Classic Horrors Club

Something I like about World of Giants (WOG) is that the subplot of a potential romance between Bill Winters (Arthur Franz) and Dorothy Brown (Marcia Henderson) is progressing naturally as the series continues, but without making a big deal about it. Any implied tension between the two last week becomes physical this week when, to make themselves inconspicuous to security guards at the bad gal’s house, he begins making out with her.

This catches “Brownie” by surprise, but after a pause when the guard leaves, they continue kissing. This causes Mel Hunter (Marshall Thompson), our 6” tall hero, to comment from the back seat, “Bill, the guards believe you. Who are you trying to convince now?” In his only episode of the series, writer Laurence E. Mascott treats the situation with good-natured humor.

The aforementioned bad gal, Diana Lawrence, is played by Allison Hayes, “the 50’ Woman” herself. Known, of course, from that movie in 1958, she also appeared in four other genre films the year before: The Undead, Zombies of Mora Tau, The Unearthly, and The Disembodied. Born Mary Jane Hayes on March 6, 1930, in Charleston, West Virginia, she began using the name Allison and moved to Hollywood in the early 1950s.

Hayes went beyond horror and sci-fi, though, and was featured in dramas and comedies, although usually in B-movies. Her final film appearance was with Elvis Presley in Tickle Me (1965), but her health soon began declining and she died on February 27, 1977, from either leukemia or lead poisoning caused by prescription calcium supplements. It was a sad end for the beautiful young woman who also represented the District of Columbia in the 1949 Miss America pageant.

Her partner in crime, Johnny Delgado, is played by William Masters, an actor with only seven television series and one uncredited role in a theatrical motion picture on his resume. I’d like to know more about him and why he quit acting. He’s charismatic as the man who has memorized a code that he delivers to Diana… and he looks great with his shirt off! The two dress (or undress) to go swimming in the pool where she hides the transcribed code…

…in a case that Mel can later retrieve. It’s almost as big as he is and he has a little trouble bringing it to the surface when Bill — surprise — is shot in the shoulder. It’s not as much trouble as the cute little dog that grabs the case in its mouth, but luckily there’s a ball that Mel can toss so that it’s distracted and drops the case. Bill avoids further injury by convincing Johnny and Diana that he’s drunk following his makeout session with Brownie….

…which we circle back to for the conclusion of the episode, ‘The Pool.’ Mission accomplished, Mel says, “Well, if we’re all present and accounted for, let’s go.” But Bill and Brownie are still smooching, so Mel barks in a more serious tone than the yipping dog that almost took the codes, “Put me in the middle!” Hey, this is still late-1950s family entertainment… he’s in his briefcase when he says it.