Timeslip (1955 film)
Timeslip (known as The Atomic Man in the United States) is a 1955 British black-and-white science fiction film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Gene Nelson and Faith Domergue. Produced by Alec C. Snowden, it is based on the science fiction novel The Isotope Man by Charles Eric Maine, who also wrote the screenplay. In the UK, the film was distributed by Anglo-Amalgamated. In 1956 the film was shortened from 93 minutes to 76 minutes and distributed in the U.S. by Allied Artists Pictures as a double feature with Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
| Timeslip | |
|---|---|
 US theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ken Hughes |
| Produced by | Alec C. Snowden |
| Written by | Charles Eric Maine (novel The Isotope Man) Charles Eric Maine (screenplay) |
| Cinematography | A. T. Dinsdale |
| Edited by | Geoffrey Muller |
Production company | Todon Productions |
| Distributed by | Anglo-Amalgamated (UK) Allied Artists Pictures (US) |
Release date | November 1955 (UK) 4 March 1956 |
Running time | 93 minutes (UK) 76 minutes (US) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
An injured man is pulled from the Thames. He has been shot in the back and is barely alive. The science correspondent of an illustrated magazine recognises him as a nuclear physicist. But the physicist is alive and well and working at his lab. When the injured man is photographed his pictures shows a strange glow surrounding him and when he recovers enough to be questioned his answers make no sense. The correspondent and his photographer girlfriend try to solve the puzzle and in doing so uncover international industrial espionage and a terrible threat to the atomic research institute.
Cast
- Gene Nelson as Mike Delaney
- Faith Domergue as Jill Rabowski
- Peter Arne as Dr. Stephen Rayner/Jarvis
- Joseph Tomelty as Detective Inspector Cleary
- Donald Gray as Robert Maitland
- Vic Perry as Emmanuel Vasquo
- Paul Hardtmuth as Dr. Bressler
- Martin Wyldeck as Dr. Preston
- Leonard Williams as Detective Sergeant Haines
Production
The film was partially funded by its UK distributor, Anglo-Amalgamated.[1]
Critical reception
TV Guide called it a "dumb movie with an interesting premise";[2] and AllMovie similarly thought its "absolutely fascinating premise" unfortunately translated into "lack of imagination in the script"; but from an able cast, Faith Domergue was "especially welcome", and the reviewer concluded "The budget is clearly low, but (Ken) Hughes does well with what he has."[3]
References
- Thomas M. Pryor, (20 January 1955). "Metro Will Film Graziano Story: Studio Buys Biography of Middleweight Ex-Champion Who Turned to Acting;". New York Times. p. 35.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
- "The Atomic Man". TV Guide.
- "The Atomic Man (1955) – Ken Hughes | Review". AllMovie.
Bibliography
- Warren, Bill. Keep Watching the Skies: American Science Fiction Films of the Fifties, 21st Century Edition. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009 (First Edition 1982). ISBN 0-89950-032-3.