Village of the Giants 1965

Village of the Giants unfolds in the fictional town of Hainesville, California, where a group of partying teens from the city—Fred, Beau Bridges, Pete, Tim Rooney, Rick, Robert Random, and Harry, Kevin O’Neal—along with their girlfriends Merrie, Joy Harmon, Elsa, Gail Gilmore, Georgette, and Jean, Tisha Sterling—stumble into town after a rain-drenched drive and kick off with a wild mud-wrestling session that quickly leads them to Nancy, Charla Doherty, a local girl they decide to search out.

Nancy, meanwhile, is with her boyfriend Mike, Tommy Kirk, while her younger brother, nicknamed “Genius,” Ron Howard tinkers in the basement with a chemistry set. Genius accidentally creates a mysterious substance he names “Goo,” a chemical that, when eaten, makes animals—first a dog and then a couple of ducks—grow to gigantic sizes. The discovery sets the stage for a town-wide upheaval that blends science, vanity, and a desire for power.

The out-of-town teens break into the local theater and clean up from the rain, then head to a nearby club where The Beau Brummels are performing. Soon, the giant ducks appear in real life, and Mike explains the secret behind Goo to his curious friends. Following a suggestion by their companions Horsey, Johnny Crawford, and Red, Toni Basil, the group hosts a picnic in the town square the next day, roasting the ducks and feeding the town. Freddy Cannon appears briefly in the scene, underscoring the sense that Goo could be more than a curiosity—it could be a business.

As the teens realize Goo’s true potential, their intentions skew toward profit, and they manage to secure a sample. Back at the theater, a debate erupts over what to do with the Goo, but peer pressure wins: Fred slices up the Goo and shares it with everyone. Moments later, the group experiences a transformative rush as they grow to over thirty feet tall, tearing out of their clothes and stepping into a new, dangerous reality. Fear and exhilaration collide as the once-ordinary kids decide to seize control of Hainesville.

Overnight, the giants seal the town off from the outside world. They rip out telephone lines, topple broadcasting antennas, and block any remaining routes in or out. When Sheriff Joe Turkel and Mike arrive to confront them, they discover the giants have little interest in leaving—and they’ve literally taken the sheriff’s daughter hostage to ensure no one dares to challenge them. The adults of Hainesville appear stunned and unable to respond, while the teens revel in their new, terrifying power.

Meanwhile, Genius keeps working, seeking a way to replicate Goo, while Mike urges him to set Goo aside and instead produce an antidote or countermeasure. There’s a pivot in strategy as Mike and Horsey plot to subdue Merrie, recover the guns, and rescue Nancy and the sheriff’s daughter. The plan escalates into a dramatic showdown outside the theater: Mike serves as the counterbalance to Fred’s impulsive bravado, drawing the giants away so Horsey and the others can move in for the rescue.

Genius finally has a breakthrough—the antidote—and rides to the square on a bicycle carrying a steaming pail of fumes. When the giants inhale, they shrink back to their normal sizes, and the town exhales in relief. In a last twist, Mike delivers a decisive blow to Fred, sending him and his oversized entourage running out of town in their ridiculous, oversized clothes.

But the story doesn’t end with a tidy exit. Just as the giants return to ordinary life, a traveling band of little people—drawn by the unbelievable tale of Goo—begins to march toward Hainesville, curious about the strange substance and ready to investigate the aftermath. The road ahead hints that Goo’s legend may be far from over, and the people of Hainesville will face new, unexpected consequences from what happened that rainy day.