The Magnetic Monster (1953)

Studio: MGM
Theatrical Release: Feb. 18th, 1953
DVD-R Release: Jan. 3rd, 2011
Rating: Unrated!
Review by Craig Sorensen


After a string of strange police reports of metal objects suddenly becoming magnetized, the O.S.I. (Office of Scientific Investigation) send in Dr. Jeffrey Stewart (Richard Carlson of Creature of the Black Lagoon) and his partner Dan Forbes (King Donovan of Invasion of the Body Snatchers).  They soon discover that a crazy old scientist (Leonard Mudie of The Mummy) has somehow created a new radioactive isotope.  The isotope pulls in surrounding energy (stalling car and airplane engines) to feed itself, all the while growing bigger and bigger.  Each time it grows it’s magnetic power increases.  Will the O.S.I. be able to stop this ‘magnetic monster’ before it’s power throws the earth of it’s orbit?

The Magnetic Monster plays out like a particularly strange episode of Dragnet.  Richard Carlson (I guess he’s our Jack Webb of the picture) narrates the whole film in a kind of hard-boiled cop/noir fashion.  It’s an interesting angle for a science fiction film and helps it stand out a bit from the crowd.  Actually, watching the film feels like watching the pilot of a television show.  It’s sort of structured like the X-Files, with the O.S.I. standing in for the the F.B.I. and instead of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson you get Richard Carlson and King Donovan (I’ll let you decide which is better-of course I know which one I’d rather watch).  You get introduced to all your major characters in kind of the same way you would in something like The Night Stalker.  You meet Stewart’s wife Connie (Jean Byron of Invisible Invaders) and Stewart’s and Forbes secretary (played by the great Kathleen Freeman).  I’m assuming that they would be regular cast members.

All that makes Magnetic Monster sound kind of standard and maybe a little boring.  It’s not.  Curt Siodmak’s script elevates this above most of it’s B-movie brethren.  The characters are smart and fun to watch.  There is humor but it’s not over bearing and there is real menace to the threat.  The way that the magnetic element is handled is great.  It’s never clearly defined whether or not this is just a lump of strange radioactive material or some kind of sentient ‘monster’ with a destructive will.  The only other 50’s monster movie without a monster that I can think of is The Monolith Monsters.  And, while I enjoy that film, The Magnetic Monster does a much better job with the unthinking, inanimate antagonist schtick.

The acting in my opinion is great across the board.  Richard Carlson is believable as a scientist/investigator/family man and King Donovan (who has an AWESOME name) is great as his partner/sidekick.  As I pointed out above, Kathleen Freeman plays their secretary and has one line that made me laugh out loud.  You also get small parts from Strother Martin and Billy Benedict (of the Bowery Boys fame).  I think that the script is smart but the actors really help pull this off.

MGM’s new made on demand DVD-R looks great to me.  There is great contrast to the black & white image.  Blacks remain dark and deep while white and gray remain bright and clear.  The image is sharp and there is quite a bit of detail here.  The image does look a bit inferior when stock footage kicks in (there is quite a bit in this) but stock footage always looks inferior.  You just have to get used to these things if you watch a lot of B-movies (which I do).  The only extra is the original trailer.  It’s a great trailer though so I’m not complaining.  It does kind of make me wish for the times when companies would at least through some trailers for other films on the disc however.  Throw some related AIP trailers on there or something.