Attack of the Puppet People (Sci-Fi/Horror, 1958)

Attack of the Puppet People (1958) is a black-and-white science fiction horror film, with elements of psychological drama, directed and produced by Bert I. Gordon. It’s a low-budget B-movie that capitalizes on the era’s fascination with size-altering science fiction, similar to The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957).
Plot:
The story centers on Mr. Franz (John Hoyt), a lonely and unhinged dollmaker who runs Dolls Inc., a small doll manufacturing company in Los Angeles. Franz, a former puppeteer with a traumatic past (including an implied abandonment by his wife), has invented a machine that shrinks people to doll size—about six inches tall—to keep them as his companions, stored in glass canisters in suspended animation. Sally Reynolds (June Kenney), a young woman hired as a secretary, grows suspicious when people around Franz, including her predecessor and a postman, mysteriously disappear. Her fiancé, salesman Bob Westley (John Agar), also vanishes after proposing marriage and planning to leave for St. Louis. Sally discovers Franz’s secret when she finds a doll resembling Bob and alerts the police, but the skeptical Sgt. Paterson (Jack Kosslyn) finds no evidence. Franz shrinks Sally, adding her to his collection of “puppet people,” which includes other victims like a teenager (Marlene Willis) and a soldier (Ken Miller). The shrunken captives, awakened for Franz’s amusement, attempt to escape his control, facing dangers like a giant cat and a dog. The film builds to a climax where Franz, rattled by a police inquiry, plans to kill himself and his captives, but the shrunken group’s desperate actions lead to a confrontation at a theater, with a rushed ending where the captives seek to expose Franz.
Cast:
John Hoyt as Mr. Franz

John Agar as Bob Westley

June Kenney as Sally Reynolds

Michael Mark as Emil

Jack Kosslyn as Sgt. Paterson

Marlene Willis as Laurie (Teenager)

Ken Miller as Stan

Laurie Mitchell as Georgia

Scott Peters as Mac

Susan Gordon as Agnes (Brownie girl, director’s daughter)

June Jocelyn as Brownie Leader

Jean Moorhead as Janet