Giant from the Unknown
The movie opens with title and credits shown over a rainstorm in a high mountain forest and a 16th century axe imbedded in an old log.We are in the small mountain village of Pine Ridge (Big Bear, California). A station wagon drives into town. Young Charlie Brown (Gary Crutcher) tells the townsfolk that the sheriff will be bringing the body into town. There have been other incidents involving livestock. His sister, Ann Brown (Jolene Brand) nods in agreement. The incidents seem to be localized to Devil's Crag. Sheriff Parker (Bob Steele) pulls up in a pickup truck. Parker explains that "The coroner's report shows Banks died of a brutal beating at the hands of a person or persons unknown." The Café Owner (Oliver Blake) pulls back the tarp covering the body. Ann, and other others, recoil in revulsion. Some of the townsfolk think the goings on are supernatural. A man reminds Ann of the legend of the curse. Another tells Ann to talk to some of the Indians that still populate the town. A well inebriated Indian Joe (Billy Dix) sitting on the stoop of the bait and tackle shop giggles and warns, "All white men die." He then laughs maniacally. The Sheriff asks Joe is he knows anything about the death of Banks. Joe is annoyed that the white men think he's crazy. Joe reluctantly leaves town, but first warns the sheriff, "People who walk on Indian grave die." The sheriff puts Devil's Crag off limits. He plans to ask everyone where they were the night before. One of the men suggests he start with Wayne Brooks as he had another run in with Banks and was run off the Banks' property with a shotgun. Wayne Brooks (Ed Kemmer) wanders into town after three days in the woods. Charlie and Ann tell him about the death of Harold Banks. Wayne walks over to talk to the sheriff. Sheriff Parker asks Wayne about the murder and his whereabouts. Wayne tells him he was up in the mountains collecting rock specimens. Wayne admits to crossing the Banks property a week before. A Jeep pulls up into town. Driving the vehicle is Dr. Frederick Cleveland (Morris Ankrum). His daughter, Janet Cleveland (Sally Fraser), sitting in the passenger seat complains, "Pine Ridge. But Dad, this is just a wide spot in the road." Their destination is the Lagonita Lodge. With no proof, the sheriff reluctantly allows Wayne to leave, but tells him not to leave town. Janet and Wayne enter the store. The sheriff notices two tent poles sticking out of the back of the Jeep and asks Dr. Cleveland for his driver's license. He reminds Cleveland about a warning flag needed on the poles. Dr. Cleveland explains he will be staying up in the mountains and that he is an archeologist. Wayne helps Janet with her bags of supplies. Wayne recognizes Professor Cleveland and admits he attended some of his lectures at the University. He introduces himself to the professor. Parker warns Cleveland to be on his guard, then pointedly tells him to be careful with his associations, nodding towards Wayne. Cleveland tells Wayne he will be around for a week or more. Wayne volunteers to help as he knows the area. Wayne invites the Clevelands to dinner at the Lodge, and Janet quickly accepts.Wayne and Cleveland are sitting at their table in the Lodge. Charlie comes over to take their order. They discuss the sheriff and their clash of personalities. He tells the professor about the livestock mutilations and the ancient curse. Wayne admits he has uncovered a few artifacts and Cleveland asks to see them. Cleveland explains, "This might save me a great deal of time and effort." Cleveland tells Wayne, "I'm looking for a giant, but one that has been dead for over 500 years." Cleveland is working on a book about a Spanish conquistador. To complete his book he wants to know what happened to the Diablo Giant and his band of renegades. Vargas was the name of a lieutenant that deserted and headed inland in search of Indian Gold. Janet joins the men at the table. Dinner arrives and Wayne and Janet make a date to see a picture later.Wayne shows Janet and her father his small field lab. He shows the professor the Indian relics including arrowheads. Janet is frightened by a lizard she saw in a box on the table. Wayne explains that the creature was thought to be extinct. He found the lizard sealed inside a rock in a state of suspended animation. Janet and Wayne exit the lab to see the picture. They leave Cleveland to examine the artifacts. Indian Joe spies on the professor through the window. Wayne and Janet return from their date. Professor Cleveland asks them to come in to see something. Cleveland pushes a couple of pieces of rock together that form a cross, an Indian relic of Christianity. It is an important lead and Cleveland wants to know where it was found. Wayne volunteers to take Cleveland to the spot where it was found. They agree to meet at the lodge for breakfast then start after that. Wayne tells them they will be going to Devil's Crag.The café Proprietor serves a cup of coffee to the sheriff. Parker looks out the window and sees the Cleveland's Jeep drive by. Sheriff Parker gets in his car and drives off after the Jeep. He follows them into the mountains. The Jeep stops near a pile of boulders. Janet sees a face in a clump of bushes. She alerts Wayne and her father. Parker pulls up in his car and tells Wayne he has disobeyed orders: 1) to stay in town, and 2) Devil's Crag is out of bounds to everyone. Cleveland shows Sheriff Parker a permit he has to do his research. Cleveland assures Parker that he will assume responsibility for Wayne and they are armed and able to see to their own safety. The sheriff leaves and Wayne and Cleveland set up camp.The next morning Janet exits her tent. A fire is already burning. She pours herself a cup of coffee as her father wanders back into camp. He tells Janet he and Wayne have been up for hours. Wayne is exploring and notices a broken branch. Indian Joe sees Wayne from behind a boulder. He is armed with a rifle and takes a shot at Wayne. Joe explains he was shooting at a rabbit, and Joe assures him that he never misses what he aims at. Wayne assures Joe he isn't looking for Indian artifacts, but traces of a Spanish soldier. Joe assures Wayne they are friends, but warns him that this is an evil place. Back in camp, Cleveland asks about the shot he heard. Wayne assures him it was just a hunter. Wayne tells Cleveland that a recent storm has changed the landscape. Next on the agenda is Devil's Crag. Wayne shows Cleveland, on a map, where he found the cross. They intend to use a metal detector to search for Spanish artifacts. They leave Janet to tidy up the camp.Wayne and Cleveland take turns searching the area with the metal detector. Janet drops by with coffee and asks about progress. Janet reminds her father he's been on his quest for three years with no luck. Janet plays with the metal detector and asks how it works and tries her luck. By a fallen tree, Janet sits down to rest and reapply a little makeup. Janet and Wayne start walking back, but Wayne returns to the log to get Janet's compact she dropped. The detector registers metal. Wayne calls Cleveland over to the site. They dig down and find a Conquistador helmet and chest armor. They also find a sword and axe. A full suit of armor is also found containing the skull of a human. Janet congratulates her father on the find. Cleveland wants to get the armor and relics to the museum. He admits that he is disappointed there were no traces of Vargas. A storm is brewing. Wayne thinks he knows where a lightning strike hit. It is the same rock formation where Wayne found the lizard. Wayne finds the Diablo Giants Axe, but he is unable to pull it free and leaves to join Janet and Cleveland. Beneath the log a human hand clenches and moves. Under the leaf litter human eyes open and look around. The Diablo Giant/Vargas (Buddy Baer) comes to life. Thunder crashes and lightning lights up the scene as Vargas stands and looks around.The next day, Wayne, Cleveland and his daughter return to the area where Wayne found the axe handle, but it is gone. They look around the area and find a medallion and a breast plate. Janet asks, "Oh no, you don't think he could still be alive?" Wayne thinks it is possible, but the professor thinks it is impossible. They find more armor pieces and place them on a post. Charlie wanders into camp and exclaims, "Holy Mackerel." Wayne tells Charlie not to tell anyone of the find, not even Ann. That evening, Cleveland works on his notes near the fire, while Wayne and Janet go for a walk. Vargas is prowling around and sees the pair admiring the view of the lake. Wayne kisses Janet. Janet hears something and complains of feeling jumpy. She admits to feeling uneasy about disturbing the graves. She asks about Ann and is assured she is only a friend of Wayne's. They walk back to camp and turn in for the night. Janet checks her gun and places it under her pillow. Vargas retrieves his armor and gold medallion and puts them on. He sees Janet undressing, in shadow, in her tent and approaches. The clumsy giant knocks over a can which startles Janet. She fires her gun which startles Vargas and he leaves the camp quickly. Cleveland and Wayne run to her tent. She says she heard footsteps, and Wayne notices the giant's armor is missing. Cleveland notices a huge footprint.Charlie is concerned about leaving his sister home alone. Ann convinces her brother to go to work at the lodge as they need the money. After Charlie drives off, Ann takes a bucket to fetch water from the well. Vargas spots Ann and confronts the girl. She screams. Back in camp, Cleveland notes that the armor of the giant was better preserved than the others. He concludes that there is something in the soil that acts as a preservative, perhaps tannic acid. He speculates that Vargas was not dead, but unconscious when the Indians buried him and that he was held in suspended animation by the substance in the soil. The electrical storm and a bolt of lightning reanimated Vargas. Parker shows up in camp. He is there to arrest Wayne and handcuffs him. The charge is the murder of Ann Brown. Wayne explains he hasn't seen Ann in over a week. The sheriff produces the medallion as proof and takes him away. Wayne explains that someone stole the artifacts and that the same person is responsible for the murder. Wayne convinces the sheriff to visit the cabin of Indian Joe. The cabin appears empty, but up on the wall is the bloodied body of Joe. Cleveland makes a plaster cast of the large footprint. Cleveland moans, and Janet leaves her tent to investigate. She call to her father and walks around looking. She finds her father at the feet of the giant. It approaches her, but she runs away screaming. Cleveland comes to. Janet tries to escape in the Jeep but it floods and she faints at the sight of the giant standing next to her. He pulls her out of the Jeep. A short time later, Cleveland gets in the Jeep and drives away. Wayne and the sheriff drive into town. They spot a large crowd milling about and looking none too friendly. Cleveland drives up to report the giant has Janet. Wayne and Cleveland take the sheriff's car and drive back to the mountains. The sheriff follows in the abandoned Jeep. Wayne and Cleveland arrive at camp first. Cleveland chops the chain of the handcuffs off so Wayne can grab a gun and run into the woods. The sheriff and his men fan out and aid in the search after Cleveland explains things. Vargas carries Janet over his shoulder. He pushes a giant tree towards Wayne, which misses. Vargas carries Janet, then puts her down in a clearing when he hears Wayne approaching. Vargas grabs an axe, and Janet warns Wayne in time to avoid being struck. Shots fired by the sheriff scares the giant away into the forest. Wayne, Janet and the sheriff walk back into camp and greet a very relieved father. The sheriff apologizes to Wayne. They shake hands.Charlie guards the camp. The posse spotted the giant at Box Ledge. The men take flares and track their quarry. Wayne suggests they douse their flares, as the giant will be able to see them. Vargas picks up a rock and kills one of the men. They shoot at the rock throwing giant. A well thrown flare lights up the target and they shoot the giant, but his armor protects him. The sheriff suggests a retreat until morning to care for the wounded. Janet and Charlie meet the men returning to camp. Charlie feels guilty about leaving his sister alone. Charlie, against orders, grabs a rifle and heads off on a little revenge. He finds one of the guards, Bill, dead. He signals with rifle shots. Wayne and Sheriff Parker go look for Charlie. They find Charlie injured, but he did hit Vargas three times. He is able to tell Wayne the giant is heading for the Old Mill. Wayne walks up to the mill as snow begins to fall. He kicks the door in and cautiously explores the interior. Vargas is inside and misses Wayne with his axe. Wayne escapes out a window. Once they are both outside, Wayne hits Vargas with a tree branch. He hits the giant again and again. Cleveland, Janet and the sheriff arrive at the mill. The giant tries to make a run for it over a walkway over the dam. Wayne and the giant struggle and Vargas loses his footing and falls through the handrail and down the waterfall into the river below. Cleveland asks the sheriff to help him recover the body. Sheriff Parker explains to the professor that it is impossible. The river empties into a volcanic lake that is nearly bottomless. They conclude without the body no one will believe their story. We close with a scene of Janet and Wayne kissing.
murder, melodrama