The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Currently The Incredible Shrinking Man is available for streaming online, rent, buy or watch for free on: Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube, Criterion Channel, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Spectrum On Demand, DIRECTV
Streaming in:🇺🇸 United States
This Movie Is About.
Cast & Crew.
Grant Williams
Scott Carey
Randy Stuart
Louise Carey
April Kent
Clarice Bruce
Paul Langton
Charlie Carey
Raymond Bailey
Doctor Thomas Silver
William Schallert
Doctor Arthur Bramson
Frank J. Scannell
Barker
Helene Marshall
Nurse
Diana Darrin
Nurse
Billy Curtis
Midget
Charles Perry
Spieler (uncredited)
Orangey
Butch (uncredited)
Jack Arnold
Director
Richard Matheson
Writer
Robert Clatworthy
Art Direction
Albert Zugsmith
Producer
Leslie I. Carey
Sound
Ellis W. Carter
Cinematographer
William Holland
Assistant Director
Albrecht Joseph
Editor
Ruby R. Levitt
Set Decoration
Clifford Stine
Visual Effects
Alexander Golitzen
Art Direction
Russell A. Gausman
Set Decoration
Bud Westmore
Makeup Artist
Jack Kevan
Makeup Artist
Joan St. Oegger
Hairstylist
Hans J. Salter
Music
Herman Stein
Music
Richard Alan Simmons
Screenplay
Irving Gertz
Music
Ray Anthony
Musician
Media.
Details.
Release DateFebruary 22, 1957
StatusReleased
Running Time1h 21m
Budget$750,000
Genres
Wiki.
The Incredible Shrinking Man is a 1957 American science fiction film directed by Jack Arnold, based on Richard Matheson's 1956 novel, The Shrinking Man. The film stars Grant Williams as Scott and Randy Stuart as Scott's wife, Louise. While relaxing on a boat, Scott is enveloped by a strange fog. Months later, he discovers that he appears to be shrinking. By the time Scott has reached the height of a small boy, his condition becomes known to the public. When he learns there is no cure for his condition, he lashes out at his wife. As Scott shrinks to the point where he can fit into a dollhouse, he has a battle with his family cat, leaving him lost and alone in his basement, where he is now smaller than the average insect.
The film's storyline was expanded by Matheson after he had sold the story to Universal-International Pictures Co., Inc. He also completed the novel upon which the film is based while production was underway. Matheson's script was initially written in flashbacks, and Richard Alan Simmons rewrote it using a more conventional narrative structure. Director Jack Arnold initially wanted Dan O'Herlihy to play Scott, but O'Herlihy turned down the role, leading Universal to sign Williams as the lead. Filming began on May 31, 1956. Scenes involving special effects were shot throughout production, while others used the large sets of Universal's backlot. Production went over budget, and filming had to be extended; certain special effects shots required reshooting. Williams was constantly being injured on set.
Before the film's release in New York City on February 22, 1957, its ending first went to test audiences who felt the character's fate should be changed. The director's original ending remained in the film. The film grossed $1.43 million in the United States and Canada and was among the highest-grossing science fiction films of the 1950s. A sequel, The Fantastic Little Girl, originally penned by Matheson, never went into production. A remake was developed years later, eventually becoming the comedy The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981). Other remakes were planned in the early 2000s, one of which was to star Eddie Murphy in a more comedic variation on the film. A new adaptation was announced in 2013, with Matheson writing the screenplay with his son Richard Christian Matheson. In 2009, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."