Man Made Monster / 1941
- 6 years ago
Man-Made Monster is a 1941 black-and-white science fiction-horror film from Universal Pictures, produced by Jack Bernhard, directed by George Waggner, that stars Lon Chaney, Jr. (in his horror film debut) and Lionel Atwill. Man-Made Monster was re-released under various titles including Electric Man and The Mysterious Dr. R. Realart Pictures re-released the film in 1953 under the title The Atomic Monster on a double bill with The Flying Saucer (1950).
The plot resembles The Invisible Ray (1936), The Walking Dead (1936) and 1956's Indestructible Man, also featuring Chaney although not directly inspired to Man-Made Monster.
A tragic accident occurs when a bus hits a high power line. The incident has claimed the lives of all on board, except for one Dan McCormick (Lon Chaney, Jr.), who survives because he is, surprisingly, immune to the deadly electricity. McCormick does a sideshow exhibit as Dynamo Dan, the Electric Man and is taken in by Dr. John Lawrence (Samuel S. Hinds), who wants to study him. Dr. Lawrence's colleague, mad scientist Dr. Paul Rigas (Lionel Atwill) has something else in mind, though. He wants to create an army of electrobiologically-driven zombies. He gives McCormick progressively higher doses of electricity until his mind is ruined and left dependent on the addicting electrical charges. This temporarily gives McCormick the touch of death, making him capable of killing anyone he touches by electrocution. After accidentally killing Lawrence, Rigas insures McCormick's conviction to see what will happen if he is sent to the electric chair. McCormick survives, and with a super charge in his glowing body he kills several people, including Rigas, before running out of electricity and dying.
Lionel Atwill as Dr. Paul Rigas
Lon Chaney, Jr. as Dan McCormick
Anne Nagel as June Lawrence
Frank Albertson as Mark Adams
Samuel S. Hinds as Dr. John Lawrence
William B. Davidson as Ralph Stanley, the district attorney
Ben Taggart as Detective sergeant
Constance Bergen as Nurse
The plot resembles The Invisible Ray (1936), The Walking Dead (1936) and 1956's Indestructible Man, also featuring Chaney although not directly inspired to Man-Made Monster.
A tragic accident occurs when a bus hits a high power line. The incident has claimed the lives of all on board, except for one Dan McCormick (Lon Chaney, Jr.), who survives because he is, surprisingly, immune to the deadly electricity. McCormick does a sideshow exhibit as Dynamo Dan, the Electric Man and is taken in by Dr. John Lawrence (Samuel S. Hinds), who wants to study him. Dr. Lawrence's colleague, mad scientist Dr. Paul Rigas (Lionel Atwill) has something else in mind, though. He wants to create an army of electrobiologically-driven zombies. He gives McCormick progressively higher doses of electricity until his mind is ruined and left dependent on the addicting electrical charges. This temporarily gives McCormick the touch of death, making him capable of killing anyone he touches by electrocution. After accidentally killing Lawrence, Rigas insures McCormick's conviction to see what will happen if he is sent to the electric chair. McCormick survives, and with a super charge in his glowing body he kills several people, including Rigas, before running out of electricity and dying.
Lionel Atwill as Dr. Paul Rigas
Lon Chaney, Jr. as Dan McCormick
Anne Nagel as June Lawrence
Frank Albertson as Mark Adams
Samuel S. Hinds as Dr. John Lawrence
William B. Davidson as Ralph Stanley, the district attorney
Ben Taggart as Detective sergeant
Constance Bergen as Nurse