but I felt kind of saddened for the guy/monster in the end for him,since he didn't ask for this radiation accident..but all in all I felt it was worth the money and to have it as a collection,since I am a huge fan of 50's science fiction movies.Just remember,you have to realize this was made back in the 50's..so the special effects aren't like they are computerized or anything like now,but I thought they did a good job with the costume as a lizard man.Actually it was harder work for everyone then to make a monster then now.There certainly where some very exciting/creepy/scary moments throughout the movie and making it black and white really added to the horror of it all.

First seen on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater in 1965

[kevinolzak · 4/10 · 30 May 2019]

1958's "The Hideous Sun Demon" marked the directorial debut of actor and star Robert Clarke, who was astonished that a small percentage on "The Astounding She-Monster" resulted in a tidy profit. Certain he could better than Ronnie Ashcroft on a larger budget (under $50,000) Clarke secured the services of student filmmakers at USC to shoot on weekends, the resulting film obviously lacking but nowhere near as bad as Ashcroft's opus. The impressive monster outfit featured fangs and good eye movement, built over a wet suit so the director would be drenched after each take. Dangerous radiation emanating from the sun, 'more deadly than cosmic rays,' are the result of earth satellite launchings, while the accidental exposure to a radioactive isotope sends Dr. Gilbert McKenna (Clarke) to the hospital for observation. Incredibly, they find no symptoms of danger present, yet during his convalescence McKenna transforms into a scaly reptilian beast when exposed to sunlight. Determining that an imbalance has occurred, a reversion before a fetus takes on the characteristics of a mammal, the afflicted scientist takes refuge in his mansion alone; unfortunately, the urge to go out for a drink only brings disaster, a pretty chanteuse (Nan Peterson) ensuring that her shady boyfriend become the first victim at the Sun Demon's hands. Dog fanciers won't appreciate the (unnecessary) killing of a German Shepherd (even a rat isn't safe between those claws), but various cops also bite the dust before the climax takes place atop a Long Beach oil well. Much of the film drags its feet as the would be lothario boozes his way into a girl's heart, though admittedly the well endowed Nan Peterson proves delicious eye candy. Most of the mayhem is saved for the final reels, perhaps not enough however to satisfy impatient viewers. Pacific International Pictures went belly up not long after its distribution, sinking any chance of Clarke turning a profit, thereafter remaining in front of the camera instead of taking a bath behind it (if some of the library music cues sound familiar it's because they were later put to good use by George Romero for his "Night of the Living Dead").

Embryos look like lizards?

[reptilicus · 8/10 · 6 July 2005]

Talk about a family project! In addition to writing, directing, editing and starring in this film Robert Clarke got his own family, his in-laws and even close family friends involved! It just goes to show what a family can accomplish if they stick together.

Many people include this movie when talking about Bad "B" Films. Well it isn't so bad, in fact it is quite imaginative and has one of the better monster costumes. Okay so the dialog could have used a re-write but some of the lines are instantly classic. What lines? How about: "I've told him before that bourbon and water go together, not bourbon and radiation!".

The plot? Clarke is a scientist who cannot stay off the booze and as a result gets a mega-dose of radiation. Quicker than you can say "Oh and now I suppose he's going to mutate." he sure does. Sunlight causes him to evolve backwards and change into a scaly lizard like monster. This is because, as a doctor explains, we pass through many stages of evolution while we are in the embryonic stage. At one time we even resemble lizards. Gosh I never knew that; who says movies aren't educational?

The movie does have a few legitimate scary moments. Take that scene where Ann Russell goes to the door expecting to see Clarke but instead the Sun Demon rushes right into the camera! That scene scared the heck out of me when I was a kid. Our first look at the Sun Demon is well staged too. We only get a 1 second glimpse but we know something terrible has happened. Okay so Clarke goes a little overboard acting-wise sometimes but remember that a lot of us might react in the same way of we found ourselves in that position. (Then again a lot of us would probably run to the nearest hospital after the first transformation too but just keep repeating "It's only a movie . . .")

DVD prints have restored the infamous "rat scene" which was clipped for TV. The Sun Demon picks up a rat in one scene and crushes it in his hand. In reality the rat was not harmed, Clarke took a real rat and just covered it with ketchup and that is what's dripping between his fingers.

Did you know that when this film was brand new it played on a double bill with PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE? I'm sorry I was not around then, I certainly would have paid 25 cents to see that combo! Oh one other thing, listen carefully to the music. Some of it turned up a few years later in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.

Fun, fast paced low budget horror

[funkyfry · 6/10 · 8 November 2002]

Memorable independently produced 50s monster fare has Clarke (who sci-fi fans will remember from the equally memorable "The Man From Planet X") as a scientist whose exposure to radioactive isotopes causes him to become a monster whenever exposed to the sun. The film is extraordinary in that its focus is on the effect the transformation has on Clarke's character, emotionally and morally; his excessive drinking and his search for nightlife exemplify this. Having been forced by his vampire-like condition to avoid the sun and the "good girl" he knows in town, he has no option but to live the other way. By taking a floozy out for a moonlit walk (she seems really surprised when he says he actually wants to take a walk, perhaps expecting a mere pickup) he shows how he wants to make his night world into a respectable one, but can't (the sun again turns him into the demon).

Good makeup, nice performances in the B-mode all around. If you're a fan of these kind of movies, this is the movie you're looking for -- one of the best of its kind.

Worth seeing for two reasons

[pmsusana · 5 February 2001]

This semi-professional low-budget horror film is worth seeing for two reasons: The tormented performance of Robert Clarke in the title role, and the terrific creature makeup. The film does have its weaknesses; the low budget shows, and we see (or, rather, we hear) several good examples of why a film's dialog track is rarely recorded on location but usually dubbed in later in a studio: Several of this film's locations were acoustically unsuitable, as the soundtrack clearly reveals. Nevertheless, I still insist that this film, with a title creature that's certainly original, offers rewards for patient viewers.

Radiation the blame for a monster thriving on sunlight.

[michaelRokeefe · 3/10 · 27 November 2007]

Robert Clarke writes, directs and stars as Dr. Gilbert McKenna, a research physicist who is accidentally exposed to radiation. While being treated for the burn, it comes to light that enough sunlight will temporarily turn him into a lizard-like creature. The more sunlight the worse the condition. At night he wines, dines and enjoys life; but during the day the doctor cowers from the sun. Not only has McKenna become a monster, but also a killer. Being shot in Black & White adds to the atmosphere. But still on close ups you can see the lizard suite's yolk flapping in the breeze. Still worth a watch. Other players: Patricia Manning, Nan Peterson, Patrick Whyte, Robert Garry and Daryl Westbrook.

Not so much a demon as a hideous sun lizard.

[Aaron1375 · 3/10 · 11 June 2020]

A movie released during the time of the radioactive monster and when the word 'demon' in the title rarely meant a supernatural beast straight from the depths of hell. Also, one of many monster films that has scenes aplenty that have no monster to the point where you almost forget the monster is in the movie...don't you just love those! So what we get is a guy who turns into a monster when exposed to sun going out at night and trying to date, drink or drink and date!

The story has a man exposed to radioactivity as he is being carried to the hospital. We never see the event that exposed him, but it is talked about and apparently involved a toy train that the scientist over the lab is quite keen on. The man exposed seems fine at first, showing no scenes of sickness, that is until a nurse takes him to the roof to get some sun. Once in the sunlight he begins to turn into a reptilian form and scares an old lady that blessedly did not wish to talk to the guy as he goes through a lot during this film. He reverts once put into darkness, but is unable to cope with staying at home and wandering at night, which these days that would not be a problem, but back then one certainly would get cabin fever. He goes out, meets a lounge singer and ends up turning into a lizard at a couple of inopportune times and soon all of Los Angeles is after him!

One feels bad for the guy exposed to radiation at first, but then he keeps doing dumb things that just bring more trouble upon himself. Granted, he is an alcoholic so that is probably part of the problem, but at one point a doctor feels he can help the guy and all he needs to do is stay home. However, he just has to go to a bar where he has already had a scuffle with some criminal type guy.

So, it was not all that good of a movie, but it was entertaining in its own way. The guy in the movie could have easily been saved, but due to his moronic need to drink and go out he pretty much doomed himself. Then again, when you have a film where a guy transforms into some hideous beast, you kind of expect him to be killed at the end. The ending is predictable and features a cop with no character development at all being the one to save the day. Bit of a let down, killed by cop number 3...

Boring garbage.

[13Funbags · 1/10 · 3 May 2017]

This may be the biggest turd of a movie that ever existed.A guy gets exposed to gamma rays or something and now the sun turns him into a monster.When he turns into the "demon" they point the camera at the ground so we can't see but we can clearly see his face in a mirror.Even worse, the first person who see hims screams and he runs away like he knows what happened.One of the dumbest things I have ever seen in a movie and I have seen some dumb stuff.But that's just the first few minutes, it gets so much worse.The guy puts on dark sunglasses and goes driving at night.Well they say it's night but it's clearly daytime.And he drives in fast motion like he's on Benny Hill,lame.Why does he need the sunglasses at night?He had his eyes closed when he transformed, it's clear the eyes have nothing to do with it.He goes to an empty bar twice and there's some ugly girl pretending to play piano while she sings some terrible song.I don't know what's more amazing, the fact that an empty bar would pay an entertainer or the fact that they would include the entire song in the movie.Most of the movie has no dialogue and when people do talk it's all lies and non-sense.No one should ever see this.

Rubber suit silliness

[BandSAboutMovies · 3/10 · 26 January 2020]

Written, directed and produced by Robert Clarke - the only movie he'd write and direct, sadly, after a career of acting in movies like The Astounding She-Monster - this movie was inspired by the success of that film. After all, Clarke got five percent of She-Monster's profits in addition to his salary. Although Clarke later admitted that the film was awful, it was a financial success for him and enabled this movie to happen.

With a crew that was made up of University of Southern California film students and a cast of friends and unknowns, this movie was made over twelve weekends with three cinematographers.

An unauthorized sequel, Don Glut's Wrath of the Sun Demon (which features the real Sun Demon mask from Bob Burns' collection) was produced in 1965. Two redubbed versions of the original film have also been released: Hideous Sun Demon: Special Edition and What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon (AKA Revenge of the Sun Demon), the latter of which had Clarke's blessing. Both Susan Tyrel and Jay Leno were involved with that movie.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this film is the claim that it's amongst the first movies to use practical locations, which is common practice today.

Dr. Gilbert "Gil" McKenna (Clarke) falls unconscious after accidentally being exposed to radiation yet he has no burns nor damage to his body. However, when he's in the sun, he transforms into a prehistoric reptile man, destroying all notions of both scientific evolution and religious Creationism.

Once he realizes that he can never go into the sun again, he does what you or I would do. He drinks himself blind drunk and gets involved with a girl at a bar and battles some toughs over her.

In the scene where the radio announcer is warning the public that the Sun Demon is loose, he then says, "I return to music by the King Sister." Clarke was married to Alyce King of the singing King Sisters and Marilyn King wrote and performed "Strange Pursuit", the song in the bar scene.

A $50,000 budget, helped by weekend camera rentals which were more affordable, and a $500 rubber suit has never gone so far as it does in this film.

Terrible Film

[Rainey-Dawn · 2/10 · 8 January 2016]

I got this film in a 12 Movie Horror Classics pack. The pack has some pretty good horror movies but this one is terrible.

I don't know what is worse: the cinematography, dialogue, the story, the acting, the directing - it's all bad. Really bad. Yet there is something watchable about this awful film. I think it's the sheer awfulness of it that makes the film watchable. LOL.

A radiation experiment goes bad and a man becomes a horrible creature every time he is exposed to the sun. - That is the basic story.

If you are looking for a creature feature that will get you sleepy or a few giggles then this is the film for you. If not, then by all means pass this movie up - it's terrible yet somewhat watchable for certain audiences.

2/10

If you're a monster, find a quiet bar to forget your troubles.

[Ted-101 · 6/10 · 17 August 1999]

In this incredibly inept film, a scientist spends plenty of screen time moaning and groaning about the fact that he has contracted a serious radiation sickness, which causes him to transform into a monster when he is exposed to sunlight. He just can't understand how engaging in dangerous experiments could result in such a catastrophe. This results in some unintentionally funny dialogue, such as, "No one can help me, what I've got is DIFFERENT! Why me? Why me? WHY ME!!"

Then something very odd happens. After the contaminated scientist gets through howling in despair, he goes for a long drive in the middle of the night to some bar. There, a sultry, gorgeous, blond named Trudy is playing the piano. Suddenly, he's a changed man. He forgets all about his troubles, and he even forgets he has a girlfriend, and starts going out with the blond bombshell. The sequences with the blond, played nicely by Nan Petersen, are the best part of the movie.

The scientist bounces back and forth between his dark haired girlfriend at the lab, and his girlfriend at the bar, occasionally forgetting the time and turning into the sun demon while in transit. This strange double life he's leading is presented as an "innocent" development which we can all understand, because he's sick and troubled, and what he's got "IS DIFFERENT"! Actually, these relationships he has are very superficially explored unfortunately, and one wishes Trudy had a larger part.

"Don't cry, Ann... Perhaps you should cry." — Make your bloody mind up!

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 27 November 2017]

Low-budget sci-fi/horror The Hideous Sun Demon stars Robert Clarke as atomic scientist Dr. Gilbert McKenna, who is accidentally exposed to radiation from a new isotope, the result being devolution to a reptilian state whenever he is in direct sunlight.

Boy, this is one hell of a cheap B-movie. 'How cheap?' I hear you ask. Well, in one scene, a little girl asks her mother if she can pour a glass of milk, and proceeds to spill it all over the floor (nothing to do with the plot… she's just crap at pouring milk). The film is so cheap that they didn't bother with a second take.

It's so cheap that they can't even afford that 'dissolve transformation' effect seen in so many other low-budget monster movies: one second McKenna is a man, the next he has slipped on his badly made rubber mask and scaly gloves to become the Hideous Sun Demon. Raarrrggh!

It's so cheap that its star Robert Clarke pulls double duty as co-director, even though he's clearly not qualified to do so (barring a spoof of this film in 1983, this would be his only directorial effort).

Of course, cheap often means cheerful, but that's not really the case here, much of the film proving tedious in the extreme (the monster only appears in a couple of scenes). Oh well, at least we're introduced to the charms of Nan Peterson, who plays bar-room singer Trudy, owner of a most impressive set of curves. Her presence makes things a little easier to endure.

3.5 out of 10, rounded up to 4 for the squashed rat and the throttled dog.

A Nice Film.

[rudystevens422 · 9/10 · 26 July 2003]

This one is for you Bob! When you consider that Robert Clarke was working on a very low budget, I think he did a great job! Also considering that Clarke not only starred in the film, but he also directed it. The camera work is excellent the music is good, and the Lizard man costume is one of the seven best monster costumes of the 1950s! The artist (Richard Gianabattista Cassarino) who designed the realistic costume also was the police officer on the top of the tower, at the end of the film.In a reverse theme to the werewolf legend we have the rays of the sun turning Clarke into the Lizard man! There are many good scenes, there is a scene where Clarke as the lizard man, enters into a Railroad warehouse and confronts a resting hobo, as he is standing there in the dark of the warehouse there is some sunlight coming in, and you can see his eyes moving back and forth in the dark mask, it looks real and accommodating eerie. The film has plenty of action, with Clarke running around in that costume under the hot sun,it must have been no picnic! From what I can see Clarke was doing most of his own stunts in that costume, with all things considered this is not a bad film at all!

Pretty good for what it is

[jamesrupert2014 · 6/10 · 29 March 2020]

After being exposed to radiation, a scientist (Dr. Gilbert McKenna; Robert Clarke)) develops a peculiar form of sun-sensitivity: daylight devolves him into some kind of lizard-man. The provenance of this film is interesting: star/director Clarke made more money than he expected as the star of the abysmal 'Astounding She-Monster' (1957) and decided to produce his own low-budget sci-fi/horror film (ironically, he lost most of the immediate profits when company distributing the film folded). Considering that 'The Hideous Sun Demon' was a bargain-basement, near-amateur production, shot on weekends by film students, helmed by a first-time director, and featuring a cast made up mostly of friends and family, it's surprisingly entertaining (and far better than the film that inspired it). The simple monster-on-the-loose plot flips the usual 'hunts by night' trope for a threat that only appears in the sunlight (requiring a somewhat better creature costume than do nocturnal nemeses). The pseudo-science buttressing the plot is nonsensical (the combination radiation and sunlight causes Gil to revert to an earlier form of life, a premise supported by the now rejected 'ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny' theories of the 19th century) and no explanation is ever offered as to why the change is reversible. Most of the characters exist simply to hang the plot on but Clarke does a better than genre-average job in humanising Gil, who early on is shown with a drinking problem and, as the film progresses becomes frightened and upset (somewhat hammily) by his actions when in lizard-man mode. The score is pretty good for the sci-fi/noir look of the film and the final scenes on the immense gas tank are very well done, with lots of interesting camera angles and cuts back and forth between the events at the top and the view from the ground (the scene in which the policeman's hat is knocked off when tussling with the creature, then seen falling from the top of the towering tank is much better that would be expected in this level of production). The monster outfit is OK for the budget and Clarke, who did his own stunts, puts a lot of energy into running around in the supposedly very hot costume. The film was generally panned upon release but seems to have found a minor cult following. Not being over-the-top loopy like 'Plan 9 from Outer Space' (1959) or 'Robot Monster' (1953), it hasn't become a classic 'bad movie' but it is watchable by fans of the genre and Clarke deserves some small acclaim for his frugal effort.

Not the most exciting Sun Demon movie I've ever seen

[Eegah Guy · 5/10 · 13 April 2001]

Actor/auteur Clarke's attempt at monster mayhem is adequate but unoriginal and rather ho-hum entertainment. Clarke gives his character a sort of film-noirish quality as he hangs out in dive bars picking up floozies for companionship but the film never really picks up any excitement. No complaints on the well-made monster suit, even if it is reminiscent of the Creature from the Black Lagoon a little bit.