The Man Who Turned to Stone (1957)

Director:

László Kardos

Writer (WGA):

Bernard Gordon (written by) (originally as Raymond T. Marcus)

Release Date:

March 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Human or inhuman? No woman is safe...!

Plot:

Jory and his followers stay immortal by siphoning off the life forces of others. If they don't get renewed, they petrify.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Murder | Longevity Experiment | Beautiful Woman | Blood Transfusion

Cast

Victor Jory	...	Dr. Murdock
William Hudson	...	Dr. Jess Rogers
Charlotte Austin	...	Carol Adams
Jean Willes	...	Tracy
Ann Doran	...	Mrs. Ford
Paul Cavanagh	...	Cooper
George Lynn	...	Dr. Freneau
Victor Varconi	...	Dr. Myer
Friedrich von Ledebur	...	Eric (as Frederick Ledebur)
Tina Carver	...	Big Marge Collins
Barbara Wilson	...	Anna Sherman

Runtime:

71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | UK:R | USA:Approved

Company:

Clover Productions

Trivia:

Columbia Pictures released this film on a double bill with Zombies of Mora Tau (1957) with the tag line: "Warning - This is the Most Shocking Horror Bill Ever Shown!"

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monsterama Sci-Fi Late Night Creature Feature Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Fun 1950's "B" Flick

This 1957 movie from Columbia has an interesting premise...several scientists, who are over 200 years old, are running a girl's "reform school" so they can obtain energy from the young women to sustain their unnaturally long lives.

This is a typical low budget 1950's picture...cheap sets and no big name actors. William Hudson, most famous for playing the cheating husband in the class sci-fi thriller, "Attack of the 50 ft Woman", portrays Dr. Jess Rogers, who has been sent to the reform school to investigate several mysterious deaths of young women at the school. Charlotte Austin plays Carol Adams, an idealistic social worker at the school who starts to suspect foul play when so many healthy young woman suddenly die of "heart failure".

Several of the "girls" at the school look like they are being played by actresses who are way too long in the tooth to be teenagers or young woman. Despite this fact, the movie is interesting in it's premise. Victor Jory portrays the sinister head of the reformatory, Dr. Murdock. He is responsible for the "experiments" that end up with the murder of the girls at the school. When the 200 year old scientists are ready for a transfusion they start to turn to stone, hence the title of the movie. The make-up used to show the scientists turning to stone is not at all scary, actually it's laughable.

I liked this movie and thought it was fun. It's definitely not academy award winning material, but if you enjoy "b" movies from the 1950's you should enjoy this one.