Something Shrinks Around Here- “Dr. Cyclops”- Tonight!

Tonight on Me-TV- talk about the fall colors- we have a full-color classic to start off fall…as an evil scientist uses radiation to reduce anyone who opposes him to miniature size- it’s “Dr. Cyclops”! This famous 1940 film has a party of scientists (plus the guy who owns the horses they are using for transport) to travel deep into the South American jungle to the remote laboratory of Dr. Thorkel, a brilliant scientist. They are totally unaware that he needs their help for two reasons- one- that his eyesight is failing, and two- that he KILLED his previous assistant! They find him odd and very secretive- barely letting them know what they are doing research for-and when they discover radioactive rocks that indicate a mine worth a fortune, they become curious about what he is using radiation for…and end up being ambushed in his lab as they search for clues! After his initial anger- Thorkel seems to calm down, and invites his guests to look at what he’s working on. He also sends his servant; a local man named Pedro, into the chamber with his equipment- then, slams the door on them all and flips the switch that floods the room with eerie green radiation! (No one says “Hulk smash”- this movie was made pre-SLJK (pre Stan Lee and Jack Kirby!) The results of his act are shocking- everybody in the chamber is shrunk down to five times smaller than normal size! Since their clothes don’t fit, it looks like they are all forced to dress in handkerchiefs (with Pedro in what looks like a miniscule diaper)- and flee from the now-seemingly gigantic Dr. Thorkel! He finds their hiding place, and finds watching their trying to manipulate full-sized objects amusing- but soon- his mercurial temperament has him threatening and even attempting to kill them, so they won’t ever be able to reveal his secrets to the world. His attitude towards them makes one of the group, a professor, compare him to the evil Cyclops of mythology, who towered over and tormented Odysseus and his men- thus invoking his new nickname- “Dr. Cyclops”! This film, directed by Ernest Schoedsack, who was also responsible for the RKO classic “King Kong” (another battle between a large living thing and a bunch of smaller ones)is considered the first science fiction film to be shot in Technicolor, and to use the techniques that later became standard for any “shrunken human” film, and is actually from the Paramount studios, but was sold to MCA/Universal back in the 50s, along with other films from that library, strictly for use on television- which is why we are fortunate to have it, through our Universal contract. Albert Dekker’s near-sighted Dr. Thorkel proves to be a heartless and evil adversary for his tiny victims. We’ll tell you about him and the other actors’ careers, and the effects that made this movie so unforgettable. Also in this show- we are happy to bring you a brief interview we did with a favorite modern horror star who, we’ve found out, is also a major fan of our show- the great Robert Englund, “Freddy Kruger” himself! We got to meet him for the first time, in person, at last year’s “Flashback Weekend” horror convention, and found him to be a lot of fun as well as one of the friendliest celebrities we’ve run into! “Dr. Cyclops” will be on the Me-TV network tonight- at 10 pm eastern, 9 pm central, or, please check your local listings for the air time in your neck of the woods. In our Chicago viewing area, you’ll also get another look at “Mole People” at 11am on WCIU, the U. Our next monthly newsletter comes out at the beginning of next week- make sure you are a subscriber to get the first word on our various Halloween month appearances! (You can sign up for free right on this site!)