Bert Ira Gordon (September 24, 1922 – March 8, 2023) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and visual effects artist. He is best known for screenwriting and producing and/or directing science fiction and horror B-movies such as King Dinosaur (1955), The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), Earth vs. the Spider (1958), Village of the Giants (1965), The Food of the Gods (1976), and Empire of the Ants (1977).
Most of Gordon's work is in the idiom of giant monster films, for which he used rear-projection to create the special effects. He was nicknamed "Mr. B.I.G." by Forrest J Ackerman, a reference to both his initials and his films' tendency to feature super-sized creatures.
The 20th Insect Fear Film Festival at UIUC in 2003 honored Gordon with a retrospective and showcase of his iconic films featuring giant insects. With at least ten titles focused on oversized bugs, Gordon was celebrated as the festival's special guest and received a plaque and certificate in recognition of his lasting contributions to the "big bug" genre.
Career Gordon was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on September 24, 1922, the son of Sadeline (Barnett) and Charles Abraham Gordon. He began making home movies in 16mm after his aunt gave him a camera for his 13th birthday. He dropped out of college to join the Army Air Forces in World War II. After the war, he married and he and his wife began making television commercials. He later edited British feature films to fit half-hour time slots and became a production assistant on Racket Squad (1951-53) and camera man on Serpent Island (1954).
In 1955, Gordon made his first feature, King Dinosaur, followed by The Cyclops in 1957, which co-starred Lon Chaney Jr. and Gloria Talbot. In 1957, he began his prolific association with American International Pictures, beginning with The Amazing Colossal Man and its 1958 sequel, War of the Colossal Beast.DVD of the Week: "War of the Colossal Beast|The New Yorker AIP distributed all of his other late-50s opuses: Beginning of the End, featuring Peter Graves, in 1957DVD Savant Review: Beginning of the End - DVD Talk, and Earth vs the Spider and Attack of the Puppet People in 1958.
In 1960, after filming Tormented, he wrote, produced and directed The Boy and the Pirates, starring active and popular child star of the time Charles Herbert and Gordon's own daughter, Susan Gordon. In October, Gordon sued AIP for fraud over four films they made together.
On June 27, 2006, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released a Midnite Movies double DVD set with the rarely seen The Boy and the Pirates, and Crystalstone (1987) by Mexican director Antonio Peláez.kiddiematinee.com / The Boy and the Pirates
In 2012, Gordon hosted and moderated a screening of The Amazing Colossal Man in Dallas, Texas.Dallas! "AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN" in 35mm and meet fantasy film legend Bert I. Gordon tonight!
Gordon held a degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.Bert I. Gordon from Gary Westfahl Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Films
Personal life and death Gordon was married from 1945 to 1979 to Flora Lang (1925–2016); the two divorced in 1979. They had three daughters: Susan (who predeceased her parents), Carol, and Patricia. Gordon had a fourth daughter, Christina, with his second wife, Eva.
Gordon died in Los Angeles on March 8, 2023, at the age of 100.
Filmography As director-producer. Source for credits, years and primary titles: Note: Source erroneously lists Gordon as co-screenwriter of The One and Only, solely written by Steve Gordon. Year Title Comments 1954 Serpent Island Producer, editor and cinematographerSerpent Island Cast & Crew at AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016. 1955 King Dinosaur 1957 The Cyclops Also screenwriter, special effects The Amazing Colossal Man Also screenwriter, special effects Beginning of the End Also special effects1958 Earth vs. the Spider a.k.a. The SpiderEarth vs. the Spider at AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016. War of the Colossal Beast a.k.a. Terror Strikes. Also screenwriter, special effects Attack of the Puppet People Also screenwriter1960 Tormented Also special effects The Boy and the Pirates 1962 The Magic Sword 1965 Village of the Giants Based on "The Food of the Gods" by H. G. Wells. Also special effects 1966 Picture Mommy Dead a.k.a. Color Mommy DeadPicture Mommy Dead at AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016. 1970 How to Succeed with Sex Director and screenwriter only1972 The Witching a.k.a. Necromancy.The Witches Releases at AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016. Also screenwriter. The Mad Bomber a.k.a. Detective Geronimo, The Police ConnectionThe Mad Bomber (1972) at AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016. 1976 The Food of the Gods Also screenwriter. Based on "The Food of the Gods" by H. G. Wells 1977 Empire of the Ants Also screenwriter. Based on "Empire of the Ants" by H. G. Wells 1981 Burned at the Stake a.k.a. The Coming.Burned at the Stake at AllMovie.com. Retrieved on February 15, 2016. Director only 1982 Let's Do It! Director only 1985 The Big Bet Also screenwriter 1990 Satan's Princess a.k.a. Heat from Another Sun, Princess of Darkness, Malediction. Also producer 2014 Secrets of a Psychopath Also screenwriter
Legacy Of these titles, King Dinosaur, The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth Vs. The Spider, War of the Colossal Beast, The Magic Sword, Tormented, Beginning of the End, and Village of the Giants were featured on the film-spoofing series Mystery Science Theater 3000. Later, Attack of the Puppet People was featured on the spin-off to MST3K, Rifftrax, as was a redux of The Magic Sword.The Magic Sword|RifftraxAttack of the Puppet People|Rifftrax
See also Ed Wood Herschell Gordon Lewis Coleman Francis Roger Corman
References
External links
Richard Brody's review of War of the Colossal Beast