X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (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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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 1965 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film originally had a five-minute prologue about the human senses. This prologue was removed from all post-theatrical prints of the film, and may have been removed from some of the theatrical release prints. This reduced the running time to 79 minutes. The footage still exists.

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Goofs

After getting eye drops, his vision will change in 8 to 10 seconds. But he doesn't see until he opens his eyes. He should see through his eyelids.

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Quotes

Dr. Diane Fairfax: What do you see?
Dr. James Xavier: The city... as if it were unborn. Rising into the sky with fingers of metal, limbs without flesh, girders without stone. Signs hanging without support. Wires dipping and swaying without poles. A city unborn. Flesh dissolved in an acid of light. A city of the dead.

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Connections

Featured in Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009)

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!