Dr. Cyclops

1940 1h 3m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 75

AdventureHorrorScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Four explorers are summoned to Peru by the brilliant physicist Dr Thorkel. They discover a rich source of radium and a half-mad Thorkel who shrinks them down to one-fifth their normal size when they threaten to stop his unorthodox experimentation.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Albert Dekker
Dr. Alexander Thorkel
Thomas Coley
Bill Stockton
Janice Logan
Dr. Mary Robinson
Charles Halton
Dr. Rupert Bulfinch
Victor Kilian
Steve Baker
Frank Yaconelli
Pedro
Paul Fix
Dr. Mendoza
Frank Reicher
Prof. Kendall

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack
Writers: Malcolm Stuart Boylan, Tom Kilpatrick
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 63-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

86 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack, shot by Henry Sharp. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Original score by Gerard Carbonara. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ellsworth Hoagland shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Albert Dekker and Thomas Coley and Janice Logan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0032412 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ernest B. Schoedsack directs. Henry Sharp behind the camera. Gerard Carbonara scores. Ellsworth Hoagland cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 63-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
286 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack, shot by Henry Sharp. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Gerard Carbonara. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Ellsworth Hoagland shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Albert Dekker and Thomas Coley and Janice Logan carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0032412 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 75 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 18 themes, including "loss of eyesight", "experiment", "peru", "expedition".

The technical file

Cinematography: Henry Sharp
Original score: Gerard Carbonara
Editing: Ellsworth Hoagland
Makeup / hair: Charles Gemora
Runtime: 63 min · 1h 3m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Dr. Cyclops (1940)

Also by

Ernest B. Schoedsack

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-05-24
★ 7.5/10
Strange how absorbed man has been in the size of things! Dr. Cyclops is directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and written by Tom Kilpatrick. It stars Albert Dekker, Thomas Coley, Janice Logan, Charles Halton and Victor Kilian. Music is collectively arranged by Ernst Toch, Gerard Corbanara and Albert Hay Malotte, and cinematography is by Henry Sharp. A group of scientists are requested to join Dr. Alexander Thorkel (Dekker) at his remote laboratory in the Peruvian jungle. Once there they find the doctor is losing his sight but working on something very secretive. Soon enough they wish they hadn't stuck around to find out just what it is he is up to. One of the better of the "mad scientist" movies from the classic era of sci-fi schlockers, Dr. Cyclops boasts nifty effects work, lovely Technicolor and a superb lead performance by Dekker. As in the best traditions of such genre fare, the science is mad as a box of frogs, which here involves miniaturisation. Thorkel pushes the boundaries of his work and this puts his "guests" into grave danger as they enter a small world beset with everyday perils. It's never truly a horror film, as evidenced by the jaunty musical score that accompanies much of the "little people's" adventures as they strive to survive, and this is something that has taken first time viewers by surprise and disappointed them. This really is a picture asking you to enjoy yourself with a smile on your face whilst appreciating the super craft involved for the era. There's no brainy botherings or statements of metaphoric substance, while away from Dekker the acting is hardly high grade stuff. But transport yourself into this bonkers sci-fi adventure and a good time is assured at the very least. 7.5/10

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