How to Make a Monster 1958

Studio confirms Pete's firing after sale

In the wake of NBN Associates' takeover of American International Studios, Pete Dumond learns he will be fired after 25 years as chief makeup artist. The new owners declare a shift toward musicals and comedies, sidelining the horror that made the studio famous. Pete resolves to exact revenge using the very monsters he helped build.

New owners stage a rock musical number

During a stage presentation, the new management showcases a rock musical number featuring John Ashley, signaling a future far from horror. Pete watches with mounting fury as his world of monsters is dismissed. He starts to plot how his creations could turn the tables on his former employers.

Pete resolves to use his monsters as weapons

Consumed by resentment, Pete resolves to weaponize the monsters he created over decades. He vows to destroy his former colleagues by unleashing them, turning art into weaponry. The plan begins behind the scenes, away from prying eyes.

Pete creates numb-cream to control others

Pete begins mixing a numbing ingredient into his foundation cream and tells the young actors that their careers will end unless they submit to him. He formulates a cream that dulls willpower on contact, giving him control over his targets. The prep work lays the groundwork for his manipulation.

Larry and Tony come under Pete's control

Using the numbing cream, Pete draws Larry Drake and Tony Mantell, who play monsters in Werewolf Meets Frankenstein, into his control. They become his unwitting puppets while in their monster makeup. Pete moves pieces on the studio floor without their awareness.

Larry is sent to kill Nixon

Pete orders Larry, in Teenage Werewolf makeup, to kill John Nixon in the studio projection room. The instruction exploits the actors' disguises to stage a murder that seems like a film sequence rather than a crime. The studio tension rises as danger unfolds.

Monahan discovers clues at the makeup room

That night, Monahan, an older guard with budding investigative ambitions, visits the makeup room carrying a little black book noting recent events including a late check-out at 9:12 PM. He hints at ambitions to become chief of security on the lot, drawing Pete's anxiety. Pete grows uneasy as the net tightens.

Monahan murders in the commissary

In a panic to cover his tracks, Pete, disguised as Caveman, ambushes Monahan in the studio commissary and kills him. The murder marks a dangerous escalation and pushes the investigation closer to home. Richards, the older guard, later discovers Monahan's missing body.

Tony eliminates Clayton at his home

After Monahan's death, Tony in Teenage Frankenstein makeup is instructed to attack John Clayton and choke him to death when he returns home in his 1958 Lincoln convertible. The murder demonstrates the reach of Pete's control over his puppets. Investigators begin to suspect a pattern tied to Pete's old makeup room.

Clues mount for investigators

Investigators uncover two crucial clues: a maid's description of Frankenstein's monster and a lab analysis showing a peculiar ingredient in Clayton's nails matching items in Pete's old makeup room. The evidence folds Pete into the center of the case and narrows the suspect pool. The trail grows more damning as the case unfolds.

Police close in on Pete's house

The police head toward Pete's house, believing he is behind the murders. Pete hosts a grim farewell party for Rivero, Larry, and Tony, turning his home into a museum of every monster he created. The ominous setup foreshadows a deadly confrontation.

Pete kills Rivero in the kitchen

In a tense moment, Pete distrusts Rivero and stabs him to death in the kitchen. The murder removes a potential witness and heightens the danger inside the house. The remaining trio realizes they are trapped with a murderous creator.

Pete attacks Larry and Tony

Larry and Tony attempt to escape the locked living room, but Pete attacks them with a knife. The confrontation escalates as the house fills with smoke and flames. The trio struggles to survive as Pete's grip on reality collapses.

The monster museum catches fire

A candle topple ignites the monster museum, and Pete is burned to death while trying to save the mounted heads of his creations. The fire consumes the building as his obsession meets a fiery end. Larry and Tony fight to stay alive amidst the blaze.