X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

This has a spoiler for the end of the film...this is written for the fans of the movie who want to know the last part that was cut. If you have NOT seen this movie, please stop reading and watch this. It is up on YouTube in the right ratio 1:85 in five parts. The full length versions are zoomed in. Or better yet, buy it! I saw this movie in the movie theater when I was ten and it really haunted me. When I was able to rent it (on 16mm film, when you could rent a movie for about $25 for the weekend), it was the same version. BUT--on TV, and in later rental prints (I rented it in the late 70's/80's to run at college), the ending was different. And here it is: After the preacher says to PLUCK THEM OUT, Ray Milland bends over to do this and then he picks his head up, when you see the black holes where his eyes were. Then he SCREAMS "I CAN STILL SEE....I CAN STILL SEE!" and then it cuts to black. Well, in all these later versions (including the rental 16mm prints), you can CLEARLY SEE the CUT where a SPLICE is made to remove this last sentence. It's right where he lifts his head and you see the holes and it freezes...and cuts to black... that's where that last sentence was cut...the most incredibly chilling line of all!

Simply put this is merely a B movie that reworks the FRANKENSTEIN story of a doctor pushing forward the boundaries of science in order to improve the lot of mankind and finding himself becoming destroyed by it . Directed by Roger Corman on a budget of five dollars and starring Ray Milland who after winning an Oscar for THE LONG WEEKEND disappeared amongst an avalanche of totally B forgettable movies the omens for this film aren't good yet 50 years after it was released remains a fondly remembered cult film and something of a mini-masterpiece What the film is very good at is examining the very misanthropic nature of humanity . People are greedy for power and money and let it not be forget as a species we're also very greedy in the search of knowledge . Milland plays Dr James Xavier who tries a new serum on himself that expands the light spectrum available to the human eye . This leads to obsession and an inciting incident where someone is killed and Xavier becomes a fugitive Milland gives a good performance as Xavier who tries to retain his humanity and uses his power for good but finds himself continually exploited by the people around him , most especially by the sleazy Crane played superbly by Don Rickles who has a plan to get rich quick . It's interesting to note that Xavier draws attention to himself at the Casino by telling his fellow gamblers not to draw another card because they'll lose their money so his concern about human beings , even at a base level remains intact . Some people have complained that Dr Diana Fairfax is somewhat underwritten but surely her character exists to show that not everyone is concerned by money or power and she genuinely does care for Xavier ? Ray Dillon and Ray Russell's screenplay is rather episodic as the protagonist moves from one situation to another but this is to show a rather gloomy view of the human condition and the subtext is very well developed . Corman isn't too concerned about special effects and the rather bizarre point of view of Xavier as he sees a world of skeletons and other half completed images works very well despite - or because of - the lack of budget . It also contains a very haunting and ethereal score all of which adds up to a very memorable and enjoyable B movie thriller

Roger Corman has opened more doors for more filmmakers than I can recall; here, he opens the doors of perception (metaphorically speaking). "I'm closing in on the gods," Xavier boasts early on in the movie. When a monkey given the "X" eyedrops dies (apparently of fright), X decides it's time to experiment on himself (of course). "It's like a splitting of the world," he marvels: "More light than I've ever seen..." There's a neat POV shot in which his eyes are BANDAGED while he looks at and talks to someone else. "I like the way you look," a young woman tells him... just before the party they're at becomes, for him, a peep show. When his x-ray vision becomes too acute to control, he says of one woman: "She appears a perfect, breathing dissection." It's a gruesome observation, but the fx of the time didn't really allow for a viewer's peek at same. The "X effect" throughout is relatively simple, visually (it looks like a 3D image does without the glasses), but the gold and, finally, black contact lenses ARE effective. Milland's performance here is as tight as in THE LOST WEEKEND. Kudos to Corman.

Over the years, Roger Corman has amassed a significant following and solid reputation for his fantastic movies. Each is well received and audiences enthusiastically clamor for more. This particular offering is called " X: The Man with The X-Ray Eyes. " The selection of Hollywood legend Ray Milland as the star is also an added bonus. Milland plays an exceptional and gifted pioneer named Dr. James Xavier. His work in optics leads to an astonishing breakthrough in visionary ability. He discovers a serum which allows him to see through objects, material and eventually through the fabric of space. Unfortunately, a tragic accident at a hospital forces Xavier to become a fugitive. Running from the law he joins up with Crane, a shady, greedy huckster, while Diane Fairfax (Diana Van Der Vlis) tries to find and help him. The movie itself is solid in storyline and filled with enticing scenes all of which have allowed this film the status of Sci-Fi Classic and one of Milland's finest offerings. Harold J. Stone, John Hoyt and Don Rickles are all at their very best. ****