TOPSTONE TUESDAY

I watched THE NEANDERTHAL MAN (United Artists 1953) this week. Like so many other sci-fi/horror films of the period it had numerous moments that were unintentionally funny. The notorious quick-cut scene of the so-called "sabre-tooth tiger" was among the funniest. Still, despite the claustrophobic interior shots and the list of continuity blunders as long as a -- well -- a Neanderthal's arm, it was a hour-or-so in the good company of a curiosity frin the Atom Age of sci-fi filmmaking.

A few years later, the TOPSTONE RUBBER COMPANY, famous both then and now for it's line of inexpensive, but really cool Halloween monster masks, released their version of the Neanderthal Man -- The Caveman! Whether or not inspired by the B-movie, the Caveman is one of the most instantly recognizable -- and revered -- of the entire line.

This example is from an eBay auction. The seller was asking $499.99 for it. In this kind of shape it would be hard for a Topstone collector to turn down, IMHO.

The Caveman was seen in the back-page advertising of numerous monster magazines of the period. This ad is from a 1964 issue of Charlton Publications' HORROR MONSTERS.