Dr. Cyclops (1940)
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100% of critics liked it
(6 reviews) -
56% of users liked it
(278 ratings)
The first Technicolor horror film since Mystery of the Wax Museum, Dr. Cyclops was directed by Ernest Schoedsack, of King Kong fame. Albert Dekker chews the scenery as mad scientist Dr. Thorkel, who has developed a process that will shrink human beings to doll size. His first victims include mining… More The first Technicolor horror film since Mystery of the Wax Museum, Dr. Cyclops was directed by Ernest Schoedsack, of King Kong fame. Albert Dekker chews the scenery as mad scientist Dr. Thorkel, who has developed a process that will shrink human beings to doll size. His first victims include mining engineers Bill Stockton (Thomas Coley) and Steve Baker (Victor Kilian) and biologists Mary Mitchell (Janice Logan) and Dr. Bullfinch (Charles Halton). At first willing to play-act the role of benevolent despot with his miniaturized captives, Thorkel reveals the more sinister side of his personality by abruptly murdering Bullfinch in cold blood (easily the film's most frightening sequence). The rest of the picture details the escape efforts of the three pint-sized protagonists as they hack their way through a jungle of gigantic foliage and do battle with oversized wildlife. Though the cheery Technicolor hues tend to dilute the "scare" quotient in Dr. Cyclops, the special effects are superbly convincing throughout. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Ernest B. Schoedsack
- Written By
- Tom Kilpatrick
- Genres
- Action & Adventure, Horror, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy
- In Theaters
- Apr 12, 1940 Wide
- On DVD
- May 13, 2008
- Studio
- MCA Universal Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
In Ernest B. Schoedsack's fantasy of characters at the mercy of high and low camera angles, every other shot is a pulp poem
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Albert Dekker is marvelous as the eccentric biologist.
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Nell Minow, Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Scary!
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Gerry Shamray, Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
Terrific, old-fashioned thriller.
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Great effects and a strong performance from Dekker, but not really compelling
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Albert Dekker
as Dr. Thorkel
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Thomas Coley
as Bill Stockton
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Charles Halton
as Dr. Bulfinch
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Victor Kilian
as Steve Baker
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Frank Yaconelli
as Pedro
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Allen Fox
as Cab Driver
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Douglas Carter Beane
as Cab Driver
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Paul Fix
as Dr. Mendoza
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Janice Logan
as Dr. Mary Robinson
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Frank Reicher
as Prof. Kendall
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Bill Wilkerson
as Silent Indian
