The Unearthly (1957)

Mad doctor uses patients at his isolated psychiatric institute as subjects in his attempts to create longevity by surgically installing an artificial gland in their skulls, with disastrous results.

Director:

Boris Petroff

Writers:

Jane Mann (original story), John D.F. Black (screenplay),

Stars:

John Carradine, Myron Healey, Allison Hayes

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Carradine	...	Dr. Charles Conway
Myron Healey	...	Mark Houston (as Myron Healy)
Allison Hayes	...	Grace Thomas
Marilyn Buferd	...	Dr. Sharon Gilchrist (as Marylyn Buferd)
Arthur Batanides	...	Danny Green
Sally Todd	...	Natalie Andries
Tor Johnson	...	Lobo II
Roy Gordon	...	Dr. Loren Wright
Guy Prescott	...	Police Captain George Reagan
Raymond Guth	...	Police Officer Miller (as Raymond Guta)
Harry Fleer	...	Harry Jedrow
Gloria Petroff	...	Screaming Woman
Paul McWilliams	...	Police Officer Ed

Storyline

Professor Charles Conway is a mad scientist attempting to develop the proverbial fountain of youth by creating "the 17th gland". Ignoring all aspects of scientific ethics, his research subjects are people who have no family and are under the impression that the doctor can cure their depression. However, his research hasn't been successful and his subjects are turned into grotesque zombies. Some of Conway's patients begin to catch on to his scheme and intend to stop him.

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Plot Keywords:

doctor | patient | mad scientist | mad doctor | bach's toccata and fugue | 

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Taglines:

An army of mutants on a mission from hell!

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 June 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

House of the Monsters

Filming Locations:

Quality Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

AB-PT Pictures Corp.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Lobo character here (who can speak) was created by writers Mann and Black. He is a different character than the mute Lobo created by Ed Wood Jr. in "Bride of the Monster" and "Night of the Ghouls". Screenwriter Jane Mann was the wife of director Boris Petroff.

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Goofs

When Natalie's surgery fails, her facial injuries - burns or decomposition, whatever they may be - are sellotaped to her neck.

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Quotes

Lobo: Time-fo'-go-ta-bed.

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Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Freaks (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Toccata and Fugue in D minor"
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach

User Reviews

At least John Carradine is in it.

Because if not for him, there would be very little in this movie worth looking at. Carradine plays a doctor working on people brought to him by another doctor. They think they are there to help them get over mild psychological problems, but instead they are there to be guinea pigs for the good doctor. Could have been good, but it is a little too talky for a B sci-fi movie from the 50s. There are only a couple of locations in this movie too, and there really isn't much to look at. Carridine does all right I guess, but the rest of the cast doesn't really seem interested in being there. Except for the one guy who overacts throughout the movie. Tor Johnson is in this one too, as of course, the doctor's henchmen and helper. The doctor's experiments seem to revolve around making people immortal, but he fails so often that you would think he would give up. Not our good doctor though, no way does he give up. He just works on the next one. Actually, in this movie you only see him operate on one gal, but you do get to see a lot of the doctor's previous works.