Man Made Monster

Man-Made Monster
File:Manmademonster.jpg Theatrical poster
Directed by	George Waggner
Produced by	Jack Bernhard
Written by	Harry Essex Len Golos Sid Schwartz George Waggner
Starring	Lon Chaney, Jr. Lionel Atwill
Music by	Hans J. Salter
Cinematography	Elwood Bredell
Edited by	Arthur Hilton
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release dates	March 28, 1941
Running time	59 min
Country	United States
Language	English

Man-Made Monster (1941) is a science fiction horror film released by Universal Pictures. The film stars Lon Chaney, Jr. in his horror film debut. Man-Made Monster was re-released under various titles including Electric Man and The Mysterious Dr. R. In 1953, it was re-released by Realart Pictures under the title The Atomic Monster on a double bill with The Flying Saucer (1950). 1956's Indestructible Man, also featuring Chaney, is considered a loose remake of this film.

Plot

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.

Cast

• Lionel Atwill (Dr. Paul Rigas)
• Lon Chaney, Jr. (Dan McCormick)
• Anne Nagel (June Lawrence)
• Frank Albertson (Mark Adams)
• Samuel S. Hinds (Dr. John Lawrence)
• William B. Davidson (Ralph Stanley, the district attorney)
• Ben Taggart (Detective sergeant)
• Constance Bergen (Nurse)
• Ivan Miller (Doctor)
• Chester Gan (Wong)
• George Meader (Dr. Bruno)
• Frank O'Connor (Detective)
• John Dilson (Medical examiner)
• Byron Foulger (Alienist)
• Russell Hicks (Warden Harris)
• Jessie Arnold (Mrs. Davis)
• James Blaine (Charlie the prison guard)
• Gary Breckner (Radio announcer)
• Lowell Drew (Jury foreman)
• John Ellis (Assistant D.A)
• Douglas Evans (Police radio announcer)
• Jack Gardner (Reporter)
• William Hall (Mike)
• Wright Cramer (Judge)
• Tom Quinn (Detective)
• Bob Reeves (Prison guard)
• Mel Ruick (Defense attorney)
• Francis Sayles (Frank Davis)
• Paul Scott (Prison chaplain)
• David Sharpe (Passenger on hay wagon)
• Victor Zinneman (Dynamo operator)

Production

Theatrical poster for the reissue. The film was renamed The Atomic Monster.

• The film was shot in three weeks and was the cheapest film made by Universal in 1941 alone.
• Boris Karloff was originally selected to play the role of Dan McCormick and Bela Lugosi would have appeared as Dr. Rigas In a film to have been titled The Electric Man. But the studio scrapped the idea because the concept was too similar to another Karloff/Lugosi movie, The Invisible Ray (1936).
• When Realart rereleased the film under the title Atomic Monster, Alex Gordon had titled one of his films with the same title. He sent his attorney Samuel Z. Arkoff to meet the Realart representative James H. Nicholson to discuss the matter. The three men started their own film company that became American International Pictures.

External links

• Man Made Monster at IMDb
• Man Made Monster at AllMovie