Most Dangerous Man Alive (1961)

This is one of those 1950ish Sci-Fi/Nuclear Paranoia entries that for some reason was mostly ignored and little seen until recently. But the oversight was probably intentional since once viewed there is little here that is either memorable or worth much.It is nothing if not a bit strange in its crossing of the Gangster/Human Monster genres. What it delivers is some titillating and quite tantalizing lingerie shots and cleavage obsessions with a couple of semi-violent confrontations with very little imagination. Hardly enough to carry the Movie.The editing and pacing are confusing and everything looks bizarrely placed and haphazard. The Sci-Fi parts are unimpressive, mostly because by this time there had been quite a lot of wild and crazy mutants running around both on the Big Screen and on TV. So what we have here is quite dull and depressing.It fails on almost every level and is a discovered disaster that might have been better off left in the dustbin of failed rip-offs, and Day Late-Dollar Short productions.

...but the few reviews here are mostly positive, so I don't have to this time. I liked this film, but I'm a 50's sci-fi nut. Interesting cast, yes, and I agree with most of the other comments...However, the film would have been more sci-fi-ish, and more interesting, if they had done something with the guy other than rub a little dirt on his face and tossle his hair. All we get is a crushed cigarette case, lightweight Supermanesque bullet shots, and apparently (though it's not explicit) some extra strength. And, yes, he survives a shock. It just needed more....something....anything.A very good B-/C+ light sci-fi film that mostly reaches its owns limited goals, and is fun to watch. Probably was born as a script for a straight gangster film, and then adapted to sci-fi (just guessing).

Take two parts gangster movie, one part science fiction, give it a decent cast and a competent director, shake well and what do you get? This movie!Ron Randell is Eddie Candell, a big shot gangster railroaded to prison by his double crossing buddies and gold digger ex-girlfriend (Debra Paget, who had already done things like THE TEN COMMANDMENTS for DeMille and frankly needed a better agent). Eddie escapes en route to the big house and runs into the desert. Sadly the section of wasteland he chooses to hide in is also the test site for a nuclear bomb. Cue stock footage of an explosion, a mushroom cloud and buildings being destroyed. Eddie survives but the radiation has turned him into:a. The Amazing Colossal Manb. The Beast of Yucca Flatsc. The Amazing Transparent Mand. The Hideous Sun Demone. a man whose body is slowly turning to steel and is impervious to all kinds of weapons.Did you choose "e"? Way to go, you know this genre very well! Either that or you have already seen the picture.Eddie returns to his old headquarters and finds his former pals have already taken over all his rackets. It isn't long before he starts breaking necks with his (literal) fists of steel and shrugging off bullets like they were nothing. Can the combined efforts of scientists, the cops and the Army stop the Man of Steel? Ah, that would be telling!Ron Randell can also be spotted in THE SHE CREATURE (1957). The same year she did this film Ms. Paget appeared with Vincent Price and Lon Chaney in THE HAUNTED PALACE. Watch for Morris Ankrum (THE GIANT CLAW, KRONOS, INVADERS FROM MARS and many more). Director Allen Dwan went clear back to the days of silent films. His best remembered film is ROBIN HOOD (1922) which was written by and stars Douglas Fairbanks.Cinematography is much better than you would expect from a B movie like this. The characters are well scripted and very authentic, though Mr. Randell does have a tendency to shout "I'm Eddie Candell!" at the top of his lungs every few minutes which gets a little annoying. The special effects, while minimal, are convincing. This is a fun movie and yes it does deserve to be released on DVD, maybe on a double bill with Indestructible MAN. I have a feeling Eddie Candell and Butcher Benton would have gotten along very well together.

After first reading about this movie when i was a kid,I finally caught it on TNT late one night.I thought it was pretty good ,even though hampered a little by a low budget.Ron Randell was his usual reliable self,and the rest of the cast was very good,especially Debra Paget as the snaky ex-girlfriend and Elaine Stewart(wooo!)as Randell's lover.Watch it if you get the chance.