A Napkin, a Bet, and $19,000
In a 1966 El Paso coffee shop, fertilizer salesman Harold P. Warren wagered screenwriter Stirling Silliphant that anyone—even he—could make a horror film. Warren scribbled the first outline of Manos: The Hands of Fate on a napkin. Using $19,000 and a cast of mostly amateur locals, Warren set out to prove his point.
He rented equipment, shot at night with a hand-cranked 16mm camera, and overdubbed all audio in post-production. He offered profit shares instead of wages and filmed largely on the ranch of a local lawyer. The production’s disorganization led to multiple continuity issues, including clapperboards left in frame and entire scenes with no dialogue.
A Premiere with Limousines and Disappointment
Manos premiered at El Paso’s Capri Theater on November 15, 1966. Warren rented a searchlight and limousine, which shuttled cast members around the block to appear grander in number. Actress Jackey Neyman-Jones, then seven years old, cried during the screening upon hearing her voice dubbed by an adult.
The film played briefly in drive-ins across West Texas and New Mexico. The only known compensation for Neyman-Jones was a bicycle and 50 pounds of dog food for her dog, who also appeared in the film. Actor John Reynolds, who played Torgo, died by suicide a month before the premiere.
Obscurity to Infamy
After its brief run, the film disappeared. In 1993, Frank Conniff of Mystery Science Theater 3000 selected Manos from a box of obscure movies. Its feature on the show catapulted it to infamy, often cited as one of the worst films ever made.
In later years, the film gained a cult following, spawning stage parodies, a video game, and several sequels. A 2011 discovery of the original 16mm workprint led to a high-definition restoration, which premiered on Blu-ray in 2015.
The Film That Wouldn’t Die
Despite widespread criticism for editing, pacing, and audio, Manos continues to attract new viewers. In 2018, original cast members reunited for a sequel, Manos Returns. The film remains in the public domain due to Warren’s failure to include a copyright notice, though legal questions have surrounded the rights ever since.
What began as a bet resulted in a film that defied expectations—not in quality, but in endurance. Warren’s gamble paid off: he made his movie.
In 1966, a fertilizer salesman from El Paso bet a Hollywood screenwriter he could make a horror film.
With no experience, Harold P. Warren grabbed a camera, hired locals, and made Manos: The Hands of Fate—a film now remembered for all the wrong reasons…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/4CY3drSGNX
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) August 1, 2025