Face of Fire  Face of Fire is a 1959 American drama film directed by Albert Band and written by Louis A. Garfinkle. It is based on the 1898 short story "The Monster" by Stephen Crane. The film stars Cameron Mitchell, James Whitmore, Bettye Ackerman, Miko Oscard, Royal Dano, Robert F. Simon, Richard Erdman and Howard Smith. The film was released on August 9, 1959, by Allied Artists Pictures.