Terror from the Year 5000 [Cage of Doom] * (1958, Ward Costello, Joyce Holden, John Stratton, Salome Jens) – Classic Movie Review 13,910

The much loved 1958 American black-and-white sci-fi bad movie Terror from the Year 5000 [Cage of Doom] stars Ward Costello, Joyce Holden, Frederic Downs, John Stratton and Salome Jens.

‘From Time Unborn… A Hideous She-Thing!’

Producer-director Robert J Gurney Jr’s much loved bad movie, the 1958 American black-and-white sci-fi film Terror from the Year 5000 [Cage of Doom], stars Ward Costello, Joyce Holden, Frederic Downs, John Stratton, Salome Jens, and Fred Herrick. It is produced by Robert J Gurney Jr, Samuel Z Arkoff, James H Nicholson, and Gene Searchinger.

Robert J Gurney Jr’s screenplay is based uncredited on Henry Slesar’s short story Bottle Baby published in the sci-fi magazine Fantastic in April 1957.

Frederic Downs plays nuclear physicist Professor Howard Erling, who, working with his assistant Victor (John Stratton) on his Florida island estate, builds a machine that transports a small statue from the future. Ward Costello plays archaeologist Bob Hedges, who makes tests and decides it comes from the year 5200 AD (the Carbon 14 testing cannot reveal future dates, but never mind, it’s a sci-fi movie). However, the statue is found to be radioactive. Soon Howard shows Bob how he and Victor have succeeded in ‘trading objects with the future’, and then next a Hideous She-Thing (Salome Jens) will be whizzing in from the future.

American International Pictures released the film in August 1958 in a double bill with The Screaming Skull (apparently you got a colour cartoon too!) Sometimes, though, it was supported by Earth vs The Spider or The Brain Eaters.

When originally released in UK cinemas as Cage of Doom], the BBFC made cuts for an X rating.

Exteriors were shot in and around Dade County, Florida. The working title was The Girl from 5000 AD. It is the first known movie appearance of the new 1958 Edsel automobile. It is Salome Jens’s first feature film credit and one of the earliest editing credits for Dede Allen, who went on to edit The Hustler, Bonnie and Clyde, Dog Day Afternoon, and Reds.

[Spoiler alert] Body count: five (including the four-eyed cat).

Beatrice Furdeaux, who has a small role as Miss Blake, was married to Robert J Gurney Jr, and is also credited (as Beatrice Gurney) as the production supervisor and co-production designer. She worked with Robert J Gurney Jr on this film and on Edge of Fury (1958), the only two movies she ever acted in.

Release date: August 1958.

Running time: 66 minutes.

Love the poster! The brilliant US cinema release poster is designed by Albert Kallis, with artwork by Reynold Brown.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,910

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com