X (1963)

A doctor uses special eye drops to give himself x-ray vision, but the new power has disastrous consequences.

Director:

Roger Corman

Writers:

Robert Dillon (screenplay), Ray Russell (screenplay)

Stars:

Ray Milland, Diana Van der Vlis, Harold J. Stone

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ray Milland	...	Dr. James Xavier
Diana Van der Vlis	...	Dr. Diane Fairfax (as Diana van der Vlis)
Harold J. Stone	...	Dr. Sam Brant
John Hoyt	...	Dr. Willard Benson
Don Rickles	...	Crane

Storyline

Dr. James Xavier is a world renowned scientist experimenting with human eyesight. He devises a drug, that when applied to the eyes, enables the user to see beyond the normal realm of our sight (ultraviolet rays etc.) it also gives the user the power to see through objects. Xavier tests this drug on himself, when his funding is cut off. As he continues to test the drug on himself, Xavier begins to see, not only through walls and clothes, but through the very fabric of reality!

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Plot Keywords:

x ray vision | b movie | h.p. lovecraft | mad scientist | blackjack game | 

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Taglines:

Suddenly he could see through clothes, flesh... and walls!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The film won the Astronave D'argento ("Silver Spaceship") award in 1963 at the first International Festival of Science Fiction Film (Festival internazionale del film di fantascienza) in Trieste, Italy.

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Goofs

A few minutes after Dr. Xavier flees the Las Vegas Strip in his car, a helicopter shouts down, "This is the California Highway Patrol." The California state line is 50 miles from Las Vegas.

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Quotes

Preacher: Are you a sinner? Do you wish to be saved?
Dr. James Xavier: Saved? No. I've come to tell you what I see. There are great darknesses. Farther than time itself. And beyond the darkness... a light that glows, changes... and in the center of the universe... the eye that sees us all.
[Looks up at the sky]
Dr. James Xavier: No!
Preacher: You see sin and the devil! But the lord has told us what to do about it. Said Matthew in Chapter Five, "If thine eye offends thee... pluck it out!"

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Alternate Versions

Through an apparent lab error, some of the 16mm U.S. television syndication prints had the ending credits in Spanish.

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Connections

Featured in Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007)

User Reviews

Well worked little B-movie thriller!

Roger Corman is often passed over as merely a B-movie director, but films like this one really show his brilliance. The Man with X-Ray Eyes is chilling, ingenious and highly original; and this becomes even more impressive when you consider that the film was shot on a shoestring budget of just $300,000. Because of this, Corman doesn't go overboard with the special effects, and as such; the film concentrates on the implications of the lead character's predicament. This actually helps the film, as the idea behind what is happening is far more chilling than how it has actually happened. The plot follows a doctor doing research into the eye. After discovering a new drug that can give its taker X-ray vision, he decides to test it on himself due to lack of funds. Before long, he finds that he is able to see through people's clothes (surely a useful ability), as well as walls and other surfaces. However, this new capability soon takes its toll on the good doctor, as he loses the ability to shut out the light, and after a tragic event; he has to find a new way to make a living.

Ray Milland, who worked with Corman previously on the Poe adaptation 'Premature Burial', takes the lead and gives a great portrayal of the doctor at the centre of the story. Milland is great at portraying a strain on a character, and that ability is put to best use in this film. The story is frightening because, as is said at one moment in the film, we only get one pair of eyes and therefore that pair is precious. The idea of not being able to cut out the light is frightening also, as while many people would see X-ray vision as an asset, this film does well in disputing that. The way that Corman portrays the 'X-ray vision' makes best use of the budget available and actually works rather well, as we get treated to seeing the world through the eyes of the lead character. The way that the story pans out isn't particularly original, but it works in that it's believable and provides a good backdrop for the major focus of the film. Overall, The Man with X-Ray Vision is proof that a film can work in spite of a limited budget, and while Corman may not be the best director of all time; he certainly knows how to make B-movies!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

X, l'homme aux yeux rayons X

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$250,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alta Vista Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1