Dr. Cyclops
Encyclopedia
Dr. Cyclops is a science fiction
horror film
directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack
, starring Thomas Coley, Victor Kilian
, Janice Logan, Charles Halton
, Frank Yaconelli, and Albert Dekker
, and released by Paramount Pictures
.
) — are summoned by Dr. Alexander Thorkel (Albert Dekker
) to his laboratory in the Peruvian jungle. They are accompanied by a local miner, Steve Baker (Victor Kilian
) who suspects that Thorkel is secretly mining ore. When they arrive they find Thorkel has brought them all the way there only to identify some crystals under his microscope, since his eyesight is too poor for him to see them himself. Their job done, he now wants them to leave.
Insulted, they set up camp in Thorkel's stockade until he will tell them more about the experiments in which he is engaged. They discover that Thorkel is attempting to shrink living organisms using radiation. When he finds them snooping in his laboratory, he angrily locks them (along with his assistant Pedro (Frank Yaconelli)) inside his radiation chamber. When they emerge they find they have shrunk to twelve inches tall.
At first willing to play-act the role of benevolent despot with his miniaturized captives, Thorkel reveals the more sinister side of his personality by abruptly murdering Bullfinch in cold blood (easily the film's most frightening sequence) because the effects of the ray are wearing off. The rest of the picture details the escape efforts of the four pint-sized protagonists as they hack their way through a jungle of gigantic foliage and do battle with oversize wildlife. By morning, they attempt to cross a river via small boat but are interrupted by an alligator. Thorkel then comes in, killing Pedro and igniting the grass to kill the rest. The fugitives are able to hide in one of Thorkel’s specimen cases and are unknowingly brought back to his lab.
While Thorkel goes to check on an apparatus he has set above an old mineshaft, Bill, Steve and Mary prepare to kill him with his own shotgun when he lies in bed. However, he instead falls asleep at his desk. Steve then attempts to steal Thorkel's glasses, without which he is nearly sightless. Accidentally alerted, Thorkel chases the shrunken trio to the mineshaft and nearly slips. The heroes take advantage of the distraction to cut his rope, causing Thorkel to plunge into the pit.
Months later, Bill, Steve and Mary are seen returning to the South American town, restored to their original size. Bill and Mary are in love.
of King Kong
fame. Like that earlier film, it involves an expedition into the jungle in search of scientific discovery. Also like King Kong, the film features elaborate sets and special effects, here used to convincingly depict the shrunken humans. The film is also the first U.S. science fiction film made in Technicolor
, and Schoedsack took care that the special effects in color were effective.
The film is also memorable for the strong female character of Mary Robinson, who is depicted as intelligent, resourceful and self-willed. She is very different from the more traditional "damsel in distress" role as evinced by character Anne Darrow (Fay Wray
) in King Kong.
as the mad scientist is under development and is expected to be released in 2012.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack
Ernest B. Schoedsack
Ernest Beaumont Schoedsack was an American motion picture cinematographer, director, and producer.Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Schoedsack is probably best remembered for being the co-director of the 1933 film, King Kong....
, starring Thomas Coley, Victor Kilian
Victor Kilian
Victor Arthur Kilian was an American actor who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s....
, Janice Logan, Charles Halton
Charles Halton
Charles Halton was a stern-faced American character actor who appeared in over 180 films.One of his most memorable portrayals was as Carter, the bank examiner in It's a Wonderful Life...
, Frank Yaconelli, and Albert Dekker
Albert Dekker
Albert Dekker was an American character actor and politician best known for his roles in Dr. Cyclops, The Killers, Kiss Me Deadly, and The Wild Bunch. He is sometimes credited as Albert Van Dekker or Albert van Dekker...
, and released by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
.
Plot summary
Three scientists — mineralogist Dr. Bill Stockton (Thomas Coley) and biologists Dr. Mary Robinson (Janice Logan) and Dr. Bullfinch (Charles HaltonCharles Halton
Charles Halton was a stern-faced American character actor who appeared in over 180 films.One of his most memorable portrayals was as Carter, the bank examiner in It's a Wonderful Life...
) — are summoned by Dr. Alexander Thorkel (Albert Dekker
Albert Dekker
Albert Dekker was an American character actor and politician best known for his roles in Dr. Cyclops, The Killers, Kiss Me Deadly, and The Wild Bunch. He is sometimes credited as Albert Van Dekker or Albert van Dekker...
) to his laboratory in the Peruvian jungle. They are accompanied by a local miner, Steve Baker (Victor Kilian
Victor Kilian
Victor Arthur Kilian was an American actor who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s....
) who suspects that Thorkel is secretly mining ore. When they arrive they find Thorkel has brought them all the way there only to identify some crystals under his microscope, since his eyesight is too poor for him to see them himself. Their job done, he now wants them to leave.
Insulted, they set up camp in Thorkel's stockade until he will tell them more about the experiments in which he is engaged. They discover that Thorkel is attempting to shrink living organisms using radiation. When he finds them snooping in his laboratory, he angrily locks them (along with his assistant Pedro (Frank Yaconelli)) inside his radiation chamber. When they emerge they find they have shrunk to twelve inches tall.
At first willing to play-act the role of benevolent despot with his miniaturized captives, Thorkel reveals the more sinister side of his personality by abruptly murdering Bullfinch in cold blood (easily the film's most frightening sequence) because the effects of the ray are wearing off. The rest of the picture details the escape efforts of the four pint-sized protagonists as they hack their way through a jungle of gigantic foliage and do battle with oversize wildlife. By morning, they attempt to cross a river via small boat but are interrupted by an alligator. Thorkel then comes in, killing Pedro and igniting the grass to kill the rest. The fugitives are able to hide in one of Thorkel’s specimen cases and are unknowingly brought back to his lab.
While Thorkel goes to check on an apparatus he has set above an old mineshaft, Bill, Steve and Mary prepare to kill him with his own shotgun when he lies in bed. However, he instead falls asleep at his desk. Steve then attempts to steal Thorkel's glasses, without which he is nearly sightless. Accidentally alerted, Thorkel chases the shrunken trio to the mineshaft and nearly slips. The heroes take advantage of the distraction to cut his rope, causing Thorkel to plunge into the pit.
Months later, Bill, Steve and Mary are seen returning to the South American town, restored to their original size. Bill and Mary are in love.
Place in Film History
Dr. Cyclops is noteworthy for having been directed by Ernest B. SchoedsackErnest B. Schoedsack
Ernest Beaumont Schoedsack was an American motion picture cinematographer, director, and producer.Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Schoedsack is probably best remembered for being the co-director of the 1933 film, King Kong....
of King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
fame. Like that earlier film, it involves an expedition into the jungle in search of scientific discovery. Also like King Kong, the film features elaborate sets and special effects, here used to convincingly depict the shrunken humans. The film is also the first U.S. science fiction film made in Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
, and Schoedsack took care that the special effects in color were effective.
The film is also memorable for the strong female character of Mary Robinson, who is depicted as intelligent, resourceful and self-willed. She is very different from the more traditional "damsel in distress" role as evinced by character Anne Darrow (Fay Wray
Fay Wray
Fay Wray was a Canadian-American actress most noted for playing the female lead in King Kong...
) in King Kong.
Remake
A remake starring Daniel RadcliffeDaniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
as the mad scientist is under development and is expected to be released in 2012.