Teenage Cave Man (1958)

User Rating:

2.4/10   

Director:

Roger Corman

Writer:

R. Wright Campbell (screenplay)

Release Date:

July 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The future of humanity is in his hands

Plot:

A young man defies tribal laws and searches for answers. The result of his quest yields knowledge of past generations.

Plot Keywords:

Caveman | Post Apocalyptic | Great Dane | Post Nuclear War | End Of Civilization

Cast

Robert Vaughn	...	The Symbol Maker's teenage son
Darah Marshall	...	The Blond Maiden
Leslie Bradley	...	The Symbol Maker
Frank DeKova	...	The Black-Bearded One
Charles P. Thompson	...	Member of the tribe (as Charles Thompson)
June Jocelyn	...	The Symbol Maker's wife
Jonathan Haze	...	The curly-haired boy
Beach Dickerson	...	Fair-haired boy / Man from Burning Plains / Tom-tom player / Bear
Ed Nelson	...	Blond tribe member
Robert Shayne	...	The Keeper of the Small Fire
Marshall Bradford	...	Member of the tribe
Joseph Hamilton	...	Member of the tribe (as Joseph H. Hamilton)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barboura Morris	...	Young tribe member (uncredited)

Directed by
Roger Corman

Writing credits
R. Wright Campbell		(screenplay)

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	executive producer
Herman Cohen	....	producer
Roger Corman	....	producer
James H. Nicholson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Albert Glasser		(as Al Glasser)

Cinematography by
Floyd Crosby

Film Editing by
Irene Morra		(as Irene Mora)

Costume Design by
Marjorie Corso		(as Margo Corso)

Production Management
Maurice Vaccarino	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Bohrer	....	assistant director

Art Department
Karl Brainard	....	property master

Sound Department
Herman Lewis	....	sound
Philip Mitchell	....	sound (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Paul Blaisdell	....	costume designer: beastman costume (uncredited)

Other crew
Bill Martin	....	title designer
Ellis Burman	....	dinosaur sequences (uncredited)
Roy Seawright	....	dinosaur sequences (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Malibu Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1958) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Ryder Sound Services  sound recording

Also Known As:

Out of the Darkness
Prehistoric World
Teenage Caveman (USA) (alternative spelling)
Adolescente delle caverne (Italy) [it]
El adolescente de las cavernas (Venezuela) [es]

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (Certificate #19088)

Filming Locations:

Arcadia, California, USA

Company:

Malibu Productions

Trivia:

This film was shot under the title "Prehistoric World". American International changed the title to "Teenage Cave Man". Years later, Roger Corman would be quoted as saying, "I never directed a film called "Teenage Cave Man".

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Teenage Caveman (#4.15)" (1991)

Poor production values hamper this 'camp' genre picture.

Made in the 50s to cash in on the unexpected success of the "I Was a Teenage.......", this entry at least dared to be different. Corman shows promise in this early directoral effort, and the story does have a neat twist at the end (if you make it that far), All that said, the slow, dragging plot and the non-existent production values make it a chore to watch. Notable also for an early screen appearance of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." Robert Vaughn.