An insurance investigator finds there's more to electronic dream therapy than meets the eye.An insurance investigator finds there's more to electronic dream therapy than meets the eye.An insurance investigator finds there's more to electronic dream therapy than meets the eye.
Carl Jaffe
- Dr. Hoff
- (as Carl Jaffé)
Armand Guinle
- French Farmer
- (as Armande Guinle)
Fred Davis
- Diner at Hotel Memours
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Montgomery Tully
- David Paltenghi(dream sequence)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
Featured review
Seen on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater in 1965
1957's "The Electronic Monster" was a British programmer that didn't cross the Atlantic for three years (Columbia double billed it with either William Castle's "13 Ghosts" or Toho's "Battle in Outer Space"), its more accurate original title "Escapement" changed for something signifying more horror than science fiction (the shooting titles were "Zex, the Electronic Fiend," and "The Dream Machine"). It actually plays out as a murder mystery, from the pen of Charles Eric Maine (The Atomic Man"), under the direction of journeyman Montgomery Tully ("Invisible Creature," "Fog for A Killer," "The Terrornauts"), from the same Anglo Amalgamated company that would become infamous for color fright fests "Horrors of the Black Museum," Circus of Horrors," and "Peeping Tom." This black and white quickie can't help but pale in comparison to those three, using the typical format of importing Hollywood actors to play the leads, in this case Rod Cameron ("The Monster and the Girl") and Mary Murphy ("The Mad Magician"), not a surprise since both had already worked in England before (Cameron in "Passport to Treason," Murphy in "Finger of Guilt"). Cameron's rugged countenance (well suited to Westerns) seems out of place as a two fisted insurance investigator looking into the sudden death (suicide or murder) of a star actor who had just left a clinic near Cannes that specializes in relaxing patients with dream therapy as a form of 'escape from reality.' Once he starts making inquiries about the clinic we pretty much stay put, as the police surgeon supplies his own verdict on cause of death (cerebral thrombosis) as opposed to the actual cause, a short circuit of the brain due to a severe dose of brainwashing. The primary villain is quickly revealed to be the clinic owner (Peter Illing), his bizarre likeness shown in the electronically induced dreams (I could have done without the diaper-clad lads prancing about), apparently a former Nazi who is confident that the well paid local authorities won't bother him. A decent enough view if somewhat obvious, though some of the French accents render dialogue unintelligible.
helpful•41
- kevinolzak
- Apr 9, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Zex, the Electronic Fiend
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $125,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 16 minutes
- Color
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
Top Gap
By what name was The Electronic Monster (1958) officially released in India in English?
Answer