History Film / TheHideousSunDemon

A 1959 SciFiHorror BMovie produced, directed, and cowritten by Robert Clarke, who also starred as the title character. Originally titled ''Sauros'', the story was envisioned as taking place in UsefulNotes/{{Guatemala}} where an expedition seeking uranium deposits encounters a man turned into a monster, it was rewritten to take place in the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates instead due to budget problems, and the monster was also made the main character.

* RecycledSoundtrack: The score has been heard in countless other monster movies. Most famously, it was reused a decade later in ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968''.

* RecycledSoundtrack: The score has been heard in countless other monster movies. Most famously, it was reused several years later in ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968''.

A 1959 SciFiHorror BMovie written and directed by Robert Clarke, who also starred as the title character. Originally titled ''Sauros'', the story was envisioned as taking place in UsefulNotes/{{Guatemala}} where an expedition seeking uranium deposits encounters a man turned into a monster, it was rewritten to take place in the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates instead due to budget problems, and the monster was also made the main character.

Dr. Gilbert [=McKenna=], a research scientist, suffers a lab accident which causes him to turn into a reptilian monster when exposed to direct sunlight. Unable to deal with the stress of his predicament, Gil goes to drown his sorrows in a bar, where he meets a singer named Trudy Osborne (Nan Peterson). Staying indoors during the day and only going out at night, he attempts to lead a normal life, dating Trudy while his colleagues Ann Russell (Patricia Manning) and Frederick Buckell (Patrick Whyte) try and find a cure for him.

His world comes crashing down when Trudy's jealous wannabe mobster boyfriend George Messorio (Peter Similuk) interferes and attempts to run Gil out of Trudy's life -- during the daytime. After transforming and strangling George, Gil goes on a good old-fashioned (if modestly budgeted) monster rampage. His colleagues struggle to help save him from himself, while the police want to hunt him down.

A 1959 SciFiHorror film written and directed by Robert Clarke, who also starred as the title character. Originally titled ''Sauros'', the story was envisioned as taking place in UsefulNotes/{{Guatemala}} where an expedition seeking uranium deposits encounters a man turned into a monster, it was rewritten to take place in the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates instead due to budget problems, and the monster was also made the main character.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hideous-sun-demon_5060.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"Excuse me, miss, I need to use the phone!"]]

A 1959 horror film written and directed by Robert Clarke, who also starred as the title character. Originally titled ''Sauros'', the story was envisioned as taking place in UsefulNotes/{{Guatemala}} where an expedition seeking uranium deposits encounters a man turned into a monster, it was rewritten to take place in the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates instead due to budget problems, and the monster was also made the main character.

Scientist Gilbert [=McKenna=] suffers a lab accident which causes him to turn into a reptilian monster when exposed to direct sunlight. Unable to deal with the stress of his predicament, he goes to drown his sorrows in a bar where he meets a singer named Trudy Osborne. Staying indoors during the day and only going out at night, he is struggling to lead a normal life, dating Trudy while his colleagues Ann Russell and Frederick Buckell search for a cure for him.

His world comes crashing down when Trudy's jealous wannabe mobster boyfriend George Messorio interferes and attempts to run Gil out of Trudy's life - during the daytime. After transforming and strangling George, Gil goes on a good old-fashioned (if modestly budgeted) monster rampage. His colleagues struggle to help save him from himself, while the police want to hunt him down.

%% * DistinguishedGentlemansPipe: Dr. Buckell is often seen smoking one.

%% * EvolutionaryLevels

%% * NuclearNasty

%% * PeopleInRubberSuits

%% * ReptilesAreAbhorrent

** Some clever editing in the trailer makes it seem like the Sun Demon throws the policeman off of the gasometer.

%% * AssholeVictim: George.

%% * ChaseScene

%% * CoolCar: Gil's 1956 MG A convertible.

%% * GreenEyedMonster: ''Not'' Gil, but rather George.
%% * HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Trudy.

%% * MyCarHatesMe

%% * ScreamingWoman: Both Ann and Trudy.

It was recently riffed by ''Podcast/{{Rifftrax}}''.

* AccidentalMurder: Gil accidentally hits a cop with his car while fleeing. Although Lt. Peterson calls an ambulance, later dialogue states that Gil has killed two people. Since the only other person we've seen him kill onscreen up to then is George, it's a safe bet the officer didn't make it.
** This is confirmed in Tom Weaver's book.

* AssholeVictim: George.

* BigBad: George Messorio, Trudy's abusive boyfriend who is accidentally responsible for the Sun Demon's rampage.
* ChaseScene

* CoolCar: Gil's 1956 MG A convertible.

-->'''Kevin Murphy:''' This is officially the most dedicated cop in the history of ''cops''.
-->'''Bill Corbett:''' Cut to the creature building its own rocketship to space, then the cop learning rocket science so he can build his ''own'' and follow him.

* DistinguishedGentlemansPipe: Dr. Buckell is often seen smoking one.

* EvolutionaryLevels
* GreenEyedMonster: ''Not'' Gil, but rather George.
* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Trudy.

* MyCarHatesMe

* NeverGetsDrunk: Gil never quite seems to get smashed, no matter how much booze he guzzles.
** He was however intimated to have been severely hung over while working in the lab, which is what caused the accident in the first place.

* NuclearNasty

%%* PeopleInRubberSuits

%%* ReptilesAreAbhorrent
* ScreamingWoman: Both Ann and Trudy.
* TrailersAlwaysLie: Some clever editing in the trailer makes it seem like the Sun Demon throws the policeman off of the gasometer.

* WouldntHurtAChild: The Sun Demon frightens a group of children, but doesn't harm them. He does kill their dog, though. Later, Gil in his human form befriends a little girl.
** This is in direct contrast to the original script, where Gil tries to use Suzy (the little girl) as a HumanShield while being chased by the cops! (In the film, he ensures she gets to safety before making his run from the law.)

** This is in direct contrast to the original script, where Gil tries to use Suzy (the little girl) as a human shield while being chased by the cops! (In the film, he ensures she gets to safety before making his run from the law.)

The movie was redubbed into a comedy version titled ''Revenge of the Sun Demon'' (also known as ''What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon?'' although it has never been released under this title). On Webiste/YouTube, [=FredFlix=] transformed the movie into [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiFwqh6jOAE a pseudo-episode]] of ''Series/TheOuterLimits1963'', complete with vintage 1963 commercials. Film historian Tom Weaver wrote an excellent book about the film as Volume #1 of his ''Scripts from the Crypt'' series, featuring extensive background information about the film as well both versions of the script, including ''Sauros''. Volume #2 will be ''[[Film/TheIndestructibleMan Indestructible Man]]''.

It was recently riffed by ''Creator/{{Rifftrax}}''.

A 1959 horror film written and directed by Robert Clarke, who also starred as the title character. Originally titled ''Sauros'', the story was envisioned as taking place in Guatemala where an expedition seeking uranium deposits encounters a man turned into a monster, it was rewritten to take place in the United States instead due to budget problems, and the monster was also made the main character.

The movie was redubbed into a comedy version titled ''Revenge of the Sun Demon'' (also known as ''What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon?'' although it has never been released under this title). Film historian Tom Weaver wrote an excellent book about the film as Volume #1 of his ''Scripts from the Crypt'' series, featuring extensive background information about the film as well both versions of the script, including ''Sauros''. Volume #2 will be ''[[Film/TheIndestructibleMan Indestructible Man]]''.

[[quoteright:333:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hideous-sun-demon_5060.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:333:"Excuse me, miss, I need to use the phone!"]]

* PeopleInRubberSuits
* RecycledSoundtrack: The score has been heard in countless other monster movies. Most famously, it was reused several years later in ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead''.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent

The movie was redubbed into a comedy version titled ''Revenge of the Sun Demon'' (also known as ''What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon?'' although it has never been released under this title). Film historian Tom Weaver wrote an excellent book about the film as Volume #1 of his ''Scripts from the Crypt'' series, featuring extensive background information about the film as well both versions of the script, including ''Sauros''.

A 1959 horror film written and directed by Robert Clarke, who also starred as the title character.

The movie was redubbed into a comedy version titled ''What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon?'' (also known as ''Revenge of the Sun Demon''). Film historian Tom Weaver wrote an excellent book about the film as Volume #1 of his ''Scripts from the Crypt'' series.

* WouldntHurtAChild: The Sun Demon frightens a group of children, but doesn't harm them. He does kill their dog, though. Later, Gil in his human form befriends a little girl.

His world comes crashing down when Trudy's jealous wannabe mobster boyfriend George Messorio interferes and attempts to run Gil out of Trudy's life - during the daytime. After transforming and killing George, Gil goes on a good old-fashioned (if modestly budgeted) monster rampage. His colleagues struggle to help save him from himself, while the police want to hunt him down.

* AccidentalMurder: Gil accidentally hits a cop with his car while fleeing. Although Lt. Peterson calls an ambulance, later dialogue states that Gil has killed two people. Since the only other person we've seen him kill onscreen up to then is [[spoiler:George]], it's a safe bet the officer didn't make it.

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:George]].

* DespairEventHorizon: Gil suffers one after he returns to human form after killing [[spoiler:George]]. He cries and asks Ann what he's done to deserve such a curse.

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The trailer shows the death of [[spoiler:George]] in its entirety.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hideous-sun-demon_5060.jpg]]

* EverybodySmokes: This being a 1950's movie, thee's a lot of tobacco consumption.