The Ultimate Bigfoot Drive-In Movie
Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 5th, 2007
One of the rarest first fiction films about the hairy creatures of the forests to locate today is Bigfoot (1970), directed by Robert E. Slatzer. It is a modest movie made for the drive-ins involving, in the jargon of the time, “babes and bikers.” Director Slatzer’s claim to fame, other than this movie, appears to have been that he was a former husband of Marilyn Monroe, and the director of Hellcats (1967), another biker movie.
Starring in Bigfoot are John Carradine (“Jasper B. Hawks”), John Mitchum (“Elmer Briggs”), Joi Lansing (“Joi Landis”), and Christopher Mitchum (“Rick”). Of some interest to us is the actor Nick Raymond who played both “Slim” and “Evil Bigfoot.” Villians always get top billing, but what I find remarkable about this movie is that it portrayed a Bigfoot family, a rare element in early hominology cinema. Of course, there was a family of Snowmen in the 1957 Japanese film, Half Human, which coincidentially also starred John Carradine in the American revised and dubbed version. But Bigfoot/Sasquatch families are not that frequently shown.
Anyway, here are the actors for Bigfoot’s family: James Stellar (“Lead Bigfoot”), Jerry Maren (“Child Bigfoot”), Gloria Hill (“Female Bigfoot”), Nancy Hunter (“Female Bigfoot”), and Alesha Lee (“Female Bigfoot”).
I recently finished an article for a forthcoming fall 2007 issue of TAPS Paramagazine about Bigfoot drive-in movies, and this specific one certainly ranks as one of the major films of the genre.
With the advent of YouTube, I discovered that a long clip from this scarce film has just been uploaded. Here it is for your viewing pleasure, a piece of Bigfoot popular culture from the days of drive-in movies (please pass the popcorn). Note the quality of cinematic Bigfoot costumes, circa 1970:
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
That was great!
A solid 100 on the cheese-o-meter.
Thanks Loren for the post, I have several of the old B movie sasquatch films and this one was unknown to me. What a hoot.
Now that was awesome! Is that available for purchase anywhere? I too am a fan of old B movies. This looks like it could be something that could get me laughing. I wonder if that was the end of the movie? The explosion. There was still four left weren’t there? Anyway, Kool. Thanks for sharing that Loren.
Besides, being a Biker it would only be natural for me to like this movie. I get the best of both worlds, Bikes, Babes & Big Foot.
Took a ride on my brand new Screaming Eagle Springer this week end with my 2 brothers. Road through some awesome Big Foot territory. Olympic Peninsula, man that is some beautiful country. Big Ones could survive & thrive in there no problemo.
It’s pretty funny how one of the suits from a 50’s movie (HALF HUMAN) outclassed the costumes from a movie made in the 70’s. Then again, as most horror film fans will tell you, movies made with the drive-in circuit in mind aren’t exactly known for being high quality.
I remember this one used to pop up every now and then on syndicated TV stations back in the 70’s and early 80’s. Pretty goofy.
While the Bigfeet in this movie don’t show much intelligence, they seem to be geniuses when it comes to tying bikini-clad women to posts. At one point, a blonde looks at a Bigfoot child and dramatically tells her fellow captives, “One of its parents had to be one of those creatures…but the other one might have been HUMAN!!!”
It appears that the movie is available on DVD via RetroFLICKS (www.retroflicks.com).
And an article about Bigfoot Drive-In movies? Can’t wait!
-What do these creatures want??
-Theyr’e more human than you think…
-… YIPEE!
Well, that would have been the case if this movie had been made in the early 90’s… and directed by Kevin Smith 🙂
Better costumes than in most youtube videos.
hey loren & everyone wow thats looks a great movie about bigfoot. thanks bill green 🙂
I’ve loved this movie my entire life. I found the dvd on Amazon a few years back, which replaced my old worn out vhs copy. I always thought it was interesting that the family of bigfoot bury their dead in this movie. Does anyone else, like myself, tend to believe that’s more fact than fiction?
Oh no, Joi Lansing! Now I’m going to have that “Trapped in the Web of Love” song stuck in my head all day.
If you haven’t seen 1957’s “The Abominable Snowman” starring Forrest Tucker and Peter Cushing, you need to. I watched it on cable recently because of the year/topic/Forrest Tucker, it had to be a bad movie. It wasn’t. It was well crafted, well written and portrayed the Yeti as relatively intelligent and thoughtful.
Wow. Bigfoot likes hotties…who just happen to be readily available out in the middle of nowhere. BF just happens to be standing in a clearing where a woman in a dress parachutes from a crashing plane.
Was the bigfoot ‘baby’ saying “HOT! HOOOOTTTT! HOT! HOT!”….?
I love when BF get trapped in the cave and everyone just walks off and ignores the blond lady…she survived a plane crash and was held hostage by a bigfoot family..all without a scratch…no big deal! LOL!!!
I’d like to see the MS3TK version.
awesome!!