During the 1950s, movie goers found themselves invaded -- well, figuratively. Science-Fiction had made its way into the country's cinema houses and the some of the onslaught was brought to the screen by one genius of a man, monster-maker, Paul Blaisdell. 'Invasion of the Saucer Men', 'It Conquered the World' and 'The She-Creature' were just a few of his fantastic monsters.
His story began in Los Angeles, where Blaisdell first was an illustrator for sci-fi publishings. There, he made a big fan out of Forrest J. Ackerman, future editor of 'Famous Monsters of Filmland' magazine. Famous cheap-o producer, Roger Corman called Ackerman one day, asking if he knew anyone who could make a monster for a movie. Recognizing Blaisdell's genius, he recommended him for the job. In 1956, Blaisdell began work on his first creature-feature, 'The Beast with 1,000,000 Eyes'. Blaisdell's freshman foray into filmed horror took shape in the form of a miniature. 'The Beast with 1,000,000 Eyes' made Paul the go-to guy for the company "American International Pictures".
Corman and A.I.P. quickly employed the serviced of Blaisdell, again, for 'The Day the World Ended'. In this, Blaisdell skipped the miniature and went to the full-sized monster suit. With a little glue, some chunks of rubber and a pair of long-johns, Paul made the atomic monster; who's suit he would don for the film. Paul was becoming a big name in lower-budget effects, picking up followers and apprentices along the way. He took one under his wing and made him his assistant. That man was Bob Burns, who would later go on to do many effects for big-named films, such as 'Harry and the Hendersons', 'King Kong' and 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy.
1957 saw Blaisdell's biggest creation of the time, the titular characters from 'The Invasion on the Saucer Men'. These creatures, big heads and all, invade Earth in an attempt to kill off everyone and gain control of the planet. For the first time in Paul's short monster-making career, he was asked to do more than create the creature, but to model their spaceship, as well. Shot with the use of miniatures, they had their spaceship. Made from white pine, and using cheap electronics, the rocket was more than what the studio planned. This only elevated his name in the world of '50s sci-fi
The next film he was used on, 'The She-Creature', saw Hollywood's first full-bodied female monster suit. This 1957 success, once again, starred Paul as the picture's lead monster. The scintillating she-devil became one of the artist's most indelible icons. With a budget of just more than $100,000, this cheezy-good cinema hit garnered success and enough publicity and fame to be remade for television 11 years later. In looking back, the only thing which carried this movie were the monster effects and art direction overseen by Blaisdell and protege', Bob Burns.
Roger Corman was looking to do another film, and of course, Blaisdell and Burns were the guys he wanted to make his alien monster. Again, the world saw a larger-than-life female antagonist in 'It Conquered the World!' The film's monster was shaped in a non-human form, almost a bell-like figure. Aside from the female creature, Paul was also responsible for creating the film's freaky, flying, mind-control monsters. This picture was made to 'turn a quick buck', as they say. Its overall cheezy quality made this another fun money-maker at the cinema.
In 'The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow', Paul spoofed himself. As a frustrated effects man, his character relies on his craft to scare off a group of teenagers. In essence, this was a live-action version of 'Scooby Doo'.
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| All of his monsters had 'The Blaisdell Scowl', a angered look. |
After 'The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow', Blaisdell did his most famous creation in 'It! The Terror from Beyond Space'. Because of his finally bigger budget, Paul was able to create the villainous alien's mask using better effects more frequent of the times. Along with the mask, he also sculpted many body plates for the creature. His genius and creativity were showcased with this monster. The film's success, primarily with massive help from Paul's contributions, turned this picture into a sci-fi/noir classic; leading to a reimagining with 1979's 'Alien'. Sadly, this was the artist's swan song.
After years of headaches, production problems and tight-budgets, Paul decided it was time to step away from A.I.P. With new ambition, Paul and Bob began a magazine of their own, 'Fantastic Monsters of the Film'. They offered readers slides and models from their films. They even made their own movie, offering it for sale in the magazine. After a fire, the magazine company went belly-up and ended its short run.
Sadly, stomach cancer claimed the life of the artist in 1983. Since his death, fans have honored his work with collectibles and sculptures. His vision and ingenuity still inspire countless fans who pay homage through model kits, art work and toys. For a man without a crew or staff, he was a brilliant artist. It's a positive thing to see the Paul Blaisdell left such a lasting impact on the genre and film-world.
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