Dr. Cyclops

1940
6.4| 1h16m| en| More Info
Released: 09 April 1940 Released
Producted By: Paramount
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

Four explorers are summoned to Peru by the brilliant physicist Dr Thorkel. They discover a rich source of radium and a half-mad Thorkel who shrinks them down to one-fifth their normal size when they threaten to stop his unorthodox experimentation.

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Reviews

Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
SoTrumpBelieve Must See Movie...
Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Christophe Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.
Idiot-Deluxe Dr. Cyclops is a unique film in several regards, having been released in 1940 it's one of the very first (if not the first) Sci-Fi films to be shot in 3-Strip Technicolor, as far as it's special effects go it was certainly an innovative film for it's time (specifically it's "little people" footage), and lastly the highly-excitable music of film maestro Ernst Toch. Special mention must be made regarding the music that's heard during this film's most exciting and distinctively off-kilter of moments - and there are many. Because at the drop of a hat, this film often finds itself bouncing off the walls but in a most delightfully playful and fun-spirited kind of way. This is in large part do to the films eccentric combination of it's numerous processed shots/optical effects, it's oddball scenarios, and a most hyper-active musical score, which has a way of whipping the film into a frenzy of unfettered lunacy and whimsical eccentricities. Ultimately what this all adds up to is a film that's unique in both look and feel or to put it another way, Dr. Cyclops comes off like a live-action cartoon, in TechnicolorUnfortunately... aside from it's obvious strong-points, Dr. Cyclops I'm afraid, is a rather average movie. For instance it's casting (with the exception of Albert Dekker in the title-role) is serviceable at best and it has no "big names" in it's cast. My guess is that most of the films budget went to it's special-effects photography, which surprisingly enough was filmed in Technicolor no less - a prohibitively expensive process at that time. I find the acting of the film is often workman-like in it's mediocre quality, which ranges from the pompous and super-serious Dr. Bulfinch to "Pedro" a modestly effective comic-relief character, then there's Janice Logan as Dr. Mary Robinson and well she simply makes for a very unconvincing scientist. Once you get past the films spectacular opening credits sequence (all that green mist!), Dr. Cyclops starts out rather slowly as it's cast members, one-by-one, are introduced and the movies scientifically-based back-story is laid out. In that respect Dr. Cyclops, like most movies, does get a lot more exciting in the second half which leads to some truly unique and inspired action sequences. Having seen this movie several times over the years, it tends to leave an impression on you (especially if you see it at a young age) and when considering the subject-matter at hand, well... I think the term "live-action cartoon" is a particularly apt description, with what one can expect from this eccentric Hollywood relic from yesteryear, as it is all to often a VERY whimsical affair.If you enjoy Dr. Cyclops you'll probably like "The Incredible Shrinking Man"(1957) as well, as both deal with micronized people, in fact at his smallest The Incredible Shrinking Man stands at a mere 1 inch tall; much smaller than what's seen in Dr. Cyclops. Also "Attack of the Puppet People"(1958) though not as good as the others is also worth checking out. When one weighs this films many merits and innovative nature Dr. Cyclops does indeed seem more worthy than most for the re-make treatment (I typically don't like re-makes) and with Ant-Man making waves recently, the time seems right or "primed" for a lavishly produced re-make of Doctor C; one that dials-up the craziness and is truly and absolutely unhinged.
Spikeopath Dr. Cyclops is directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and written by Tom Kilpatrick. It stars Albert Dekker, Thomas Coley, Janice Logan, Charles Halton and Victor Kilian. Music is collectively arranged by Ernst Toch, Gerard Corbanara and Albert Hay Malotte, and cinematography is by Henry Sharp.A group of scientists are requested to join Dr. Alexander Thorkel (Dekker) at his remote laboratory in the Peruvian jungle. Once there they find the doctor is losing his sight but working on something very secretive. Soon enough they wish they hadn't stuck around to find out just what it is he is up to.One of the better of the "mad scientist" movies from the classic era of sci-fi schlockers, Dr. Cyclops boasts nifty effects work, lovely Technicolor and a superb lead performance by Dekker. As in the best traditions of such genre fare, the science is mad as a box of frogs, which here involves miniaturisation. Thorkel pushes the boundaries of his work and this puts his "guests" into grave danger as they enter a small world beset with everyday perils.It's never truly a horror film, as evidenced by the jaunty musical score that accompanies much of the "little people's" adventures as they strive to survive, and this is something that has taken first time viewers by surprise and disappointed them. This really is a picture asking you to enjoy yourself with a smile on your face whilst appreciating the super craft involved for the era.There's no brainy botherings or statements of metaphoric substance, while away from Dekker the acting is hardly high grade stuff. But transport yourself into this bonkers sci-fi adventure and a good time is assured at the very least. 7.5/10
MartianOctocretr5 Great fodder for late night horror hosts. A mad scientist is on the loose, performing miniaturizing experiments deep in the jungles of Peru. Some fellow scientists are invited to assist him in his mysterious work, and it's pretty obvious what's going to happen to them. This is one of the earlier science fiction movies, and the "special effects" are certainly primitive by today's standards, but it's a highly re-watchable movie for its novelty value, sparked mostly by a deliciously psycho-sinister characterization by Albert Dekker in the title role. He starts out a paranoid weirdo, jealously guarding his research, and gets more and more bizarre and homicidal as the story progresses.For its time, the giant sets/forced perspective were probably the main draw of the movie, but the maniacal rants and actions of Dr. Thorkell were what I liked best. After making his rejected guests his first human subjects of the "condenser," it becomes a cat-and-mouse game as the sight-impaired Thorkell decides to exterminate his "little friends." Lines such as "I will find you, and when I find you, I will destroy you!" are frequent.The story doesn't grow too much beyond that point, but the action scenes are nonetheless still interesting to watch. Worth a look if you can find a copy.
gavin6942 A mad scientist working in the South American jungle (Albert Dekker) miniaturizes his colleagues when he feels his megalomania is threatened.When I watched this I did not find it too terribly interesting, almost more of a hokey comedy with science fiction elements. But I did not realize it was from 1940. To have a film in 1940 shot in Technicolor is interesting enough, but then to be a film about shrinking people...Science fiction of the 1950s loved shrinking people and growing animals. But this film beat them all. Was it the first? I have no idea. But it mixes comedy with camera work, and also color... and even a hint of Greek mythology to boot. Viewed in the proper context, this is quite the film.