BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — Bert I. Gordon, the sci-fi director who, in the 1950s and ’60s, created numerous low-budget films featuring colossal creatures, shrinking humans and radioactive monsters, died at his home here March 8, of complications from a fall. He was 100.
Gordon loomed large over MST3K for several seasons. He was the producer/director of the movies in episodes 313- EARTH VS. THE SPIDER, 319- WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST, 517- THE BEGINNING OF THE END (in which he was mentioned in a host segment), 523- VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS, 411- THE MAGIC SWORD, 414- TORMENTED, 411- THE MAGIC SWORD, 309- THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN and 210- KING DINOSAUR.
1924: Albert Gramaglia, sound re-recordist for the movie in episode 817- HORROR OF PARTY BEACH and recording mixer for the movie in episode 1012- SQUIRM.
The Hollywood Reporter has the story.
Thanks to Tim for the heads up.
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Bert I. Gordon had a real love for filmmaking, even when his stories were silly or campy.
Rifftrax riffed his film “Attack of the Puppet People.”
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.
Attack of the Puppet People played a small but pivotal role in US history, as it’s what the Watergate burglars’ lookout was watching on TV when he was supposed to be keeping an eye out for the cops.
I guess all those years of figuring out how to pad a film taught him how to extend his own time on Earth. One hundred years. MST would not have been the same without him. RIP
Wow, MST3K wouldn’t have been the same without him. In honor of his passing, I shall turn into a grasshopper and fling myself off a postcard of Chicago.
Thanks for employing Merritt Stone so that we could get confused over who the hell he is.
No other filmmaker was more represented on MST3K, with 9 films — and few others made such utterly enjoyable films. Even without the riffing, Mr BIG was a force to be reckoned with. His daughter Susan appeared in many of his films and learned her craft well. She was also in the classic Twilight Zone episode “The Fugitive.” Though it is the one TZ episode I utterly loathe today, she was great in it. Sadly, we lost her to cancer in 2011. Now, Bert has returned to her.
Rest in peace, Bert. You were enjoyed.
yes that Twilight Zone episode. its one I refuse to watch. its creepy.
Which also has Paul Tripp in it too.
RIP to BIG
Godspeed, Bert. You were enjoyed …