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 | psychotronic film | 

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Taglines:

Based on Scientific Facts!

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

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:

Sam Katzman 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

To keep the budget low, like many directors of the period, Edward L. Cahn chose to shoot the film with in as few breaks and edits as feasible, so that the characters are constantly standing, sitting, and pacing to avoid the tedium of talking-head shots. Even when characters move from room to room, there are very few cuts. The effect is both impressive and amusing, once the viewer becomes aware of it, and could inspire a Drinking Game based on spotting the edits!

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Goofs

Dr. Walker warns the authorities that there is grave danger of radioactive contamination if they bomb Buchanan's hideout. But when he breaks into the laboratory, Walker actually grabs the radium power source (how he knows where to find it is unexplained) and hurls it out a window.

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Quotes

Dr. Chet Walker: It would answer the riddle, wouldn't it? Remote-controlled creatures, their brains powered by atomic energy, roaming the streets, directed from a central point.

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Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Zombies (1996)

User Reviews

A fifties "B" classic!

I first saw this film when I was about twelve years old on T.V., and at the time I didn't think it was anything special. I saw it again recently for the first time thanks to modern miracle of video. I must admit that I remember many scenes from this minor little picture more vividly than much better films I saw as a kid: atomized Karl "Killer" Davis busting into a room to break the back of a gangster, the scene where Richard Denning discovers his partner has become a zombie, and the films climax where an army of creatures with atom brains do battle with the police. Oh! and I almost forgot, the scene where walking dead "Uncle Dave" tears Richard Denning's daughters doll to shreds. In retrospect, the scene makes little sense, but it came as quite a shock.

Most of the cast is acceptable. Edward L. Cahn's direction is perfunctory but he keeps things moving. Seen today by younger audiences influenced by MST3K or cheaply cynical critics like John Stanley and Randy Dreyfus, CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN probably looks pretty bad. However, if one views this film in the right frame of mind, it is very entertaining.

Apparently CREATURE WITH ATOM BRAIN has effected a lot of people over the years. Clips from this film have turned up on few TV shows and movies. Roky Erikson (13 Floor Elevators) wrote and titled a song about this movie on his album "The Evil One". He even incorporated lines from the movie in his song "Creature With The Atom Brain."