| “ | He knew who he was. He knew who he hated...He thought only about one thing - Kill Lowe, Squeamy, and Joe Marcelli. | ” |
| - Lt. Chasen |
- For the episode, see MST3K 409 - Indestructible Man.
Indestructible Man is a 1956 science-fiction/crime film that was produced and directed by Jack Pollexfen.
Plot[]
The Indestructible Man
Charles "Butcher" Benton is a convicted robber and murderer who was betrayed by his cohorts in an armored car robbery. After Benton is executed in the gas chamber, his body is unlawfully sold to a scientist who plans to begin testing his experiments on human subjects.
Benton's corpse is subjected to chemical injection and high-frequency electricity in order to study the effect on human tissues. Benton's heart is re-stimulated and he completely revives, though he is rendered mute due to electrical damage to his vocal cords. He is not immensely strong and has skin that is virtually impervious—even to bullets.
After killing the doctor and his assistant, Benton sets out to avenge himself on his attorney Paul Lowe and the others who had betrayed Benton in order to keep his share of the money they stole. Benton had left the location of his stash to his girlfriend Eva, who works as a dancer in a burlesque show. Police Lt. Chasen does not believe the case will be resolved until money is recovered, and he begins seeing Eva socially in the hopes that he will learn something from her.
Benton proceeds to seek revenge on his enemies. The police learn of a wave of mysterious killings, and eventually determine the circumstances of Benton's reanimation. Lowe, fearing for his life after the two henchman are murdered, confesses the plot to the police and reveals that Benton had always used the sewer system to evade detection.
Tracked down by the police, Benton is weakened but not killed, even after he is hit in the solar plexus with a mortar fired from a bazooka and disfigured by a flame thrower. He runs to a power station, where he triggers a high-voltage jolt of electricity which kills him. With Butcher Benton finally dead, Lt. Chasen proposes to Eva.
Cast[]
- Lon Chaney Jr. as Charles "Butcher" Benton
- Ross Elliott as Paul Lowe
- Kenneth Terrell as Joe Marcelli
- Marvin Press as Squeamy Ellis
- Max Showalter as Lt. Dick Chasen
- Marian Carr as Eva Martin
- Robert Shayne as Professor Bradshaw
- Joe Flynn as Bradshaw's assistant
- Stuart Randall as Captain Lauder
- Eddie Marr as Carney
- Reita Green as Carney's bait
Notes[]
- Released on a double bill with World Without End, which was riffed during the Mystery Science Theater Alive! Live Show in 1992.
- Lon Chaney Jr. was credited only as "Lon Chaney".
- Actor Max Showalter was credited using his sometimes-pseudonym "Casey Adams".
- Lon Chaney Jr. reportedly asked director Jack Pollexfen not to make any dialogue changes or additions after the lunch break, when he usually drank heavily. His character has no spoken lines in this movie following the opening scene in his prison cell.
- Lt. Chasen mentions putting in a call to a Professor Dwiggins at CalTech who may know about Professor Bradshaw's work. Sue Dwiggins is the real name of co-writer Sue Bradford.
- The movie features two highly-recognizable locations: one scene takes place on the short railway called Angels Flight (used in several films including Kiss Me, Deadly and The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies), and another scene is in the Bradbury Building (used in Double Indemnity and Blade Runner).
- Joe Flynn (Bradshaw's assistant) would later co-star on the TV series McHale's Navy as Captain Binghamton. He would also appear in (and provide voices for) several Disney films, including The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (and its sequels) and The Rescuers.
- This film features a brief un-credited appearance by Lyle Latell, who had played police officer Pat Patton in four Dick Tracy feature films during the 1940s (including two opposite Ralph Byrd as Tracy).
MST3K Connections[]
- Director and producer Jack Pollexfen was also co-director, co-writer, and producer for The Atomic Brain.
- Co-writer Vy Russell was also co-writer and did props and wardrobe for The Atomic Brain.
- Co-writer Sue Dwiggins was also co-writer, associate producer, assistant camera, script supervisor, and did props and wardrobe for The Atomic Brain.
- Lon Chaney Jr. also portrayed Hakur in Undersea Kingdom.
- Ross Elliott also portrayed Deputy Earl Harrison in The Crawling Hand.
- Actor and stuntman Kenneth Terrell was also a stuntman and portrayed a henchman in Radar Men from the Moon.
- Robert Shayne also portrayed the fire maker in Teenage Cave Man and Lt. Cassidy in The Rebel Set.
- Robert Foulk (Harry) also portrayed Sheriff Mitch Bowers in Untamed Youth.
- Chet Brandenburg (police officer with flamethrower) also portrayed a bus disaster observer in The Deadly Mantis.
- Lyle Latell (police sergeant) also portrayed Lt. MacKenzie in Beginning of the End.
- Eddie Marr also portrayed Doyle in I Was a Teenage Werewolf.
- Composer Albert Glasser was also musical director and orchestrator for Rocketship X-M, as well as composer for The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth vs the Spider, Teenage Cave Man, The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent, War of the Colossal Beast, Tormented, Beginning of the End, Invasion USA, and Last of the Wild Horses.
- Cinematographer John L. Russell was also cinematographer for Girls Town and Invasion USA.
- Art director Theobold Holsopple was art director and production designer for Rocketship X-M and set decorator for Once Upon a Honeymoon.
- Supervising editor Joseph H. Lewis was also supervising editor for Undersea Kingdom.