So, here's another classic fifties sci-fi horror movie that was recently colorized by United Artists. And, Eegah and I saw this one at the theater when it came to our town in late 1959 when we were in 6th grade. We loved it, what a wild and weird story, right up our alley!
It's about an American reporter who's given a strange injection by a scientist that turns him into a two-headed man-monster. It stars Peter Dyneley, Jane Hylton, Tetsu Nakamura, Terri Zimmern and Norman Van Hawley.
Things start with this ape-like creature here, he had escaped earlier from the lab and killed a number of women at a bath house, and has now returned.
It is the secret lab of Dr. Robert Suzuki, in the mountains, away from the city. He's experimenting with genetic manipulation, and the creature is his own brother! He has caused too much trouble and must be destroyed...
Larry Stanford is a reporter who was invited to Dr. Suzuki's place for an interview with the doctor for his newspaper.
The whole time, Suzuki planned on knocking out and injecting Larry with his formula.
Larry has changed, he just wants to drink and have fun with his new friend, Tara, Dr. Suzuki's lab assistant. When he goes to his apartment with Tara, he finds his wife Linda waiting there with Larry's boss, Ian. They basically want to know what the Hell's wrong with him.
Later, Larry starts to change...
His right hand has changed into one hideous sight!
Back at the lab, Dr. Suzuki tells Tara that Larry's about to go through a big change!
Let's face it, that would freak you out a little bit!
At this point, Larry's not really there!
Dr. Suzuki has one more murder to commit, he needs to put another of his experiments, Emiko, out of her misery. Alas, Emiko is his wife!
The Manster has made its way back to the lab, and receives one last injection from Dr. Suzuki. Soon thereafter though, the monster tosses the doctor into the incinerator!!
The place is coming unglued, so the Manster heads back outside...
Once back in the forest, the man and the monster split away from each other. The alternative title of the movie is... THE SPLIT!
The monster ends up tossing Tara into the volcano, and...
It goes after Larry, who has changed back to normal now. Larry fights back and ends up tossing the monster itself into the volcano!!
As Larry's carried off on a stretcher, Linda and Ian wonder how much on this is really Larry's fault. Love this crazy movie!
The "thing in the cage" really freaked me out as a kid
ReplyDeletewatching this in the 1970s.
Work of art she was...like the proverbial 1950s "Atomic Mutant".
The movie really was well-casted.
The sardonic (Forry taught me that word) Mad Scientist
character could have been on a 007 movie.
55 REVIEWS for this movie in IMDB! Fun reading.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055139/reviews?ref_=tt_urv
Lead players Peter Dyneley & Jane Hylton
were married in real life.
Dyneley (British) was a voice actor for THE THUNDERBIRDS
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0245945/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1
The Manster:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055139/?ref_=tt_urv
wiki tells a little more:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Manster
The scene when THE SPLIT actually takes place is...positively psychotronic! The first time I saw this film in the 1980s (I was a latecomer to the fair on this one, for sure!) was a definite "WTF!" moment for me!
ReplyDeleteBTW, the colorization on this is pretty darn good, I guess? CRAZY MAN!