Attack of the Puppet People (working titles: The Fantastic Puppet People and I Was a Teenage Doll; re-titled Six Inches Tall in the U.K.) is a 1958 American black-and-white science fiction horror film starring John Agar, John Hoyt, and June Kenney. The film was produced, written, and directed by Bert I. Gordon for his Alta Vista Productions. He also worked on the film's special effects. American International Pictures released it as a double feature with War of the Colossal Beast.[1]
The film was rushed into production by AIP and Bert I. Gordon to capitalize on the popular success of Universal-International's The Incredible Shrinking Man, released the previous year in 1957.[2]
A Brownie troop visits the doll manufacturing company, Dolls Inc., owned and operated by the seemingly kindly Mr. Franz (John Hoyt). As the girls tour the factory, they see a number of very lifelike dolls stored in glass canisters locked in a display case on a wall. These are part of Mr. Franz’s "special collection".
Sally Reynolds (June Kenney) answers a newspaper advertisement for a secretary position (Franz's previous secretary has mysteriously vanished). Although concerned about his obsession with the special doll collection, she reluctantly agrees to take the job.
A traveling salesman, Bob Westley (John Agar), comes to the office, and he and Sally soon develop a relationship. After working at the doll factory for several weeks, Sally receives a marriage proposal from Bob. He persuades her to quit her job, while promising to break the news to Franz.[3]
The next day, however, Franz informs Sally that Bob has returned home to take care of extended business, and so advises her to forget him. She notices a new doll in his collection that looks just like Bob. Frightened, she goes to the police, claiming that Franz has somehow shrunken Bob and added him to his doll collection. Hearing this, Sergeant Paterson (Jack Kosslyn) is highly skeptical, but to placate her, he investigates. Franz is able to convince him that the dolls are just what they appear to be: dolls.
When Franz finds out that Sally plans to quit, he locks her in his lab. He has developed a machine that can shrink people down to one-sixth of their original size.[4] He uses the shrinking machine on anyone who tries to leave him. All the "dolls" in his glass case are former "friends" put in suspended animation, which he has also invented. Sally becomes his latest victim.
After a reunion between Sally and Bob, Franz reveals how his reduction process works and why he miniaturizes people: He developed a strong phobia against being alone after his wife left him. Periodically, Franz awakens his miniaturized captives so that they can enjoy the "parties" he throws for them.
During a welcoming party for the two newcomers, Franz has to deal with full-size friend and customer Emil (Michael Mark). The small prisoners try but fail to call for help. Sergeant Paterson, however, begins investigating Franz because many people he knows have gone missing. After Franz is questioned again by Paterson, he panics, announcing to his tiny prisoners that he plans to kill them and himself before he is caught. He takes his "collection" to an old theater, supposedly to test his repairs made on Emil's marionette. There, he throws one final party, forcing his captives to act-out Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Bob and Sally manage to escape and make it back to Franz's workshop. Franz tracks them down, but not before they are able to return themselves to normal size. They leave and go directly to the police, despite Franz's pathetic pleas, "Don't leave me! I'll be alone". The fates of the other miniaturized prisoners remain unknown.
