Creature with the Atom Brain (1955) starring Richard Denning
Creature with the Atom Brain: Several years earlier gangster Frank Buchanan was deported to his native Italy through the efforts of law enforcement authorities and rival gangsters who inform on him. While in Europe he meets scientist Wilhelm Steigg, who has perfected a method of reanimating dead people and controlling their behavior with oral commands. Buchanan underwrites Steigg’s experiments and uses his technology to wreak revenge on his enemies. Unfortunately radioactive poisoning is a by-product of the process, and authorities use radiation detecting devices like Geiger counters to pinpoint the source of the sinister plot.
Review
In short, Creature with the Atom Brain is a zombie movie. A gangster, exiled from the country for his crimes, has snuck back in illegally. Who needs borders, right? Anyway, he’s brought a European scientist with him, who has the technology to temporally revive, and control, the recently dead. Supposedly, the scientist wanted to use this for benevolent purposes,, such as dangerous mining, etc. But the gangster, funding him, is using it exclusively to murder his enemies. Then, try to rule by terror.
It’s not a bad film — it gives us likable protagonists to root for. A family man, who’s determined to keep his wife and child safe. And his partner and friend, unmarried — Uncle Dave to the daughter. Poor Uncle Dave …
For the record: the zombies do not have “atom brains”. The scientist is using atomic energy to “revive” them.
Product Description
From the pen of the legendary Curt Siodmak (The Wolf Man, Donovan’s Brain) and director Edward L. Cahn (It! The Terror From Beyond Space) comes this smash-bang thriller starring Richard Denning (Creature From The Black Lagoon) as a police doctor hot on the trail of a mob boss who’s hired an ex-Nazi scientist to re-animate his dead thugs to do more dirty work!
Cast of characters
- Richard Denning (The Black Scorpion) … Dr. Chet Walker
- Angela Stevens (Blunder Boys) … Joyce Walker
- S. John Launer (I Was a Teenage Werewolf) … Police Capt. Dave Harris
- Michael Granger (The Big Heat) … Frank Buchanan
- Gregory Gaye (Black Magic) … Dr. Wilhelm Steigg
- Linda Bennett (The Seven Little Foys) … Penny Walker
- Tristram Coffin (The Corpse Vanishes) … District Attorney MacGraw
- Harry Lauter (Escape from the Planet of the Apes) … Reporter #1
- Larry J. Blake (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers) … Reporter #2Blake)
- Charles Evans … Police Chief Camden
- Pierre Watkin (Her Husband’s Affairs) … Mayor Bremer