Subject: Retrospective: 4D Man (1959)

From: Dennis Schwartz <[email-masked]>
Date: 16 Mar 2001 18:34:42 GMT

4D MAN (director: Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.; screenwriters: Theodore
 Simonson/Cy Chermak/from an original idea by Jack H. Harris;
 cinematographer: Ted Pahle; editor: William B. Murphy; cast: Robert
 Lansing (Scott Nelson), Lee Meriwether (Linda Davis), James Congdon
 (Tony Nelson), Patty Duke (Marjorie Sutherland), Robert Strauss (Roy
 Parker), Guy Raymond (Fred), Edgar Stehli (Dr. Theodore W. Carson),
 Dean Newman (Dr. Brian Schwartz), Elbert Smith (Captain Rogers), Chic
 James (B-girl), Jasper Deeter (Mr. Welles); Runtime: 85; Image
 Entertainment; 1959)

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A nice premise about the 4th dimension results in an exciting low-budget
pulp sci-fi film, which is supported by some fine acting by Robert
Lansing and Lee Meriwether that gave the film some tension, the only
spoiler was some incredulous acting by James Congdon, putting a bit of a
damper on the film. This B-film also look stilted at times, but was able
to go forward with a riveting story and overcome its shortcomings and
lackluster special effects (except for the thrilling walk through the
wall).

It was produced by Jack H. Harris, who started a  promotional campaign
for the film by offering a $1 million reward to anyone who could walk
through a wall. As far as I know, there were no winners, but it was fun
to see the way some film moguls promoted their films back then.

Dr. Tony Nelson (James Congdon) accidently burns down his boss' building
where he is working on his own science project. He had been hired to
work by Mr. Welles only because of the recommendation of his older
brother Dr. Scott Nelson (Robert Lansing), who is more stable and is a
respected scientist.

Tony is returning unemployed to see his sober-minded, demure brother,
who heads a research team for the Fairview Research Center, where "the
ne'er-do-well" is offered a job by him. Scott has just completed a
successful experiment creating an impenetrable metal that is stronger
than steel. But the research center head, who had nothing to do with the
success of the project, Mr. Carson (Stehli), grabs all the credit for
himself, barely mentioning Scott and his research team -- consisting of
his girlfriend, the attractive lab assistant Linda Davis (Lee
Meriwether) and the sneakily ambitious Roy Parker (Strauss).

Linda is attracted to Tony and immediately two-times Scott, waiting only
for Tony to find the right moment for him to tell his brother. Scott
learns from Tony that he invented a Force Field box in which he
conducted an experiment proving a wooden pencil could go through a piece
of steel, which he steals from his locker, discovering that matter can
be transferred through him, giving him supernatural power. What he
doesn't count on, are the experimental side effects, which consists of
deadly impulses such as egomania, greed and the need to kill. It also
causes him to age very rapidly as his system is drained of its
life-force.

Being indestructible and now able to walk through walls when he is in
the 4th dimension stage, he robs a bank and accidently kills his
physician Dr. Schwartz by just touching him and discovers he can keep
young by stealing the other person's life-force by killing them. The
weird thing about that, is Schwartz who was a young man has rapidly aged
and appears in his death to be a man in his 90s. It seems that a year's
worth of energy takes place in a second and gives Scott this superpower.

Lansing does a convincing job of going from a noble scientist only
interested in helping humanity and not interested in personal gain to a
base villain. He is now being hunted down by his brother, who feels
guilty that he invented the machine that made this tragedy possible and
by Merwether, who feels she has the best chance of getting close to him
and eliminating him, and by the police, who are concerned that dead
people are popping up all over town.

The crudest line of dialogue in this hokum sci-fier, is a question asked
by Meriwether to Lansing: Do you want to be remembered as a creator or a
killer? Of course, by that time in the story, Lansing's brains have been
fried and he's too far gone to be brought back to sanity, never mind
answer the question.

REVIEWED ON 3/9/2001     GRADE: C+

Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews"

http://www.sover.net/~ozus

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