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Most Dangerous Man Alive
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Wikipedia article
'Most Dangerous Man Alive' is a 1961 American science fiction film, produced by Benedict Bogeaus, directed by Allan Dwan (the final film of his long career), that stars Ron Randell, Debra Paget, and Elaine Stewart. The film was distributed by Columbia Pictures.
Plot
Gangster Eddie Candel is framed for a crime he didn't commit. Escaping from the police he flees to the desert. stumbling by accident into an atomic bomb testing site.
Eddie is exposed to high levels of radiation, and his body begins to transform in remarkable ways. With his new mental and a near steel physical body, he sets out to take revenge against all those who betrayed him. His first target is rival gangster Andy Damon, who took over his gang and framed him for the murder. Andy fights back, but Candel's new near invulnerability makes his efforts useless. Damo does manage to kill Candel's gang girlfriend.
Candel's ex-girlfriend and a sympathetic scientist attempt to help him and dissuade him from this course of action but are unsuccessful. The scientist wants to study how Candel survived despite being exposed to so much radiation
The National Guard (United States) is called in and uses flame throwers to end Candel's life, turning him to dust.
Cast
* Ron Randell as Eddie Candell
* Debra Paget as Linda Marsh
* Elaine Stewart as Carla Angelo
* Anthony Caruso as Andy Damon
* Gregg Palmer as Lt. Fisher
* Morris Ankrum as Capt. Davis
Production
The genesis of the film is a bit vague. One source says the film began as a story by Leo Gordon called 'The Atomic Man'. Gordon went to fellow actor Michael Pate to rewrite the story. Needing money, Gordon sold his rights to Pate who took the story to his brother-in-law, screenwriter Phillip Rock.pp. 202-3 Weaver, Tom 'Michael Pate Interviewe' in 'It Came from Horrorwood: Interviews with Moviemakers in the SF and Horror Tradition' McFarland, 26 Oct. 2004
The screenplay was written by James Leicester and Phillip Rock and is based on 'The Steel Monster' by Phillip Rock, Michael Pate, and Leo Gordon. Michael Pate also co-wrote the script.
Producer Benedict Bogeaus had wanted to shoot the film as a television pilot (a common creative practice of the time), to be shown on TV as three episodes, should it be picked up for syndication. Traveling to Mexico to begin shooting in 1960, Mexican film syndicates ruled that it was actually a feature film and demanded Bogeaus make it using a full crew, which would now have to be paid at feature film labor rates.Warren, Bill 'Keep Watching the Skies!: American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, The 21st Century Edition' McFarland, 12 Jan 2017 With the budget now tripled, director Allen Dwan claimed he had to shoot the feature in one week, instead of five (some members of the cast disputed this statement).p.310 Lombardi, Frederic 'Allan Dwan and the Rise and Decline of the Hollywood Studios' McFarland, 4 Apr 2013
It was Randell's last leading role.
Reviews
The New York Times in a contemporary review warned the readers away from this movie, finding it be so bad the audience was laughing in the wrong places.
Fantastic Musings was kindlier to the movie, citing its ability to make the main character sympathetic. It did note similarities to the Lon Chaney Jr. movie The Indestructible Man
Film Fanatic found little to praise here other than effective cinematography.http://filmfanatic.org/reviews/?p=84057
Home media
'Cinema Rarities' offers the 'Most Dangerous Man Alive' as a manufactured on demand two-disc DVD-R set. It contains both widescreen and pan-and-scan TV versions. The widescreen is transferred from a surviving TV syndication print and contains occasional station identifiers, etc.
Notes
Bibliography
* Warren, Bill. 'Keep Watching the Skies!: American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties', The 21st Century Edition. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009. . Covers science fiction films made from 1950 through 1962. 1040 pages.Buy Most Dangerous Man Alive now from Amazon
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