Creature with the Atom Brain
Directed by Edward L. Cahn
Written by Curt Siodmak based on his story
1955/USA
Clover Productions
First viewing/Netflix rental
Frank, you may be a crackpot, but you’re also a genius.
This entry from schlock-meister “Jungle Sam” Katzman is actually fairly decent.
Gangster Frank Buchanan was sent up the river by a combo of traitors in his mob and lawyers from the DA’s office. When he left for prison, he vowed that he would see them all dead, Now he is out of prison and has hooked up with a German neuro-scientist to carry out his fiendish plot. In a secret lab, reached only by crawling through yards of filmy tunnel, the two use electrodes to animate corpses stolen from the morgue. These they control with a television and microphone. The zombified bodies start on a rampage.
The police are baffled and Det. Dave Harris turns to his friend Dr. Chet Walker (Richard Denning) for help. The rest of the movie follows the grisly story as Buchanan expands his focus to include the new enemies on his trail and Walker’s wholesome 50’s wife and daughter.
This is somewhat repetitive but over all solid. The zombies look pretty cool and the acting is quite acceptable. Short, sweet, and OK for a break from classier viewing.
