Magnetic Monster, The (1953)

... aka: A-Men

... aka: El monstruo magnético

... aka: Gizli Kuvvet (Secret Force)

... aka: Il mostro magnetico

... aka: Implosion

Directed by:

Curt Siodmak

Herbert L. Strock (uncredited)

Though he started out in Hollywood writing musicals, comedies and romantic dramas, Hungarian-born producer / writer Iván Törzs (Ivan Tors) was actually mostly interested in three other topics: animals, science fiction and all things aquatic. After starting his own namesake production company, he scratched his sci-fi itch first with The Magnetic Monster, following by Riders to the Stars and the 3D release Gog (both 1954 releases) and then the TV series Science Fiction Theater. Entering into the 60s, he began working on most of what he'd become most famous for today. 

After his ocean-centered adventure TV shows The Aquanauts and Sea Hunt concluded, he had his most noteworthy hit merging his animal and ocean interests with Flipper, which started out as two movies and then became a beloved TV series lasting from 1964 to 1967. Afterward, he produced Gentle Giant (1967), an adaptation of a popular children's book about a family friendly bear that doesn't want to rip your face off, which became the basis for the series Gentle Ben, which lasted two seasons.

Tapped to direct this first Tors sci-fi production was... Well, I'm not entirely sure. Listed in the credits only as editing supervisor, Herbert L. Strock also reputedly directed part, if not MOST, of the film sans credit. The sole directorial credit however was given to Curt Siodmak, who co-wrote the script with Tors. This seemed to be an unfortunate recurring theme throughout Strock's career. He also supposedly directed or co-directed the same team's aforementioned Riders to the Stars, Donovan's Brain (1953), the troubled Monstroid (which began production in 1971 but wasn't released until nearly a decade later) and other films without receiving credit. Strock's Los Angeles Times obit claims Magnetic Monster was his feature directorial debut and also claims he was one of the producers, though he's not credited for that either.

Science is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can make all of our lives easier. On the other, it can destroy us all. Our opening narrator warns of recently-discovered "deadly isotopes of unknown elements," sound frequencies that can penetrate the human brain and kill and chemicals that can burn and sear human flesh. Quite the pessimist he is. Thankfully, there's a team of scientists who are doing everything in their power to make sure we don't annihilate ourselves. They're the OSI, or the Office of Scientific Investigations. Operatives at the OSI are referred to as A-Men ("Sounds like the final word of a prayer. It is not."), who are described as being essentially detectives. With science degrees.

After receiving a call about strange occurrences from a concerned city engineer, OSI agent Dr. Jeff Stewart (Richard Carlson) and his assistant Dr. Dan Forbes (King Donovan) are on the case. Hardware store owner Mr. Simon (Byron Foulger) is at a loss as to why all of his clocks have mysteriously stopped at 12 past 12, his merchandise is sticking together and dryer doors and mowers are moving on their own. It appears to be a case of extremely strong magnetization. Geiger counters pick up strong traces of radioactivity, and they appear to be emanating from upstairs. Exploring the office immediately above, the two find a corpse, as well as a container that appears to be the primary source of all the radioactivity. It's now empty.

Numerous tests are run and all information is fed into a "giant brain machine" called M.A.N.I.A.C. (Mathematical Analyzer Numerical Integrator and Computer) but M.A.N.I.A.C. is basically like I have no clue what this stuff is. The men suspect they may be dealing with a brand knew element, which shares some similar properties to uranium but is much denser and much stronger. Radio broadcasts are then arranged to let the public know to report any strange occurrences with their TVs, radios, watches, cars or other metal-based belongings. OSI is soon swamped with reports, with the townsfolk treating them as little better than repairmen. However, one call comes through that they definitely need to check out...

A cabbie picked up a nervous gentleman who was carrying a heavy briefcase that he wouldn't let the driver touch. After dropping the man off at the airport, the cabbie's vehicle has picked up magnetic properties. Traces of radiation are then found on an air trip insurance machine (was that really a thing back in 1953?), indicating the man had purchased a policy prior to boarding one of the planes. Cracking open the machine, they're able to find out the identity of the insurance purchaser: Dr. Howard Denker (Leonard Mudie), a well-known research physicist at Southwest University.

Jeff and Dan are able to order the plane to turn around and come back, and have a brief conversation with the sickly scientist before he dies of radiation poisoning. According to him, he and his assistant (i.e. the dead guy in the office) bombarded an element called "serenium" (any relation to selenium?) with alpha particles for hundreds of hours. Now whatever substance they've created is "hungry" and must be fed a constant stream of electricity or else it will "reach out with its magnetic arms" and grab anything in its reach. The deadly, constantly-growing element is then given a new home in a cyclotron at a state university, but that doesn't last long after it implodes and blows up the building. The scientists then learn some horrifying, and potentially apocalyptic, things about it.

I'd venture a guess and say the easiest way to make a monster movie is to have that "monster" be something that's invisible to the human eye. I'd also venture a guess and say that it's even easier to make an invisible monster movie when your entire exciting climax consists of stolen footage from an old sci-fi movie. And that's pretty much what we have here with this throwaway cheapie. Mind you, this isn't unwatchable. It's competent, with some interesting ideas here and there and a good central performance from Carlson, but it's also almost entirely devoid of action and exceedingly talky, with gaps filled in by endless narration and expository science blabber.

All of the airplane, military and explosion scenes are stock footage and everything centered around the "Deltatron" machine at the finale has been swiped from the German film Gold (1934), which looks like it's probably worth checking out in its original form. The cast is filled with overworked character actors from the day, with the likes of Roy Engle, Frank Gerstle and Billy Benedict filling small roles. Also on hand here are pretty Jean Byron in a thankless role as Carlson's pregnant wife, Harry Ellerbe (from Corman's House of Usher), a young Strother Martin as a pilot and Kathleen Freeman as a secretary.

A fairly well-circulated title over the years, this was released theatrically in 1953, reissued in 1956 and then debuted on TV that same year. There were numerous VHS and DVD releases from MGM, Sinister Cinema, Monterey, etc., plus a blu-ray edition from Kino Lorber released a 2016. It's also currently on the streaming service Tubi, though not an especially good print of it.

★★

It Came from Outer Space (1953)

... aka: Atomic Monster
... aka: Invasion from Mars
... aka: Meteor, The
... aka: Strangers from Outer Space

Directed by:
Jack Arnold

A large, fiery meteor crash lands right outside of the small desert town of Sand Rock, Arizona. Astronomer and writer John Putnam (Richard Carlson), who's just moved to the area from the big city for a more low key kind of life, and his school teacher girlfriend Ellen Fields (Barbara Rush), are having a late date night and happen to spot the crash. They charter a helicopter from Pete and fly out to the huge, smoking crater where the meteor hit. John goes down to further explore things and realizes that it wasn't just a meteor that hit the Earth but a spherical spaceship. John also spots a shiny, glittery substance all over the ground. A sudden avalanche occurs and covers the craft with tons of rock before anyone else can see it. Once the authorities finally show up, John relays what he saw and demands that the area be sealed off until they can determine what exactly is going on. That's not quite what happens. No one takes him seriously. He and Ellen don't even really go into much detail about the large, one-eyed monster they briefly spotted in the middle of the road on their way back home either. What's the point?

The following day, an article mocking John's claims appears in the morning paper and the crater is swarming with military men, news crews and the local authorities. John's colleague Dr. Snell is also there, but even he doesn't believe his friend's claims because the lack of radioactivity and all of the available evidence points to it just being a meteor. Snell refuses to authorize an expensive excavation and other accuse John of just wanting free publicity for a book he's currently writing. Strange things begin to occur. Telephone repairmen Frank (Joe Sawyer) and George (Russell Johnson) keep picking up weird interference on the telephone lines. On their way back into town, both men cross paths with one of the alien visitors, who demonstrates its ability to duplicate and impersonate humans.

The aliens, now using the appearance of George and Frank but speaking in an emotionless monotone, head into town to look around and gather up things they need. Others - including a trio of prospectors, Dr. Snell and eventually Ellen - all vanish. When John finally gets to have a conversation with the aliens, he's informed that they mean humans no harm, but they can and will do terrible things if they're forced to. They are on Earth by sheer accident and now simply want to repair their ship and leave. They know we will do stupid things if we see them because we humans fear and then try to destroy things we don't understand. The people who have turned up missing haven't been killed; they are simply being held for collateral until the aliens can make a safe getaway. John decides to heed their warnings and lay low. Sheriff Matt Warren (Charles Drake), a childhood friend of Ellen's who from all indications is in love with her, isn't sure if they can be trusted and unwisely decides to organize a posse to destroy them.

This classic, influential Universal sci-fi flick (adapted from Ray Bradbury's short story by Harry Essex; rumor has it that Essex's script is almost identical to Bradbury's original treatment) has some heavy-handed dialogue and stilted acting (though the leads are alright), but it's entertaining, well-shot and has proved to be quite influential over the years. The very attractive Rush actually won a Golden Globe in the now-defunct "Most Promising Newcomer - Female" category for this performance. Originally released to theaters in 3D (Universal's first release to take advantage of the technology), where it became a hit. Roger Duchowny's made-for-TV "sequel" It Came from Outer Space 2 debuted on TV in 1996.

★★★