Creature with the Atom Brain (1955)

An ex-Nazi mad scientist uses radio-controlled atomic-powered zombies in his quest to help an exiled American gangster return to power.

Director:

Edward L. Cahn

Writers:

Curt Siodmak (story), Curt Siodmak (screenplay)

Stars:

Richard Denning, Angela Stevens, S. John Launer

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Denning	...	Dr. Chet Walker
Angela Stevens	...	Joyce Walker
S. John Launer	...	Capt. Dave Harris
Michael Granger	...	Frank Buchanan
Gregory Gaye	...	Dr. Wilhelm Steigg (as Gregory Gay)
Linda Bennett	...	Penny Walker
Tristram Coffin	...	Dist. Atty. MacGraw
Harry Lauter	...	Reporter #1
Larry J. Blake	...	Reporter #2 (as Larry Blake)
Charles Evans	...	Chief Camden
Pierre Watkin	...	Mayor Bremer

Storyline

Several years earlier gangster Frank Buchanan was deported to his native Italy through the efforts of law enforcement authorities and rival gangsters who inform on him. While in Europe he meets scientist Wilhelm Steigg, who has perfected a method of reanimating dead people and controlling their behavior with oral commands. Buchanan underwrites Steigg's experiments and uses his technology to wreak revenge on his enemies. Unfortunately radioactive poisoning is a by-product of the process, and authorities use radiation detecting devices like Geiger counters to pinpoint the source of the sinister plot.

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Plot Keywords:

reanimated corpse | gamma ray | zombie | beer | gangster | 

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Taglines:

Shock-Full of Thrills!

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le tueur au cerveau atomique

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Ranch, Verdugo Ave. and Pass Avenue, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Clover Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Creature with the Atom Brain inspired the name of the Belgian rock band Creature with the Atom Brain, as well as the 1980 Roky Erickson & The Aliens song of the same name.

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Goofs

Jet planes are supposedly shown patrolling the city air space in order to detect a house emanating radioactivity. It's ludicrous to think that an aircraft traveling at supersonic speed would be able to isolate radioactivity in a single building.

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Quotes

Governor: [on TV broadcast] As Governor, I am declaring a state of emergency. all police facilities have been alerted to prevent any further crimes by so-called atomic creatures.

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Connections

Referenced in Mad About You: Bedfellows (1993)

User Reviews

Nifty! Creepy! Intentionally funny! Highly recommended!

Having just seen this for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised; this is a solid, well-acted and scripted, somewhat tongue-and-cheek but scary horror/sci-fi film with a premise simutaneously nightmarishly banal/outrageous: a petty American criminal (looking like a cheap burley thug, the kind who would "threaten" George Reeves on the cheap sets on the t.v. Superman) hooks up in Europe with a German (read: Nazi) scientist experimenting with neural stimulation, and uses the doctor to seek revenge on his enemies by having the doctor's lab subjects become zombiefied killing machines, all via t.v. screens and microphones. The scenes of the gangster and the conflicted scientist constantly standing in front of the screens is at once deliberately "boring" and yet so weirdly disturbing. Even more disturbing and nightmarish are the two of them constantly donning radiation suits to crawl through what looks like some sort of embryonic white plastic tunnel to get to the lab and work on the zombies brains. The science fiction is contrasted humorously with the white-picket fence-ish 1950's domesticity of Richard Denning and his little family. Ah, Richard Denning! Golden wavy-haired, stalwart, fine-figured, supremely handsome, serious yet light-hearted, flirting with his wife yet always ready at a moment's notice to follow up any lead as a police doctor. One of the delights of this movie is a sort of spoof of pipe-smoking! Denning and a detective constantly light up so much that the detective offers Richard to "try my special blend". We also get the much used and appreciated staple of 50's sci-fi movies, the educational film strip, although here it is a bare, er, "bones" demonstration, with just a little doggy who has electrodes on his head. (I do NOT recommend this film for children say, under 12 years old!) The climax has a very "modern" Night of the Living Dead feel to it. The plot moves along at a satisfying pace and never lags. The dialog is punchy and clever. The villains are definitely memorable in a strangely "unmemorable" way. (the genius of the movie, I think!) I highly recommend this to all sci-fi/horror film buffs.