The Electric Man
(1941)
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The Electric Man
(1941)
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| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Lionel Atwill | ... | ||
| Lon Chaney Jr. | ... | ||
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Anne Nagel | ... |
June Lawrence
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| Frank Albertson | ... | ||
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Samuel S. Hinds | ... |
Dr. John Lawrence
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William B. Davidson | ... |
District Attorney Ralph Stanley
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Ben Taggart | ... |
Police Detective Sergeant
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Constance Bergen | ... |
Nurse
(as Connie Bergen)
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Ivan Miller | ... |
Doctor
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Chester Gan | ... |
Wong (servant)
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George Meader | ... |
Dr. Bruno
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Frank O'Connor | ... |
Detective
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John Dilson | ... |
Coroner
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Byron Foulger | ... |
Alienist #2
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Russell Hicks | ... |
Warden Harris
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"Big Dan" McCormick is the sole survivor of a bus crash into hydro lines. 5 others were electrocuted. Intrigued by Dan's apparent immunity to electricity, Dr. John Lawrence, distinguished elector-biologist, asks Dan to visit him at his laboratory, where Lawrence's assistant, Dr. Paul Rigas, is secretly conducting experiments to prove his theory that human life can be motivated and controlled by electricity. Rigas persuades Dan to submit to tests, where Dan absorbs increasingly powerful charges until he develops an amazing degree of immunity, and becomes a walking hulk of electricity. Rigas does a final test of pouring a tremendous charge into Dan's body, and Dan becomes superhuman and his body glows. He is also a robot that is controlled by Rigas. When Lawrence tries to stop the experiment, Rigas orders Dan to kill him. Rigas removes the electricity from Dan's body and he becomes a shrunken shell. Despite the efforts of June Meredith, Lawrence's niece, and newspaper reporter Mark ... Written by Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Watching this movie again recently I was impressed with how efficiently crafted it was. Clearly not meant to be a major feature, MAN MADE MONSTER is nonetheless put together with great skill. I was particularly impressed with how fast they kept the pace and the attention paid to fleshing out the characters. The attempted execution is conveyed only through the reactions of supporting characters who are clearly conscious of the grim circumstances of state approved homicide. Chaney portrays the likable lug turned pathetic victim with real sincerity. He has no idea what's happening to him, and in one of the final scenes his mime reminds me of Karloff's original Frankenstein monster (ironic since when Chaney himself played the monster he had no such opportunity). And Lionel Atwill as a scientist more mad than evil is, as always, a delight. Good movie.