dam unless Dave was absolutely certain of success. Dave comments on Martin's earlier assertion that the region's salt flat was "Mother Nature's worst mistake", pointing out that this near-disaster has proved otherwise. Cast Grant Williams as Dave Miller Lola Albright as Cathy Barrett Les Tremayne as Martin Cochrane Trevor Bardette as Professor Arthur Flanders Phil Harvey as Ben Gilbert William Flaherty as Police Chief Dan Corey Harry Jackson as Dr. Steve Hendricks Richard H. Cutting as Dr. E. J. Reynolds Linda Scheley as Ginny Simpson Claudia Bryar as Mrs. Simpson Dean Cromer as Lead Highway Patrolman Steve Darrell as Rancher Joe Higgins William Schallert as Meteorologist Troy Donahue as Hank Jackson – Dynamite Expert Paul Petersen as Bobby – Newsboy Paul Frees as opening narrator (uncredited) Production Many of the exteriors were filmed in the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, California. The rugged landscape of the area has been used as a backdrop for many films, including Gunga Din, High Sierra, Maverick, How the West Was Won, The Charge of the Light Brigade, and Gladiator. Most of the exteriors of downtown San Angelo were shot on Universal's back lot, particularly Courthouse Square. The fictional California Medical Research Institute also features prominently in Universal's The Incredible Shrinking Man, which stars Grant Williams as well, and was released eight months earlier. Special effects The film's special effects were created by Clifford Stine, whose career began in 1933 with King Kong. Alternate takes of effects created by Stine for Universal's It Came from Outer Space (1953) were used to depict the meteor crash in the film's opening sequence. Reception In a contemporary review, the Monthly Film Bulletin described the feature as a "promising idea" but noted that it was not supported by either the acting or the script. One review noted, "Give Hollywood a measured amount of credit for at least attempting to give us something unique and unusual, even if it comes up a little short". CineOutsider observed, "Certainly it lacks the subtextual clout that distinguishes the best of these films, but its central concept, its pacing and its impressive production design and effects still put it on a par with its more widely seen contemporaries. The performances are all solid, but my favorite comes from an uncredited William Schallert as the wrapped-up-in-his-job weatherman. For fans of 50s science fiction cinema, enthusiastically recommended". Home media Universal released The Monolith Monsters on DVD