So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in the United States of America all the way back in 1953, audiences were chilled and thrilled with the original theatrical release of The Magnetic Monster from Ivan Tors Productions.
For those of you who don't recognize the name of Ivan Tors Productions, the studio was responsible for a good deal of Science Fiction and Fantasy from the bygone era. A quick glance at the company profile on IMDB.com shows their association to such projects as Science Fiction Theater, Riders To The Stars (1954), Gog (1954), Around The World Under The Sea (1966), Island Of The Lost (1967), Hello Down There (1969), Primus, and others.
Tors and screenwriter Curt Siodmak share scripting credits; and Siodmak also shared directing credit with Herbert L. Strock. IMDB.com's Trivia Page for the flick indicates that most of the direction was completed by Strock as the two had to integrate a good deal of stock footage into what was shot either on location or on soundstages, so his skills as an editing kinda/sorta trumped Siodmak's as a visual auteur. The cast includes such names as Richard Carlson, King Donovan, Jean Byron, Harry Ellerbe, Leo Britt, Leonard Mudie, Byron Foulger, Michael Fox, and others.
Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"Working for O.S.I., the Office of Scientific Investigation, A-Man agent Jeffrey Stewart and his partner Dan Forbes are sent to a local hardware store where they find a strong magnetic field has magnetized every metal item in the store. Investigating further, they eventually trace the source of the magnetism to an airborn flight carrying scientist Howard Denker, now dying of radiation poisoning, who has carted on board with him a new radioactive element which he has bombarded with alpha particles for 200 hours. The element, dubbed 'serranium' grows geometrically by creating matter out of energy which it absorbs from metallic objects surrounding it. Stewart calculates that if the substance is not destroyed soon that within 24 hours or so it will have grown large enough to throw Earth out of its orbit."
For those who like that sort of thing, the theatrical trailer is posted below.
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
On this day in the United States of America all the way back in 1953, audiences were chilled and thrilled with the original theatrical release of The Magnetic Monster from Ivan Tors Productions.
For those of you who don't recognize the name of Ivan Tors Productions, the studio was responsible for a good deal of Science Fiction and Fantasy from the bygone era. A quick glance at the company profile on IMDB.com shows their association to such projects as Science Fiction Theater, Riders To The Stars (1954), Gog (1954), Around The World Under The Sea (1966), Island Of The Lost (1967), Hello Down There (1969), Primus, and others.
Tors and screenwriter Curt Siodmak share scripting credits; and Siodmak also shared directing credit with Herbert L. Strock. IMDB.com's Trivia Page for the flick indicates that most of the direction was completed by Strock as the two had to integrate a good deal of stock footage into what was shot either on location or on soundstages, so his skills as an editing kinda/sorta trumped Siodmak's as a visual auteur. The cast includes such names as Richard Carlson, King Donovan, Jean Byron, Harry Ellerbe, Leo Britt, Leonard Mudie, Byron Foulger, Michael Fox, and others.
Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"Working for O.S.I., the Office of Scientific Investigation, A-Man agent Jeffrey Stewart and his partner Dan Forbes are sent to a local hardware store where they find a strong magnetic field has magnetized every metal item in the store. Investigating further, they eventually trace the source of the magnetism to an airborn flight carrying scientist Howard Denker, now dying of radiation poisoning, who has carted on board with him a new radioactive element which he has bombarded with alpha particles for 200 hours. The element, dubbed 'serranium' grows geometrically by creating matter out of energy which it absorbs from metallic objects surrounding it. Stewart calculates that if the substance is not destroyed soon that within 24 hours or so it will have grown large enough to throw Earth out of its orbit."
For those who like that sort of thing, the theatrical trailer is posted below.
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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