The Man Who Turned to Stone ** (1957, Victor Jory, William Hudson, Charlotte Austin) – Classic Movie Review 8583

‘Incredible revelations from the blackest chapters of unholy medicine!’

Director László [Leslie] Kardos’s wonderfully awful and splendidly bizarre 1957 schlock sci-fi-horror classic The Man Who Turned to Stone finds some 300-year-old undead scientists, organised by their leader Dr Murdock (played by Victor Jory), taking control of a girls’ borstal to take their life forces via electricity so that they themselves stay immortal and don’t turn to stone.

Put your feet up, get your brain in neutral and get the popcorn ready, but take care not to choke when you are laughing.

Blacklisted writer Bernard Gordon was originally credited as Raymond T Marcus.

Also in the cast are Ann Doran as Mrs Ford, Charlotte Austin as Carol Adams, William Hudsonas Dr Jess Rogers, Paul Cavanagh as Cooper, Jean Willes as Tracy, Victor Varconi as Dr Myer, George Lynn as Dr Freneau, Frederick Ledebur [Friedrich von Ledebur] as Eric, Tina Carver as Big Marge Collins and Barbara Wilson as Anna Sherman.

Interestingly, while broken glass cannot penetrate the monster’s petrified skin, he can still be given a shot with a hypodermic needle.

The Man Who Turned to Stone is directed by László [Leslie] Kardos, runs 71 minutes, is made by Sam Katzman Productions [Clover Productions], is released by Columbia Pictures, is written by Bernard Gordon, is shot in black and white by Benjamin H Kline, is produced by Sam Katzman, is scored by Ross DiMaggio and is designed by Paul Palmentola.

Columbia Pictures released The Man Who Turned to Stone in a double bill with Zombies of Mora Tau (1957) with the ‘Warning – This is the Most Shocking Horror Bill Ever Shown!’

The film was refused a UK cinema certificate by the BBFC film censors in April 1957 but three months later passed with cuts.

Victor Jory (1902–1982).

Victor Jory’s sinister look and sombre voice typecast him as a heavy, but he occasionally played sympathetic leads, including in the sci-fi cult classic Cat-Women of the Moon (1953).

Bernard Gordon (1918–2007) was named before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and he was fired from a studio and blacklisted. In 1997 he said: ‘The action by the Screenwriters Guild [to restore some of his writing credits] comes about 40 years too late to help my Hollywood career. I sure am angry at the way I was treated by all the major studios. They blacklisted me, and I couldn’t get any work in this damn town.’

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8583

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