The Mechanical Monsters
Encyclopedia
The Mechanical Monsters is the second of the seventeen animated Technicolor
short films based upon the DC Comics
character Superman
. Produced by Fleischer Studios
, the story features Superman battling a mad scientist with a small army of robots at his command. It was originally released by Paramount Pictures
on November 28, 1941.
, reporting the "mechanical monsters" robbery right alongside an announcement for the display of 50 million dollars of the world's rarest gems at the local museum.
Later, as Lois and Clark are covering the museum's exhibit for the Planet, a robot lands in the street outside. The police pelt it with machine gun fire as it marches towards the museum, but the bullets bounce harmlessly off. Museum visitors, including Clark and Lois, flee as the monster marches towards the jewels and begins loading them into an opening in its back.
While Clark phones the Planet from the nearest phone booth, Lois climbs into the monster's back, just as the monster leaves the museum and takes off into the sky. Clark emerges from the booth, notices Lois gone, and says, "This looks like a job for Superman." He changes his clothes and emerges in his classic red cape.
Flying high above the city, Superman spots the robot and uses his x-ray vision
to see Lois inside with the jewels. (This is the only time he uses his x-ray vision in the Fleischer shorts.) He lands on it and struggles to open the door in its back, only to have the scientist maneuver the robot upside down and throw him off into a power line, tangling him in the wires. As the robot is upside down, the door flies open and all the jewels fall out, with Lois surviving only by hanging for dear life until the robot flips back over.
As Superman struggles to free himself from the wires, the robot arrives at the lair, but instead of jewels, the scientist finds Lois in its payload. Infuriated, he demands that she tell him where the jewels are. The next time we see her, she is bound and gagged on a platform held over a pot of boiling metal in part of what appears to be an industrial foundry
. The scientist pulls a lever which starts some machinery gradually lowering her closer and closer to the liquid.
Meanwhile, Superman frees himself from the power lines and knocks down the door to the scientist's lair, only to meet the army of robots (numbers 1 through 27 are seen). Under the scientist's control, the robots emit fire from nozzles positioned on the lower part of their heads, encircle Superman, and pound him with their fists. Initially, the robots seem to have the upper hand, beating Superman to the ground, but Superman defeats them, sending the scientist running. When Superman catches up with him, he is holding a knife to the rope holding Lois' platform above the molten metal, and threatens to cut it if he takes another step. Superman makes a move, the rope is cut, and Superman speeds across the room to catch Lois just in time, landing on a ledge below the pot of molten metal and the scientist. The scientist then pulls a lever to dump the hot liquid on them, but Superman shields Lois with his cape, then grabs the scientist and flies from the lair to take him and Lois back to the city. The film ends with a shot of the next issue of the Planet, describing the latest adventure -- Superman stopped the mechanical monsters, the scientist was arrested and the jewels are recovered. In the office, Clark says "That's a wonderful story, Lois." Lois replies, "Thanks Clark, but I owe it all to Superman." Clark smiles.
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...
short films based upon the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
character Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. Produced by Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
, the story features Superman battling a mad scientist with a small army of robots at his command. It was originally 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...
on November 28, 1941.
Plot
The story starts as one of the robots flies into a scientist's secret lair and unloads a pile of cash into a vault. The robot is controlled completely from the scientists command center, and we see that he is one of many robots similar to him, lined up along the walls of the lair. Next, we see the front page of the Daily PlanetDaily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...
, reporting the "mechanical monsters" robbery right alongside an announcement for the display of 50 million dollars of the world's rarest gems at the local museum.
Later, as Lois and Clark are covering the museum's exhibit for the Planet, a robot lands in the street outside. The police pelt it with machine gun fire as it marches towards the museum, but the bullets bounce harmlessly off. Museum visitors, including Clark and Lois, flee as the monster marches towards the jewels and begins loading them into an opening in its back.
Flying high above the city, Superman spots the robot and uses his x-ray vision
X-Ray Vision
In science fiction stories or superhero comics, X-ray vision is the ability to see through physical objects at the discretion of the holder of this superpower. The most famous possessor of this ability is DC Comics' iconic superhero character, Superman....
to see Lois inside with the jewels. (This is the only time he uses his x-ray vision in the Fleischer shorts.) He lands on it and struggles to open the door in its back, only to have the scientist maneuver the robot upside down and throw him off into a power line, tangling him in the wires. As the robot is upside down, the door flies open and all the jewels fall out, with Lois surviving only by hanging for dear life until the robot flips back over.
As Superman struggles to free himself from the wires, the robot arrives at the lair, but instead of jewels, the scientist finds Lois in its payload. Infuriated, he demands that she tell him where the jewels are. The next time we see her, she is bound and gagged on a platform held over a pot of boiling metal in part of what appears to be an industrial foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
. The scientist pulls a lever which starts some machinery gradually lowering her closer and closer to the liquid.
Meanwhile, Superman frees himself from the power lines and knocks down the door to the scientist's lair, only to meet the army of robots (numbers 1 through 27 are seen). Under the scientist's control, the robots emit fire from nozzles positioned on the lower part of their heads, encircle Superman, and pound him with their fists. Initially, the robots seem to have the upper hand, beating Superman to the ground, but Superman defeats them, sending the scientist running. When Superman catches up with him, he is holding a knife to the rope holding Lois' platform above the molten metal, and threatens to cut it if he takes another step. Superman makes a move, the rope is cut, and Superman speeds across the room to catch Lois just in time, landing on a ledge below the pot of molten metal and the scientist. The scientist then pulls a lever to dump the hot liquid on them, but Superman shields Lois with his cape, then grabs the scientist and flies from the lair to take him and Lois back to the city. The film ends with a shot of the next issue of the Planet, describing the latest adventure -- Superman stopped the mechanical monsters, the scientist was arrested and the jewels are recovered. In the office, Clark says "That's a wonderful story, Lois." Lois replies, "Thanks Clark, but I owe it all to Superman." Clark smiles.
External links
- Watch "The Mechanical Monsters"
- The Mechanical Monsters at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- The Mechanical Monsters at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...