Summaries

Synopsis

The movie opens with credits and title over a black background. The setting is Guayjorm, Mexico. Inside an administration building is Susan Winter (Gloria Talbott). She is asking for permission from the Governor (Vincente Padula) to fly over a restricted area of his state--the Tarahumare Mountains. She explains that she has been planning three years to rescue her fiancée, Bruce Barton, whose airplane crashed in the area. The Governor asks about her colleagues and their reasons for helping. Despite her best efforts, the Governor is adamant--the answer is no. To make sure his orders are followed he tells her he will place a police escort on the plane. As their airplane is a four place model, this means someone must stay behind.

Russ Bradford (James Craig) is at a magazine stand trying to buy a sports magazine. He doesn't speak Spanish and the salesgirl (Marlene Kloss) doesn't speak English. He joins the pilot, Lee Brand (Tom Drake) and Marty Melville (Lon Chaney, Jr.) at an outdoor table for lunch. They are waiting for Susan to return from her meeting with the Governor. Susan arrives and joins them at the table. They ask how things went. She responds, "I couldn't do a thing with the Governor." Lee doesn't think there will be any problems. He has a plan for the security escort. They drive out to the landing strip and are met by a policeman (Manuel Lopez). Lee gets in the airplane and starts the engine. It would appear that Marty will stay behind as Russ and Susan board the plane. Marty lures the policeman away from the plane, a Stinson Voyager, and then decks him and boards. The prop wash wakes the policeman and he fires at the departing airplane. The tower calls the plane and orders it to return to the field. Against orders, they continue their flight towards the restricted area of the Tarahumare Mountains. During the flight, Marty explains his reason for financing part of the trip, namely Uranium exploration. Marty brought a scintillator to locate his claim. When the scintillator tops out the airplane encounters turbulence. Lee announces that they are near the area where Bruce Barton was lost. Susan tells Lee to circle the area. Unfortunately, Marty is starting to panic and slugs the pilot. He tries to take over flying, but obviously doesn't know how. Russ tries to restrain Marty as Marty has the airplane in a steep dive. Lee comes to in time to take control and safely lands in a canyon with just enough room to stop. The four pile out of the plane. Lee sizes up the location and asks, "Well she's ok, but how are we going to get out of here?"

Marty starts his search for Uranium. Russ cleans out his pipe and spots a huge lizard approaching. He calls to Lee and Susan to come, but by the time they walk over the creature is gone. He dismisses it as his imagination. Marty has found his Uranium. He claims it is a very rich deposit worth millions or even billions.

That evening they sit by the fire. Susan locates their position on the chart and where Bruce crashed. Russ verifies it should only take a day to hike there. Marty announces that he will not join them. He's found what he came for. They are startled by a loud roar. The next morning Russ and Susan prepare for the hike. Marty tries to convince Lee to fly him out to file his claim. Russ and Susan begin their hike. She believes it is possible that Bruce is still alive, but even Russ thinks it is a long shot at best. He also is in love with Susan and proclaims same to her while they rest. They hear a loud squeak and spot an immense rat. An even larger Eagle attacks and kills the rodent. They run back to their encampment. They hear the engine start up and suspect they are about to be abandoned. Lee sees them and shuts down. Lee explains to Susan and Russ that he was just testing the motor. Susan demands the keys as Marty feigns surprise at this lack of trust. Lee and Marty decide to join Susan and Russ on the search.

Lee, Susan and Russ venture off to the sound of a roar outside of their new encampment. They spot a huge spider and another lizard. A second lizard shows up and they fight. This gives the three a chance to escape. Marty spends his time trying to convince Lee and Russ to leave Susan behind. Russ has a new goal, "I'm not going to leave until I find out why they never stopped growing. It could be the most important discovery of the century."

They continue their search. They find the mortally wounded lizard and Russ takes a skin sample to study. Russ sets up a portable lab and examines the skin sample. "The cells seem to multiply like bacteria," Russ claims. The animal grows continuously. Now Russ is convinced they are in danger from the high level of radiation that surrounds them. The next morning Susan leaves camp while everyone else sleeps. She finds airplane wreckage and is being watched. She looks up and screams as something approaches. Marty, Lee and Russ hear her screams and come running. They find the aircraft wreckage, specifically a wing section. They wander into another canyon and find more wreckage and a cave. Inside the cave is the engine. There they find Susan sobbing and in a state of shock. Marty finds other signs of the pilot, including a watch. Susan identifies it as belonging to Bruce Barton. A large boulder near the cave entrance starts to move blocking the exit. Then the Cyclops (Duncan 'Dean' Parkin) appears. One side of his face is mangled. A flap of skin covers his right eye and the teeth on the same side are exposed where the skin is missing. His one remaining eye is enlarged and protruding from the socket. He roars at them with a deep, resonant vibrato and tremolo. He reaches into the cave with his hand but can't quite reach them. He walks away from the cave.

The Cyclops stares at Susan while they rest, trapped in the cave. Russ suggests they try talking to him. Susan approaches the boulder and tells the Cyclops her name. He reacts to the word "airplane." Marty picks up the rifle and shoots the Cyclops. It reaches into the cave and kills Marty. He reaches in again and grabs Susan and takes her outside. A giant snake approaches. The Cyclops fights it allowing Lee, Susan and Russ to escape. The Cyclops kills the snake and chases them.

Midway back to where the airplane is parked, they rest and Russ and Susan talk. She expresses pity for the giant, but fails to make the connection between her fiancée and the growth process in the canyons. Russ tells her that the Cyclops is her fiancée, Bruce Barton. He explains that an exposed human after three years would become a giant. Susan finally gets it. They walk back to their canyon past the sleeping giant. Susan stops to gaze at her mutated fiancée.

They get in the airplane as the Cyclops pops up from behind a rock. The airplane engine will not turn over and the giant approaches blocking their path. They quickly exit the airplane and run up a hillside. The giant recognizes an airplane. Russ decides to attract his attention away from the airplane. The Cyclops chases Russ up a onto a rocky ledge. Russ fashions a makeshift torch out of some sticks and dried grass. He forms a spear, lights the grass on fire, and throws it into the giants one remaining eye. The blinded giant collapses in pain. He pulls the spear out of his damaged eye. Lee, Susan, and Russ get back in their airplane and depart. The blinded giant tries to block its path but they are safely in the air. We close with the giant lying dead and the airplane flying away.