Dr. Cyclops (1940)

Producer: Dale Van Every. Copyright 12 April 1940 by Paramount Pictures Inc. (Credit titles give copyright year as 1939). New York opening at the Paramount: 10 April 1940. U.S. release: 12 April 1940. Australian release: 3 April 1941 (sic). 8 reels. 6,906 feet. 77 minutes.SYNOPSIS: "What you are doing is mad. It is diabolical. You are tampering with powers... reserved... to God." — Paul Fix.COMMENT: A cult classic science fiction piece with Albert Dekker in his most memorable role as the mad scientist. The faultless special effects stand up well (despite their primitive methodology) to today's computer generation. Of course a more sophisticated modern audience will probably find the dialogue and situations pretty risible. They will think themselves superior not only to the film but to the audiences who originally enjoyed it, not realizing that 1940's picture-goers found Dr. Cyclops pretty much of a hoot too. But it's not the dialogue and the direction that matters, nor even the acting. It's the special effects. They're great. And it's all fast-paced with plenty of action and cliffhanger thrills. Imaginative color photography and an atmospheric music score smooth over Schoedsack's inclined-to-be-static camera set-ups. True, this is no King Kong, but Mr. Schoedsack knows his monsters well enough to shoot home another box-office winner here. Oddly, despite this success, it was nine years before he made another film, his last, "Mighty Joe Young".OTHER VIEWS: Known as the most fearless director in the world, Ernest B. Schoedsack tackles neither real nor imaginary wild animals in "Dr. Cyclops" but a monster in human form. In this thinly disguised anti-fascist tract, Schoedsack casts Albert Dekker as an almost blind and eventually one-eyed Hitler whose lust for power over his own universe causes him to use science to destroy rather than create, to maim rather than heal. He ruthlessly annihilates outspoken opposition and regards his now leaderless subject peoples as playthings and toys, and finally as enemies that must be destroyed. Dekker's impression in the title role has given him such lasting fame, we tend to overlook the good work contributed by the rest of the players, particularly Charles Halton in one of his biggest and most successful roles as the will-not-be-bullied Bulfinch. Heroine Janice Logan (this is the last of the only three films I have for her) is an attractive lass, and we enjoyed Thomas Coley (this seems to be his only movie appearance) as the reluctant hero.The film has been realized on an enormous budget with marvelous effects and technical wizardry. The duplicate sets — one normal- sized, the other gigantic-sized — are all perfectly matched. The process work is impeccable. — JHR writing as George Addison.

Right from the start this film has a unique visual style,Art Deco and jungle film,the opening scene is visually stunning,a dark room strobing light and a mysterious figure,it grabbed me right away,and then the striking appearance of Dr Thorkel and his cold,calculating,even murderous intent,all in the name of science,with no boundaries ,it had me interested in the first few minutes. Once the other Biologists arrive in their mistaken belief that Thorkel needed their help in his experiments,their indignation at their mistreatment,it's a great set up for what s to come. I love the scenes of Thorkel in his radiation suit,metallic silver,with that green radiation glow ? I find it visually compelling,a joy to watch,unlike anything else at that time apart from those Fleisher Superman Cartoons... The story is interesting enough,I'm not bored for a second,but it is Thorkel,his character,and the beautiful visuals that surround his actions that I find so enjoyable,and will watch time and time again,he s easily one of the greatest mad scientists on film,I never tire of this movie,entertaining right from the start to the last frame. Fantastic film.

Ultimate Sci-Fi and memories of the first time seeing DR. CYLOPS at the Saturday matinée. Busy throwing popcorn at girls and nursing a cherry Root Beer. Just a couple of years later, and with full attention toward the screen, wow, all the stuff I missed earlier. There actually was a story between the scary parts. A mad scientist, Dr. Thorkel(Albert Dekker)secluded in a Peruvian jungle lab, develops a method of shrinking objects to one-fifth their normal size. The doctor's megalomania seems to bust its boundaries and Thorkel invites a panel of his peers to the jungle to witness his procedure. With some evil manipulation and to their horror, his guests become miniaturized and the pint-sized group will struggle to escape the jungle. This movie was just so unique for a while. And movie goers left to discuss how the special effects were achieved.Credited cast members include: Janice Logan, Thomas Coley, Charles Halton, Paul Fix, Frank Yaconelli and Victor Kilian.

Two scientists and a crew are summoned to a jungle laboratory where a weird scientist measures people with a ruler.Poor Cyclops, he's more of a bumbler than a mastermind. But then his eyesight must be around 1000-1000. Actually, actor Dekker pretty much low-keys the role, considering how malevolent he can be, e.g. Kiss Me Deadly (1955), Among the Living (1940). Here his Cyclops is in the middle of the jungle with all this sophisticated equipment and coke bottle eyeglasses. Just what is he trying to do with his special 'shrink-em down to edible size' formula. I must have missed his Grand Plan, unless it was to feed his hungry cat on the cheap. Anyhow, the little people don't have to do much acting, just a lot of scampering while Cyclops makes a mess of the furniture.What's really arresting is not so much the storyline, but rather the special effects. I expect Paramount popped a bundle putting together some of the little people sets. Anyhow, maybe I'm as blind as Cyclops, but I couldn't spot any trick photography, which makes the whole weird thing seem more believable. Then too, there's all that talk about radium, uranium and pitchblende, all several years before the big brains turned that stuff into an A-bomb. Maybe that was his Grand Plan, after all. Actually, I thought the movie was more fun than scary, sort of like a Hollywood version of Blind Man's Bluff.