Dr. Mercer Boley (Cornel Wilde) is an anthropologist and a college professor who writes books on ancient cultures and beliefs. On the way down to Mexico, with his daughter, Diana (Jennifer Salt), Mercer stops at a rundown tourist museum owned by an old man that goes by the name of Uncle Willie (Woodrow Chambliss). Willie wrote to Mercer about an archeological specimen he found. He wants Mercer to write a book about his discovery, and the local folktales of the area. What he shows them is the skeleton of something that is part human and part animal. The creature was lizard-like with a sharp beaked nose, horns and wings. At first Mercer believes that Willie made the skeleton from a bunch of mismatched bones. Eventually he agrees to hear Willie’s tale about the creatures and where they came from.
As Willie is telling his story the building is attacked by some unknown element. As the building begins to fall down a beam hits Willie in the head. A kerosene lamp falls and starts a raging fire. Unable to help Willie, Mercer grabs the skull of the creature. He and Diana race to the car. Driving down the road the car is attacked by one of the creatures. They manage to shake it off, but the car has sustained a lot of damage. They stop at a service station that has a motel next to it.
The next day they take the local police chief (William Stevens) to the fire ruins. At the scene are some guys driving dirt bikes. The sheriff arrests them thinking they started the fire. Mercer and Diana defend the guys, but the sheriff puts them in jail anyway. That night the creatures attack the hotel room and steal the skull. While making their escape, one of them is hit by a truck. Mercer takes the creature back to the motel room to inspect it. He realizes that what he is looking at is a gargoyle. The creatures again attack trying to get back the body of their dead friend. They knock Mercer unconscious, cart off their buddy and kidnap Diana as well.
The next day the owner of the motel, Mrs. Parks (Grayson Hall) tells the police chief about the motel being attacked. When Mercer regains consciousness, he confirms her story and reports that Diana has been kidnapped. While the police begin a search for Diana, she is in a cave with the gargoyles. The head gargoyle tells Diana that for centuries they have been killed off by humans but now it is their turn to destroy all humans and take over.
“Gargoyles” was released in 1972 and was directed by B. W. L. Norton. It is American made-for-television fantasy horror film. This was the first film that Stan Winston did special effects make-up for. The film earned an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup. The gargoyles are shown in slow motion to give them an unearthly quality.
Filmed in Carlsbad Caverns, the movie took only eighteen days to make and was done with one camera. Although the head gargoyle was played by Bernie Casey, his voice was done by Vic Perrin. Perrin has done voiceovers in dozens of cartoons. The gargoyle costumes were fancied-up wetsuits.
The mistake the gargoyles made was to kidnap Diana. That forced her father and the search party to go looking for her. Had they left her and just taken their dead comrade the outcome could have been totally different.
As for the movie, despite the gargoyle costumes looking a little 1950ish, it’s a decent little made for TV film. Nothing spectacular, but still enjoyable.