Ballet, Mien Fuhrer ? 1958 " Electronic Monster" that sounds a heck of a lot scarier then the original title, "Escapement". Directed by Montgomery Tully, and David Paltenghi. and written by Charles Erick Maine. The quirky film could also have been titled, "the Adventures of Jeff Keenen", played by the rugged guys guy, Rod Cameron, "Insurance inspector" a hard boiled investigator, who use to be in love with a sweet dame, that he walked away from, Ruth Vance, played by the sexy Mary Murphy. Now she got herself hitched up to the Megalomaniac Paul Zacon, played by Peter Illing. Some spoiler alert ahead, Actually "Escapement" is a much better title. It would seem to imply the term "addiction". That is the goofy basis of Mad scientist number one, Dr Phillip Maxwell, played by Merideth Edwards. His brainstorm? Cure depression, neurosis, and anti social tenancies, by stimulating the brain with electronic pleasure sensations. A collection of specially recorded sensory stimulation. An electronic "fix" to curb their behavior. All done with tube technology.
How alien it must be to today's generation, to see a scene that opens with a guy at a typewriter, talking on a dial telephone. The wacky electronic effects are immensely irritating, they portend some "evil" about to take place, I can feel the pain of the producer, asking the director to try to make it more scary. Where is the monster? 1954's movie GOG had a real Robot monster. Here the monster is more subtle. and stupid. Well you see, the actor thought he was in a noir cover-up conspiracy film, not really a horror film at all. At ten years old when the film was released, especially under the name Electronic Monster, I would have been bored by the whole talky film. The Brits would tackle the electronic mind control theme again, in the much better, "The Mind Benders" (1963)
The "dream" sequences are an interesting insert, into the whole dull affair, time for the kids to hit the bathroom. Sexy little vignettes, choreographed like a "Moulon Rouge" dance routine. Teddy Catsford is given credit for the special cinematography. Sexy numbers, un-sexy music. We cut to the grand finale, The clichéd Scientist burns down the Lab scene. OK, it delivers, as Mad scientist turns good, and zaps the bad guy before going down with the ship. Throw in the keystone kops, and a demented killer following the bosses orders, and you still have one dull presentation. Movies like this kept the popcorn flying at the matinees. For historic value, I upped the Stars, I give it Four out of Ten "Check out whats happening in the lobby" Stars.
How alien it must be to today's generation, to see a scene that opens with a guy at a typewriter, talking on a dial telephone. The wacky electronic effects are immensely irritating, they portend some "evil" about to take place, I can feel the pain of the producer, asking the director to try to make it more scary. Where is the monster? 1954's movie GOG had a real Robot monster. Here the monster is more subtle. and stupid. Well you see, the actor thought he was in a noir cover-up conspiracy film, not really a horror film at all. At ten years old when the film was released, especially under the name Electronic Monster, I would have been bored by the whole talky film. The Brits would tackle the electronic mind control theme again, in the much better, "The Mind Benders" (1963)
The "dream" sequences are an interesting insert, into the whole dull affair, time for the kids to hit the bathroom. Sexy little vignettes, choreographed like a "Moulon Rouge" dance routine. Teddy Catsford is given credit for the special cinematography. Sexy numbers, un-sexy music. We cut to the grand finale, The clichéd Scientist burns down the Lab scene. OK, it delivers, as Mad scientist turns good, and zaps the bad guy before going down with the ship. Throw in the keystone kops, and a demented killer following the bosses orders, and you still have one dull presentation. Movies like this kept the popcorn flying at the matinees. For historic value, I upped the Stars, I give it Four out of Ten "Check out whats happening in the lobby" Stars.