General Information
Director: Coleman Francis
Writer: Coleman Francis
Cast: Douglas Mellor, Barbara Francis, Bing Stafford, Larry Aten, Linda Bielema, Ronald and Alan Francis, Tony Cardoza, Bob Labansat, Jim Oliphant, John Morrison, Eric Tomlin, Jim Miles, George Principe, Conrad Brooks, Graham Stafford, and Tor Johnson
Composers: Irwin Nafshun and Al Remington
Release Date: 5/2/1961
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Overview
While defecting from Russia, noted scientist Joseph Javorsky (Tor Johnson) stumbles into a nuclear testing area. Stripped of his humanity by an atomic blast, Javorsky wanders the Nevada desert searching for people to kill.
The Beast of Yucca Flats is an abysmal effort from Coleman Francis—possibly the most incompetent filmmaker of all time. Especially worth mentioning are the 
dull performances, gross editing mistakes, and incoherent subplots that plague this production from beginning to end.
Pros
Though frequently obscured by awkward staging, the actors appear to remain straight-faced while delivering their lines—an achievement worthy of the utmost commendation.
Cons
Despite its running time of only fifty-four minutes, The Beast of Yucca Flats is drawn out to the point of tediousness—likely a consequence of the fact that
two police officers, now in pursuit of the mutated Javorsky, spend an inordinate amount of time tracking down and shooting at the wrong suspect.
Also deserving of criticism is the insufferable narration provided by Francis—the director of this so-called film. Specifically, Francis makes a number of pretentious, if not thoroughly nonsensical, statements throughout the story, adding more confusion to a heavily disjointed narrative. Bizarre highlights include references to flying saucers, the whirlwind of progress, and a flag on the Moon—none of which seem relevant to the correlating onscreen action.
Analysis
As opposed to the Wolf Man, Frankenstein’s creature, and every other half-way decent movie monster, the titular beast lacks a sympathetic, well-developed personality with which the audience could easily relate. Rather, the formerly kind and noble attributes of Javorsky are reinforced only by the ponderous, repetitive commentary of Francis, severely weakening the main character’s position as a tragic figure.
Concluding Comments
Creature feature buffs, science fiction lovers, and horror enthusiasts would be wise to avoid The Beast of Yucca Flats, which earns its reputation as the worst movie ever made. The acting of Tor Johnson—known for his collaborations with director Ed Wood—may, however, entertain fans of Z-grade cinema.
Overall Quality: 1/10
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