Fred (Beau Bridges) is the quasi leader of a gang of rowdy teenagers. The gang consists of Pete (Tim Rooney), Rick (Robert Random) Harry (Kevin O’Neal), Merrie (Joy Harmon), Elsa (Gail Gilmore), Georgette (Vicki London) and Jean (Tisha Sterling). When their car crashes outside the town of Hainesville the gang decides to head into town to have some fun and party.
Meanwhile, in town, Nancy (Charla Doherty) and her boyfriend Mike (Tommy Kirk) are making out on the couch. Nancy’s brother, Genius (Ron Howard) is in the basement working on a science experiment. When an explosion occurs, Nancy and Mike race to the basement to check on Genius. Genius accidentally creates a pink foam substance. Genius calls it “Goo”. When a cat (Orangey) eats some of it, the cat grows to giant size. Mike thinks they have the answer to the world’s food shortage. The kids feed it to a couple ducks. They too grow to giant size. The family dog also eats some of the pink goo and he too becomes giant sized.
Fred and his gang find out about the goo. They steal it hoping to make a million dollars off of it. The teens end up eating the pink substance and growing to giant size. Now that they are giants, they decide that they are tired of taking orders from grownups and resolve to take over the town.
“Village of the Giants” was released in 1965 and was directed by Bert I. Gordon. It is a science fiction comedy film loosely based on the concept in the 1904 H.G. Wells novel, “The Food of the Gods and How it Came to Earth”. It is one of many films done by Gordon that uses forced perspective to make characters and objects look bigger than they are.
The entire movie is bikini clad teens dancing and lots of silly nonsense. It is part science fiction and part beach party movie. Usually referred to as teensploitation, it features songs and appearances by the sixties rock group the Beau Brummels as well as singers Freddie Cannon and Mike Clifford.
The "Goo" that Genius made was angel food cake dyed pink. Ron Howard’s father, Rance Howard, plays a deputy. The film includes other children of established stars. Beau Bridges is the son of Lloyd Bridges, Tisha Sterling is the daughter of Robert Sterling and Ann Sothern, Toni Basil is the daughter of Louis Basil and Tim Rooney is the son of Mickey Rooney. The cast includes other teen stars such as Tommy Kirk and Johnny Crawford.
The cat was played by Orangey AKA Minerva. Orangey was also in “The Incredible Shrinking Man” 1957, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” 1961 and “Rhubarb” 1951. “Wolf”, the dog, was played by a dog named “Higgins”.