Man Made Monster

A prime example of how to make a good movie on a low budget. Excellent photography, solid script, great cast (including Chaney in his first Universal horror flick), and that now very familiar but still exciting Salter-Skinner-Henderson music score. Fondly remembered little movie.

This is the story of Dynamo Dan, a sideshow worker who does a faked electrical act. Perhaps because of this he's the only survivor when a bus he's on slams into a high tension tower and all the passengers are killed by the electricity. Dan ends up working with Lionel Atwill a mad scientist trying to make electrified super humans.

Yes, its as corny as it sounds but then so are the Frankenstein films. Corny or no the film is a great way to spend an hour of your time on a rainy night.When most people think of the Universal horror films in the 1930's and 40's they tend to think of the Frankenstein/Dracula/Wolfman movies forgetting or unaware that Universal turned out a a number of very good second tier horror films at the same time. This is one of them.

Warning: do not confuse this with The Indestructible Man which has a similar plot line but which is not particularly well made.

8 out of 10 on a rainy night with the lights off and your best honey by your side.

This has been one of the most elusive of the Universal Horrors for me – a fellow member here in particular knows that for a fact; having caught up with it finally via ulterior sources, I still had to go through a variety of hassles as my copy froze no less than three times during its brief 60-minute duration and pixellated twice besides! Anyway, while I cannot say that MAN MADE MONSTER scales the heights of the best the studio had to offer in its heyday, this is as good a B-movie as they turned out (especially coming from their second phase). Of course, it introduced Lon Chaney Jr. into the fold of Universal horror stars: "The Electric Man" (an alternate title for the film itself) – a sideshow performer who survived both a bus crash and electrocution – proves a nice antecedent (going from vigor to sheepishness and from wild-eyed disbelief to self-destruction) to his signature role of Lawrence "The Wolf Man" Talbot; actually, he supports Lionel Atwill – who is in top (that is to say, over-the-top) "Mad Doctor" form here, especially relishing those scenes in which he tries to persuade others to his radical credo (basically constituting megalomania). Interestingly, the film was originally intended as yet another pairing of Universal's two reigning genre icons – Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi – and, in point of fact, it does play quite a bit like THE RAVEN (1935)! The rest of the cast includes Samuel S. Hinds, who made his fair share of films in this vein, as Atwill's eminent superior and the first to take interest in Chaney's case (also, cluelessly – but hilariously – suggesting to Atwill that he drop the experiments and 'help himself to some cheese and beer' instead!) and the obligatory romantic couple i.e. pretty Anne Nagel (as Hinds' niece/secretary, who is sympathetic to Chaney) and Frank Albertson (as – conveniently – a reporter who, for love of the heroine, is in two minds about what to do with the scoop of his life). As expected, the film particularly scores in the make-up (Chaney's constant 'treatments' lend him an effectively sickly, even aged, countenance) and special effects (his imposing glowing automaton comes courtesy of a master, John P. Fulton) departments. And while MAN MADE MONSTER is kind of short on action during its first three-quarters, it more than makes up for this with a terrific climax which sees Chaney being tried, convicted and executed for Hinds' murder – but, since he is impervious to electricity, he breaks free to exact well-deserved retribution upon the man who ruined his life; arriving just in time to save Nagel from Atwill's clutches, typically for a Universal Studios monster, he then makes off with her into the countryside (chased by the authorities and Albertson) towards his doom. There are, however, a couple of unexpected touches as well – its stance against capital punishment (the heavy heart evident in the people assigned the grim task) and the pained reaction of Chaney's devoted mutt at his demise.

Big Dan McCormick survives a bus accident that is hit with electricity only to end up being the guinea pig for two scientists...one a good man who wants to investigate McCormick's immunity to electrical currents for the benefice of mankind and the other who wants to make McCormick the prototype of his super human electrical men army that only he is able to control. Lon Chaney, in his first horror film for Universal(Well, after all everybody else mentioned it so why not me?), does a good job doing another variation of Lenny from Of Mice and Men being the simple man who is tricked and coerced by the evil scientist. The evil guy is played with relish and finesse than none other than Lionel Atwill. Atwill plays the man with a degree of enlightened insanity. Lionel Atwill played evil scientists better than anyone else for my money. He enunciates his words with delicacy while all the time looking through those snake-like eyes. The special effects and direction in this one are pretty good and the film is very enjoyable.

MORD39 RATING: *** out of ****

This was Lon Chaney, Jr.'s first "monster" movie, from the same director who would later helm THE WOLF MAN, Chaney's most popular flick of all. MAN MADE MONSTER is highly entertaining and enjoyable. It contains all the elements of a good, solid horror film.

Lionel Atwill is at the top of his game as an insane doctor trying to create an army of electrically charged zombie-men. He finds the perfect subject in the sweet and gentle Chaney, a sideshow attraction famous for demonstrating his immunity to electricity.

Lon's performance echoes his acclaimed role of "Lenny" from 1939's OF MICE AND MEN. He comes off as a likeable but gullible lug. He was always best as an actor when conveying pathos or brutish strength.

The pace of the film is quick and easy, and the Universal music adds spice to an already competent thriller. It's a fun hour or so that fans of early horror films do not want to miss.