The Magnetic Monster (1953)

Working for O.S.I., the Office of Scientific Investigation, A-Man agent Jeffrey Stewart and his partner Dan Forbes are sent to a local hardware store where they find a strong magnetic field... See full summary »

Director:

Curt Siodmak

Writers:

Curt Siodmak (screenplay), Ivan Tors (screenplay)

Stars:

Richard Carlson, King Donovan, Jean Byron

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Carlson	...	Dr. Jeffrey Stewart
King Donovan	...	Dr. Dan Forbes
Jean Byron	...	Connie Stewart
Harry Ellerbe	...	Dr. Allard
Leo Britt	...	Dr. Benton
Leonard Mudie	...	Howard Denker
Byron Foulger	...	Mr. Simon
Michael Fox	...	Dr. Serny
John Zaremba	...	Chief Watson (as John Zarimba)
Lee Phelps	...	City Engineer
Watson Downs	...	Mayor
Roy Engel	...	Gen. Behan (as Roy Engle)
Frank Gerstle	...	Col. Willis
John Vosper	...	Capt. Dyer
John Dodsworth	...	Dr. Carthwright

Storyline

Working for O.S.I., the Office of Scientific Investigation, A-Man agent Jeffrey Stewart and his partner Dan Forbes are sent to a local hardware store where they find a strong magnetic field has magnetized every metal item in the store. Investigating further, they eventually trace the source of the magnetism to an airborn flight carrying scientist Howard Denker, now dying of radiation poisoning, who has carted on board with him a new radioactive element which he has bombarded with alpha particles for 200 hours. The element, dubbed 'serranium' grows geometrically by creating matter out of energy which it absorbs from metallic objects surrounding it. Stewart calculates that if the substance is not destroyed soon that within 24 hours or so it will have grown large enough to throw Earth out of its orbit.

---

Plot Keywords:

office of scientific investigation | hardware store | scientist hero | magnetized object | taxi driver | 

---

Taglines:

Terror swoops through the heart of a city in the dead of night!

---

Genres:

Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 February 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le monstre magnétique

Filming Locations:

McCulloch Plant, Los Angeles International Airport - 1 World Way, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$105,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ivan Tors Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The bomber that transported the scientists was a North American B-45 Tornado.

---

Goofs

In the early scene in the hardware store, when the scientists toss washers up to the ceiling to determine a magnetic source, the the washers roll and spin before settling on the ceiling, just as some coins would do so if dropped on the floor. A magnetic force strong enough to magnetize much heavier objects in the store would have pulled the washers directly to the ceiling without the extraneous movement.

---

Quotes

Howard Denker: It's hungry! It has to be fed constantly - or it will reach out its magnetic arm and grab at anything within its reach and kill it. It's monstrous, Stewart, monstrous. It grows bigger and bigger!

---

Connections

Referenced in The Naked Monster (2005)

User Reviews

One of the best sci-fi B-movies of the Fifties!

One of the best sci-fi B-movies of the Fifties! Stalwart hero-scientist Carlson is really terrific and convincing too; stock footage of dynamo is realistically intercut with new footage of a movie set built to look exactly like the one in the German film GOLD (1934), in which stock footage from the 1934 film is intercut with new footage. The film succeeds on all levels, made for an adult audience, and although a 'modern' American film, it had a film crew with a heritage in German impressionist cinema of the 1930s. Highly recommended! Great Science Fiction! Probably the only Fifties SF film besides ON THE BEACH (1959) to show the nuclear radiation problem realistically; especially chilling is the scene on board an airliner where the nuclear scientist who had a hand in creating the monster (Leonard Mudie) is dying of nuclear radiation and his gums are bleeding while he holds onto a briefcase in his lap containing the radioactive isotope. Rushed to a hospital after the plane lands, he dies in isolation. And a formidable, unknown, unseen monster! Badly dated now, but an effective, well-written thriller featuring the TV star of I LED THREE LIVES and the movie star of IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE and CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, Richard Carlson gives another fine performance.