User Reviews

Producer Jack Harris and director Irvin Yeaworth were responsible for two of the more off-the-wall sci-fi flicks of the '50s, "The Blob" and this one (they also did "Dinosaurus," but that's a whole other story). Both films appear to have been made around the same time, in 1957; while "The Blob" was released then, this picture, for some reason, wasn't put on the market until two years later. Actually, all things considered, I think it's a better film than "The Blob," although "The Blob" is actually more fun to watch. Lead actor Robert Lansing would at first glance seem to be an odd choice to star in a sci-fi movie; he was one of the more intense actors of his period, and you wouldn't think that his somewhat gruff demeanor and rugged, craggy looks would be the qualities you'd expect to find in an actor playing the lead in a sci-fi film; those parts were usually played by men who were more conventionally better looking than Lansing--and, frankly, younger. However, Harris and/or Yeaworth knew what they were doing when they cast him, as he fits this part to a tee; the coiled intensity he brought to all his roles really works here. His character is a basically good guy who lashes out when he discovers he's been betrayed (his ne'er-do-well brother steals his girlfriend) and in the process comes up with a scientific discovery that allows him to pass through solid matter. He also discovers that the side effects of this condition necessitate his draining the "energy" from others in order for him to survive. It's intriguing to watch Lansing's transformation from a decent if somewhat grouchy man to a homicidal, power-crazed "mutant"; where a sci-fi standby like John Agar would have either underplayed it or gone over the top, Lansing manages to strike just the right note, and really makes you pity, if not empathize with, the creature he's become.

Female lead Lee Merriwether has always been, in my opinion anyway, much underrated as an actress, being judged more for her status as a former Miss America than for her talent. However, she had a relaxed, naturalistic quality that many actresses with far more training and experience lacked, and I think it adds to the believability of the picture.

"The 4D Man" is no masterpiece, of course, but it's definitely one of the more intriguing, and thoughtful, sci-fi epics of the '50s. An interesting premise, very good special effects--considering the relatively low budget--solid performances and a much more adult tone than the usual '50s sci-fi flick make this a keeper. Check it out.

I'm always amazed to see a classic movie having the same ideas as modern day movies I thought to be original. This movie reminded me of '' Hollow Man '' by Paul Verhoeven ( but without the fancy special effects of our modern day ). It's the story of two brothers - one of them playful and charismatic, the other one strict and serious - finding themselves in a struggle over a woman. At a certain point one of them gets the ability to alter molecular substances, making him able to speed the aging process inside human beings and to walk through concrete walls. Yep, pretty handy to become a thug if you can do these things.

I liked it. It's another nice story about someone gaining a superpower and using it for his own benefit. Like so many other movies, this is about how we human beings are able to do horrible things in a situation in which we gain power. It's like Spiderman once said: with great power comes great responsibility.

It's a SF-movie from the fifties, so the special effects are nothing compared to what we're used to. If you're able to look past that, you can enjoy a pretty decent movie. Not a masterpiece, but enjoyable on its own accord.

I didn't have very high expectations for 4D man and when I started to watch it, the jazz music playing started to confirm my fears right at the start of the film. It really got the movie started off on the wrong foot. Other than the music, I must admit that it was a pretty good sci-fi movie. The acting was good, film quality good, very nice special effects and an unusual sci-fi plot. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that this movie was made in the mid 1960s and not 1959. It's my opinion that 4D Man is probably a little underrated as a 50s sci-fi, horror flick and should get more attention. Don't expect too much though. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a classic, but I think it's still a pretty good movie and is well worth watching. Let the 4D Man come through the wall for you. I don't think you will be disappointed.

I saw this movie when it first appeared in theaters. I was 12 years old and a fan of the ilk. However, the methods used for special effects in that era always seemed so obvious. This movie was a novel experience: I could not imagine how the effects were done. My only reservation was that they talked of slipping through the fourth dimension AND speeding up the natural process by which an object might slowly penetrate another. These are two different ideas. The second scenario accounts for the "horror" of the movie as people are rapidly aged. It was an unforgettable film. I would like to see it now and determine whether it holds up as well as my memory of it.

Watched this movie recently and overall it was better than I expected. The general storyline and acting was quite good and the special effects - e.g., walking through solids - were actually pretty decent. Robert Lansing and Lee Meriwether were pretty good especially considering this was their first film. The other actors were OK.

However there were a number of shortcomings and unintentional funny moments: 1) The soundtrack was totally over the top. Very 'hip' beatnik jazz orchestration with bongos etc. This cartoonish music often played during some of the tenser moments of the film, effectively ruining the suspense. 2) The sibling rivalry subplot at the beginning of the movie was really unnecessary. It was probably added to heighten the drama and give the characters more depth, but in the end it was all rather pointless. 3) The funniest moment of the film occurred when 'Tony' was working on his fourth dimension theory at the restaurant table. When the camera showed his notebook, instead of mathematical calculations or a scientific diagram, it was simply a sketch of a block of metal with a pencil going through it. It was like something straight out of a Leslie Nielsen movie.

Overall, it is an OK movie and worth watching if you enjoy old sci-fi movies. It won't change your life, but you won't regret watching it either.

Of all the films of actor Robert Lansing this film " The 4-D Man " is perhaps the least seen or appreciated. The story revolves around inventive scientist Dr. Scott Nelson (Robert Lansing) who is searching for something which can revitalize his nearly futile experiments with a new metal process. He discovers that his younger brother Dr. Tony Nelson (James Congdon) is also working with a fantastic invention which ventures into the realm of the incredible. At first, Scott is uninterested and disbelieving, until his brother shows him. Once aware of the possibilities, Scott steals the project and pushes it to the limits. However, the outcomes are totally unexpected as Scott is propelled into the world of the Forth Dimension with horrendous results. This is a solid movie and Lansing overwhelms the cast despite having Lee Meriwether, Robert Strauss and Edgar Stehli as Dr. Theodore W. Carson. Look carefully and you'll see a very young Patty Duke playing Marjorie Sutherland. Good fun for the Special Effects crowd. ***

4D Man is really Jekyll & Hyde meets the Invisible Man with an awful bombastic jazz musical score.

Dr Scott Nelson (Robert Lansing) is a dour scientist working to develop an impregnable metal called cargonite. He has developed some side effects from his experiments and his boss does not appreciate the work he has done.

Tony Nelson (James Congdon) his younger brother also a scientist has lost another job trying to conduct experiments with an electronic amplifier that allows one solid object go through another.

When Tony goes to see his brother, Scott's girlfriend Linda (Lee Meriwether) ends up falling for the more playful and energetic brother. The trouble is, Scott's last girlfriend ended up running off with Tony as well.

Knowing that Linda and Tony are having an affair, in a fit of anger, Scott uses the amplifier and finds that he can pass his hands through solid metal. However the more he uses this power, he finds that he prematurely ages. Only by sucking the life force form another person can Scott get back his youth.

Tony know finds himself trying to stop his older brother as the bodies pile up.

4D Man would had been an enjoyable hokum if the musical score was not so darn irritating. This is a B movie that takes time to build up, yet it does not take long for Linda to fall in love with Tony. Merriweather is sultry but Congdon is a poor actor, their romance is hackneyed.

Lansing does better as the hard working scientist who does not get the recognition he deserves or the love from Linda he desires. This twists his mind as he goes increasingly deranged.

The special effects range from poor to passable, this is a mildly entertaining guff.

4D Man is a very entertaining Sci Fi thriller that utilizes the talents of actor Robert Lansing to their fullest extent. He strikes the right cord as Dr Scott Nelson. Using the research gathered by his brother Dr Tony Nelson, and the data he has gathered through his own work Nelson discovers a method of projecting himself into a fourth dimensional state which allows him to pass through solid objects. The downside is that each projection he attempts causes his body to age very rapidly. He then discovers that with his touch he can absorb the life energy of other living creatures which will renew his own life force and restore his youth. This has the added effect of killing those whose energy he has drained.

The old adage that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" comes through as Nelson allows his pent up frustrations to surface and he uses his powers to rob, and take revenge on those who feels have wronged him.He eventually is able to project himself through shear force of will. When he finds that his fiancé and his brother have fallen in love with each other and have gone to the authorities about him, he targets them both for death.

4D Man has an interesting and unusual premise for a science fiction film. Irvin S Yeaworth Jr directed and did a first rate job of making an absorbing and tightly wound story. Lansing was a low key actor who generally underplayed his scenes. While it didn't not always work, it's the right method for Dr Scott Nelson in this story.Good special effects also help. Sci Fi fans and fantasy buffs will enjoy and appreciate 4D Man.

A scientist discovers how to pass through solid matter, but doing so drains the transitter's 'time' and causes premature aging, which can only be reversed by drawing the vitality out of other people. There's not much to the story and the slim science fiction plot is heavily padded with an uninteresting 'lovers triangle' between scientist brothers Tony (James Congdon), Scott (Robert Lansing) and sexy Linda (Lee Meriwether, Miss America 1955). The '4D' effects are run-of-the-mill but the spontaneous aging makeup is quite well done. The film has the look of a 'hip' 1960's TV show, an impression not helped by the invasive (and after a while tiresome) jazz score or the cast, many of whom went on to TV careers. The ending is flat and unsatisfying.

Producer Jack H. Harris, screenwriter Theodore Simonson, and director Irvin S. Yeaworth, Jr. re-teamed for this sci-fi effort after the far more popular (and more fun) "The Blob". This viewer just didn't have as much fun with this as he would have liked given the nifty premise of this feature. Unfortunately, the pacing is a little sluggish at first, with too much time devoted to the romantic subplot of the story. But right around the halfway point, things start cooking, with more action taking place. The visual effects here are actually pretty good for the time when this was made, and the body count is fairly high. There has to a debit, however, for the persistent, overbearing jazz score (by Ralph Carmichael) which does work on occasion, but doesn't, for the most part.

Sharp featured and intense leading man Robert Lansing plays Dr. Scott Nelson, a scientist who's developed this supposedly impregnable metal which gets dubbed cargonite. His brother is another scientist, Tony Nelson (James Congdon), whose own obsession has paid off: he's figured out how to have matter occupying the same space at the same time, and pass objects through one another - including the cargonite. The Nelsons experiment together only to find that Scott can now pass *himself* through various things. Scott finds some pleasure from his newfound ability, but there are side effects - there have to be side effects in a story like this - Scott is getting progressively more insane and now rapidly ageing, and has to make physical contact with other living things to temporarily regain his youth.

Lovely Miss America winner Lee Meriwether ('Batman', 'Barnaby Jones') is the lady who comes between the brothers; Robert Strauss, Edgar Stehli, and a very young Patty Duke are also among the cast in this amusing bit of escapism with some good moments. Lansing does a solid job in the lead; you do feel for him when Meriwether, whom he wants to marry, shows more interest in Congdon, and although you know he needs to be stopped when he goes on the inevitable rampage, he's not quite a simple one-dimensional villain.

"4D Man" is no classic, but is entertaining enough for 85 minutes.

Seven out of 10.

I remember in the old Superman series there was an episode where George Reeves discovers that he has another hidden power, the power to pass through solid objects if he concentrates. In that episode it was an eight feet thick concrete wall built like a fallout shelter.

Nothing like that is attempted here, but I do wonder if that episode inspired the creators of the 4D Man.

Robert Lansing who is the scientist who becomes the 4D Man through his experiments made his big screen debut here. He and brother James Congdon have been experimenting at a scientific think tank run by Edgar Stehli where Lansing's girlfriend Lee Meriwether also works.

I think Lansing might have also been inspired by what Claude Rains did in The invisible Man. Every time Lansing does his 4D thing and passes through something solid he ages and then has to kill someone to drain their life energy to maintain himself. He's dangerous but sympathetic, a balance that Claude Rains also achieved in his performance.

Not a great science fiction classic, but a good piece of work by Robert Lansing for a debut.

Wow, I searched for years to get this on DVD. I first saw it back in High School on one of those midnight horror shows in Australia (Deadly Earnest was the host...anyone from Australia remember him??).

I remember being obsessed with the walking through walls special effect, the way in which bits of his clothing would appear first, then the rest of him.

It's funny how a film can stay with you from childhood. The day I got the DVD, I was stoked. Not the greatest film ever made, but I am a die hard fan. I admit to being surprised by the score, very jazzy for such a dark story. I thought Robert Lansing and the rest of the cast were cool. They gave some considerable depth to what was after all very much a 'B' movie.

Check it out!

With the development, denotation and proliferation of atomic weaponry and the expansion of nuclear plants after World War Two 1950s sci-fi motion pictures were quick to capitalize on these events utilizing the neotericness and general unfamiliarity of ongoing atomic research as a basis for story ideas. In these films atomic testing was responsible for the revival of long extinct dinosaurs (BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS and GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS), contact with nuclear radiation in a myriad of ways caused gigantic mutations in existing animal species (THEM!, TARANTULA, ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS and BEGINNING OF THE END) as well as in human beings (THE CYCLOPS, THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN, WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST and THE 30 FOOT BRIDE OF CANDY ROCK) and in one instance exposure to a radioactive mist caused a man to dwindle to microscopic dimensions (THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN).

Atomic research obviously involved much more than the creation of more potent and lethal forces of destruction through nuclear fission and 4D MAN was one of a handful of 1950s sci-fi films to present movie audiences with some idea of just what went on in such scientific facilities touching upon other explorative aspects of quantum physics such as bombarding elements with subatomic particles and experimentation with intensified electromagnetic fields.

4D MAN was the second of three interesting projects produced by Jack H. Harris which included THE BLOB (1958) and DINOSAURUS! (1960) forming an imaginatively diverse and highly entertaining sci-fi trilogy. While not masterpieces of the genre these Jack H. Harris productions had the important distinction of being filmed in colour which was contrary to the trend of photographing the majority of sci-fi B-films of the period in black and white.

Much of this film's basic story structure can be traced to Lambert Hillyer's THE INVISIBLE RAY (1936) where Boris Karloff as Professor Janos Rukh becomes contaminated from being exposed to his discovery of the space-born element Radium X charging him with a fantastically deadly power (enabling Rukh to kill his scientist rivals by the mere touch of his hand) which steadily deteriorates his rational reasoning while also proving progressively fatal to him as well (this is kept in check by a periodic dosage of a temporary antidote).

Similarly Robert Lansing as physicist Scott Nelson in testing his younger brother's (Tony a renegade scientist of some disrepute) portable prototype contrivance in amplifying electromagnetic fields is able to move his hand through an impenetrable slab of metal. In successfully re-attempting the same feat within the force field again he discovers that the device has shorted-out yet he is now able to miraculously pass through any solid masses. Although not clearly delineated in the film his prior repeated exposure to the atomic furnace chambers in the development of a new dense alloy has caused an undetected mutation in Dr. Nelson's brain resulting in infinitely more intensified concentration faculties coupled with his also being affected by the experimental electromagnetic field now enabling Dr. Nelson to physically accelerate into the fourth dimension at will and whenever in this de-molecular condition he can freely walk through any physical barriers (walls, fences, doors, etc.). However while in this high velocity state Nelson also accelerates in age and by accident discovers he can only be restored to normalcy by draining the life energies of hapless victims resulting in a reign of terror until his eventual demise at the hands of his former scientist colleague-girlfriend in true "film noir" fashion by shooting Dr. Nelson (when not in his inter-dimensional form) as both are embraced in a passionate kiss.

The end is somewhat ambiguous as the apparently mortally wounded and dissipating Dr. Nelson (proclaiming himself "indestructible") retreats with some difficulty through a wall out-of-sight and the superimposed wording "The End" appears transforming into a visible question mark. This could imply a number of possibilities: A) Dr. Nelson died from the gunshot after disappearing into the wall remaining permanently embedded within it. B) Nelson could have successfully made his escape only to recover and return later to vengefully strike out at humanity anew. C) The artificially-induced fourth dimensional state could eventually be rediscovered and resurrected by some other researcher with similarly terrifying repercussions. D) What further unforeseen horrors is science on the brink of unleashing upon the world in the future?

Crucial to the plausibility and acceptance of this film's fantastic premise are convincing and competent special effects and the visuals employed in 4D MAN while all too sparse and fleeting are remarkably impressive nonetheless. Memorable is the scene where Dr. Nelson aimlessly strolls along a downtown street at night and mischievously applies his newly acquired powers by passing his hand through a mailbox removing a letter and properly replacing it through the slot (any solid object Nelson touches also de-solidifies), filching an apple through the front window of a produce store and similarly handling a diamond necklace on display in a jewellery shop. When Nelson pauses from his amusement and observes the darkened national bank across the street his smile betrays exactly what is on his mind (editing between the camera's point-of-view of the bank juxtaposed with the expression on Nelson's face wordlessly conveys his intention to make an unauthorized withdrawal). Sound is also utilized to considerable effect as a high-pitched electronic whine ominously signifies Dr. Nelson's transformation into the inter-dimensional entity. The age makeup of his victims whose life energies are absorbed by the desperate, deranged researcher is incredibly well handled indeed (particularly in the unintentional first murder of his physician friend where some cartoon animation is employed to dynamically accentuate the onslaught of rapid aging further making the effect all the more gruesome). With tremendous nightmarish impact the mummified corpses of his victims serve as a powerful testament to the frightening deadliness of this unstoppable and elusive killer on the prowl.

The late Robert Lansing was an curiously peculiar choice for the Jekyll-Hyde role but handily fulfilling the part's demands and his performance is an engaging, unique and refreshingly modernized interpretation of a stock horror film character. The actor's portrayal is as much a visual conception as it is a dramatic one which warrants a constant, studied scrutiny (witness how he perpetually has a lighted cigarette in hand and cleverly integrates his own habitual chain-smoking into his portrayal of Dr. Nelson). Through a facial expression, body movement or a hand gesture Mr. Lansing can convey his innermost thoughts, attitudes and feelings without the utterance of a single word a facility suitably appropriate for the visual demands of the cinema. Mr. Lansing also possessed a wonderfully expressive voice well capable of adroit, incisive delivery of dialogue when required so much so that the actor was recruited to handle the story's opening narration chores. For contrast the actor deliberately underplays his part so that his confrontational scenes where impassioned emotionalism is displayed (his frustration and anger exhibited over co-worker Linda's rejection of both his marriage proposal and pathetic amorous advances toward her, his pent up resentment directed against his callously exploitive and crassly unappreciative superior) noticeably stand out and make a stronger impression. Unfortunately in his film work Mr. Lansing was rarely involved with science fiction his most notable efforts being in television segments such as THE TWILIGHT ZONE (the unforgettable "The Long Morrow") and STAR TREK (the proposed spinoff pilot "Assignment Earth") and his was an enigmatic and charismatic personality which should have been utilized much more in the genre.

There is a matter of chronology regarding just when 4D MAN was actually filmed. In a minor part is the then child actress Patty Duke still years ahead of her academy award performance as a young Helen Keller in Arthur Penn's THE MIRACLE WORKER (1962) and as the teen-star of her own popular television series THE PATTY DUKE SHOW (1963-66). As Marjorie the daughter of Lee Meriwether's "landlady" Miss Duke appears to be between eight to ten years of age however 4D MAN was theatrically released on October 1959 and the budding young actress was thirteen years old at that time. Speculation would suggest that this Jack H. Harris production was clearly filmed a few years prior to its actual release (probably made in tandem with Mr. Harris's first sci-fi project THE BLOB which was filmed in 1957 and 4D MAN was originally intended as its co-feature) but for some undetermined reasons its premier would be postponed until Universal-International Pictures finally distributed the apparently shelved film in late 1959.

Most reviewers of 4D MAN seem unanimous in their dissatisfaction with film composer Ralph Carmichael's brash and vibrant jazz score having been utilized in a film of this nature however considering the time period (the late l950s) this energetic and rambunctious music is cannily suited to the more contemporary setting nicely expressing the strong underlying emotions, tensions and conflicts of the characters as well as accentuating the thrills and excitement of the action. Mr. Carmichael's jazz music appropriately imbues the events with the gritty texture of a police manhunt-dragnet drama and in contrast to the more conventional symphonic orchestrations employed for the majority of sci-fi movies at the time the traditional scoring seems rather trite and overly melodramatic by comparison. It's curious that a soundtrack album wasn't issued in conjunction with the film's release for aficionados of this brand of music. Mr. Carmichael was also responsible for the background music in Jack H. Harris's other sci-fi production THE BLOB.

Although certainly not the first, 4D MAN was reflective of a marked tendency in the late 1950s toward an increased sophistication and relevancy in themes and concepts advanced and explored in sci-fi films a trend which would be followed through well into the next decade. With tremendous strides made in technology, scientific research and the then fledgling space program the onus and challenge was now on for film makers to seek out new and different avenues for story ideas to reach a far more demanding and knowledgeable audience. Through efforts such as 4D MAN these imaginative craftsmen succeeded quite admirably.

The second Jack H. Harris-Irwin S. Yeaworth collaboration is a more cerebral effort (being an outright sci-fi piece) than its more famous predecessor THE BLOB (1958). Typically for the genre, it deals with a scientist becoming accidentally endowed with some form of superhuman ability (in this case, passing through solids) – the downside to this is that he ages every time this feat is accomplished…but, then, coming to contact with other people, he is able to sap their energy and bring about his own rejuvenation! Robert Lansing – whom I fondly recall from the TV series AUTOMAN (1983-84) that I used to watch during childhood – is adequate in the title role but his brash younger brother (who is actually the catalyst for the transformation) is less likable; as a result, while Lee Meriwether makes for a lovely conflicted heroine (being engaged to Lansing but falling for his younger sibling), their budding relationship sorely feels like a plot contrivance. Besides, Robert Strauss is cast against type as a scientist who is not above appropriating a colleague's work for his own advancement. Even though boasting variable effects (particularly the aging make-up) and ending somewhat inconclusively, the film remains an eminently watchable and thought-provoking piece that should please fans of the genre and the era which spawned it.

4D Man is an interesting 1959 tale of adventures in the fourth dimension that features young Catwoman and Control, with the latter acquiring the force field power to pass through all manner of solid objects, but with a penchant for larceny and the unfortunate side effect of the touch of death! The film is enjoyable and the quaint 4D effects certainly have a charm, but the soundtrack choice of constant hepcat jazz is a little eccentric and rather distracting in places.

4-D man starts off very poorly, as the opening music sound like it was written for a 1950s strip club. Unfortunately, while it did get a bit better, it still was brash, loud and cheap and often seemed like music designed for a beatnik coffee house--not a sci-fi film. Additionally, the film features a romance that just isn't believable--happening almost instantly and making very little sense. This was less annoying than the music--more of a minor problem. However, despite having these two strikes against it, the film manages to still be a dandy sci-fi film--partly because it was NOT about some bug-eyed monsters or aliens.

The film begins with a young researcher (James Congdon) getting fired. He hitchhikes to the lab where his brother (Robert Lansing) is in charge of a team working on a new impervious metal. However, the younger brother says that he's been working on a matter amplifier that will allow ANYTHING to be permeated. Later, when Lansing is playing with Congdon's machinery, he manages to pass his hand through a block of metal--in a rather terrifying scene. Oddly, soon after this, Lansing finds he's able to continue passing through objects even without using the electronic equipment--just his own will! Naturally, being a 50s sci-fi film, this power turns out to be far greater and difficult to control than they'd imagine--leading to deadly consequences! The plot is interesting (and rather reminiscent of THE INVISIBLE MAN), the special effects pretty good for 1959 and the story was unique. I liked it a lot--too bad it was given such annoying and funky music--it deserved MUCH better.

Creative reworking of "The Invisible Man" stars Robert Lansing as a scientist utilizing his younger brother's invention (a box and some wires) to make himself permeable. That is to say, he is able to pass through solid objects, such as walls and doors. Not surprisingly, he begins robbing banks. I would, too. But he doesn't count on the horrible aging effect each effort costs him, so he starts absorbing energy from people, killing them in the process. He also doesn't count on his transformation driving him mad. The cops can't seem to stop him, and the hunt is on to corner him and find a way to kill him. The special effects still look pretty good, Lansing is credible as the "monster" and a young and pretty Lee Merriwether is his love interest. For you younger viewers out there, try watching the Claude Rains version of "The Invisible Man" back to back with this.

Robert Lansing plays a scientist whose brother is trying to perfect a way to make solid objects pass through each other. Lansing finds out about his brother's radical concept and tries some experiments of his own. He succeeds so well that he takes the idea a step further: he makes himself pass through solid objects.

The process has an adverse affect on his mind, and he starts walking through the walls of banks at night, stealing the cash. Unfortunately, the use of his new power causes him to age rapidly, and the only way he can rejuvenate himself is to absorb life-energy by passing through another human being -- even though this kills the victim.

Robert Lansing's performance is quite good, and so are those of co-stars Lee Meriwether and Patty Duke (age 12). Robert Strauss ("Stalag 17", "The Seven Year Itch") is sadly miscast as an unscrupulous fellow scientist. Director Irvin S. Yeaworth, Jr. created a good film on a meager budget, just as he did with "The Blob".

The special effects are impressive (and in color), devoid of any cheap "see-through" superimposed images. Whenever Lansing walks through a wall, he looks like he's stepping into an opaque liquid. Watch for an eerie scene in which Lansing walks slowly across a room towards an intended victim, passing through tables and chairs.

Although the background story isn't too bad, for a sci-fi movie of its era, the background music is both annoying and distracting.

To be fair, many movies of its era were plagued with that overly loud, distracting jazz in the background. Sometimes, the movie doesn't need background music...

One of the worst films of it's genre.

The only bright spots were Lee Merriwether showing some of the sparkle she would later bring to the Time Tunnel and Batman.

A young Patty Duke also outshone the more established actors.

Nuclear scientist, whom has developed a virtually impenetrable metal is visited by his "black sheep" kid brother, also a scientist. The kid brother has developed a device which, when strongly enough energized, can enable the atoms of dissimilar materials pass through each other. The kid brother steals the older scientists girl friend, so the older scientists steals and tests the kid brother's invention. While attempting to make two inanimate objects pass through each other, the older scientist is "contaminated" by the field and finds himself capable of moving through solid objects. The price? When the scientist passes through a solid object, he ages years in a matter of moments. However, soon, the scientist discovers he can renew his youth, by stealing the "life force" of others.

An intriguing premise botched by a low budget, inappropriate music and obvious blue-screen special effects. The film does have a brilliant, complex performance by lead Robert Lansing. His transformation from staid hero to villian as he is seduced by the power provided by being able to walk though walls is a truly fascinating film experience. However, to have us believe a device which looks like an electric motor with a stainless steel plate attached could absorb enough power from a nuclear generator that it could generate a time travel field is so far-fetched as to be laughable.

Besides Lansing's performance, the best thing about the movie is the realistic aging makeup.