ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

From the people that brought us The Blob (Thank you very much! ) comes this unique gem from the 1950s.

Robert Lansing plays a scientist whose brother is trying to perfect a way to make solid objects pass through each other. Lansing finds out about his brother's radical concept and tries some experiments of his own. He succeeds so well that he takes the idea a step further: he makes himself pass through solid objects.





The process has an adverse affect on his mind, and he starts reaching through walls and display windows to steal cash and jewelry.





Unfortunately, the use of his new power causes him to age rapidly, and the only way he can rejuvenate himself is to absorb life-energy by passing through another human being -- even though this kills the victim.








Robert Lansing's performance is quite good, and so are those of co-stars Lee Meriwether and Patty Duke (age 12).





Robert Strauss (Stalag 17, The Seven Year Itch) is sadly miscast as an unscrupulous fellow scientist. He walks around acting wooden and grouchy -- a waste of brilliant comedic actor.

Director Irvin S. Yeaworth, Jr. created a good film on a meager budget, just as he did with The Blob. The special effects are impressive (and in color), devoid of any cheap "see-through" superimposed images. Whenever Lansing walks through a wall, he looks like he's stepping into an opaque liquid.





Watch for an eerie scene in which Lansing walks slowly across a room towards an intended victim, passing through tables and chairs, ignoring them as he advances toward a terrified man.

FYI: The title is not scientifically accurate. We all know the 4th dimension is time, but Robert Lansing is moving through space -- so this movie really ought to be called 3-D Man, strictly speaking.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Robert (Butch) Day]

Actually "common" knowledge has it backwards.

Try to imagine a point in space with NO duration.

Mathematically 'TIME' is the 1st dimension. Out of 11.
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Common Sense ISN'T Common

[alltare]

I watched this for the first and last time last night. WORST SOUNDTRACK EVER! The music was comletely inappropriate and generally awful. More than anything else, it was as if the director was trying to to emulate Peter Gunn "cool", and failed miserably.

[Bud Brewster]

I considered warning you about the hideous soundtrack, but I decided against it. Yes, it ruins the movie for me, too. A real pity.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

I saw this as a kid back in'59 when it first came out.

Frightened me at the time.

And of course there's that nagging question about how come Mr. Lansing's character is able to not pass through any surface he's walking upon? Unwillingly.

[Custer]

Here's a picture of Lee Meriwether in the movie - a few years before she became Catwoman of course:

[Robert (Butch) Day]

And here's Lee Ann as Miss America 1955:


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Common Sense ISN'T Common

[ufso]

I think Kino Lorber was going to put it out, but lost the rights to it. We would have seen it in it's OAR and, I'm sure, the sound track restored. I used to play catch with his brother (Bruce Brown) in Alhambra back in the late 50's. I have an original poster too.
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[Bud Brewster]

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Okay, this is weird.

Watch the trailer below and notice the conspicuous absence of the annoying jazz score. Instead we get some very powerful and appropriate music that would have greatly enhanced this movie.

Go figure, eh?

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_____________________4D Man (1959) trailer


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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An interesting trivia item on IMDB says, "Jack H. Harris was able to begin production [on 4-D Man] by using the advance he received for distribution of The Blob (1958)"

So, in a sense this movie is the Son of the Blob instead of that rather shabby sequel that came out years later.

Another IMDB trivia item says, "In 1965 this film was recycled under the title "Master of Terror" as part of the "Master of Horror/Master of Terror" double feature. "Master of Horror" was the Argentine film Obras maestras del terror (1959), which had nearly half of its footage edited out with the remaining footage dubbed into English."

Brother, I'll bet that was rough to get through! Between the nerve-racking Jazz music that spoils 4-D Man and that bastardized Argentinian disaster, I pity the horrible three-hour experience the audiences endured.

But if you're a Horror fan and speak Spanish, here's a treat for you, the full 120 minute Argentine classic!

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__ obras maestras del terror. narciso i. menta -(cine 1959)


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[MetroPolly]

I've seen this a couple times. It's not terrible but it does drag at the start.

BTW, I think he can walk on the floor because he can unconsciously control his density and use the electromagnetic repulsion between his feet and the floor.

Or some such garbled comic book physics.

[Bud Brewster]

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Since Mr. Lancing could consciously turn on and off his ability to pass through objects, I guess we could surmise that he "willed" his body not to drop down through the floor, and in the same manner he willed his hands (or whole body) to pass through furniture and walls.

There were a few times near the beginning of the movie when he accidentally passed his hands through people, killing them. But these occurred before he learned to control the power better.

(Or some such garbled comic book physics. )
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

And Lee & Bob both were guest stars on Star Trek: TOS.

Lee's episode is "That Which Survives." Ironically her character does a kind of dimensional transporting.

Lansing was in "Assignment: Earth" which also served as a backdoor pilot for its own series.

[Bud Brewster]

[Pow]

From author Gene Warren:

Although it's inexpensive and has limited ambitions, 4D Man is an intelligent, responsible treatment of the idea, somewhat compromised by giving the hero vampiric tendencies.
It's not sensationalistic, and has the feeling of a story made by adults for adults, certainly unusual in SF films by 1959.
The main difficulties with the film are the low budget and that vampiric theme.

My take: I always found the fact that whenever Scott Nelson (Robert Lansing) touched someone and absorbed their life energy which caused the victim to expire from old age to be horrific. Technically it isn't really vampiric since vampires who bite their victims either kill 'em or convert 'em into another vampire but they never cause accelerated aging.

G.W.: 4D Man was produced by Jack H. Harris & Irwin S. Yeaworth, Jr. at the same Pennsylvania film studios where The Blob was made the year before.

G.W.: There's real characterization, interesting motivations, a few surprising plot twists and imagination shown throughout. The richness of characterization is confined almost entirely to Scott, and a great deal of it is due to Lansing's fine performance.
Scott Nelson is one of the most tortured man-into-monsters of any period, although his feelings of guilt are fully justified.

It's surprising to find a performance of complexity, ability and strength in a low-budget science fiction film, where we were usually offered only bland, colorless actors. Lansing gives the role everything he has, and it's a vivid screen debut.

My take: I've always enjoyed Lansing's performances. He plays his characters in a serious and understated manner as compared to more flamboyant actors.

Ironic that here he plays a man that has become able to phase through solid matter due to his scientifically treated atoms.

Along a somewhat similar theme, on the Star Trek: TOS episode/backdoor pilot "Assignment: Earth" March 29, 1968, we see alien-raised agent Gary Seven, portrayed by Lansing, have his atoms scrambled by the Enterprise's transporter.
The scene where he comes through his own NYC-based transporter located in a large bank safe with its enveloping cloud-like effect all around him reminded me of the 4D Man.

G.W.: He reaches into a mailbox (in a stunningly-good effects shot, the best in the film.)

G.W.:When a little girl (Patty Duke, in fact) tries to befriend him, Scott is overcome by shame and horror, but uses his power on her, too, off-screen.

My take: This scene was one of the most disturbing and tragic ones in the entire film because it involved the death of an innocent and kindly child. It is handled off-screen, for which I am eternally grateful, but nonetheless remains deeply chilling and heartbreaking.

G.W. Although the 4D Man cannot be considered an unsung classic, it is a decent, well-written and well-acted thriller, intelligent and imaginative.

My take: I find it odd that Warren at once gives high praise for the film in the above statement, yet also states it "cannot be considered an unsung classic." Why not? Just what is Gene's exact definition in this case exactly?

Seems like a pretty entertaining movie that contains more positive points than negative ones.