Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

MartinHafer "Man-Made Monster" is the first horror movie that Lon Chaney Jr. made for Universal Studios. Considering that he made for a likable and sympathetic monster in this one, it's not too surprising that the studio soon cast him as another very sympathetic victim...Larry Talbot who was bitten and became the Wolfman! When the story begins, a bus crashes and all the folks aboard are electrocuted...except, oddly, Dan McCormick (Chaney). It turns out that his sideshow act using electricity somehow made him immune to the electricity. The evil Dr. Rigas (Lionel Atwill) wants to exploit this and use his crazy theory to transform Dan into a man without a will. How? By subjecting Dan to electrical treatments that will transform him into an electrical man--a man who doesn't need to eat but lives off energy! There's only one unforeseen problem...Dan soon becomes a murder machine!!This is pretty good stuff and a bit better than the usual Universal B-monster film...which is shocking considering it was the cheapest film made by the studio in 1941! Still enjoyable after all these years.

MonsterVision99 Man Made Monster (1941) its a decently made cheap B-movie from Universal studios, it stars Lon Chaney Jr before being famous for starring in The Wolf Man.Its not the best of the universal horror films, not even the best one from the 40's but I think its pretty serviceable. I would say that its a pretty good underrated gem but perhaps its too flawed and absurd to be considered as one of the best of its kind, however, the film its genuinely entertaining and enjoyable beyond it just being a fun campy sci-fi film. I would recommend it for any horror fan who is interested, it has good performances (especially by Lon Chaney Jr) and some fun to watch special effects that I believe were good for the time.

zardoz-13 Lon Chaney, Jr., delivers one of his better career performances as a former sideshow attraction who acquires immunity to electricity in writer & director George Waggner's compelling but tragic horror movie "Man-Made Monster." Ill-fated protagonist 'Dynamo' Dan McCormick survives multiple attempts by the state to fry him in the electric chair for the murder of one of America's foremost scientists. Subsequently, McCormick escapes from the death chamber and sets out to find the devious dastard who turned him into a homicidal maniac. This atmospheric Universal Pictures' release qualifies as an above-average chiller with Lionel Atwill surpassing himself as the mad scientist who conducts unethical experiments on our unsuspecting hero. He is prepared to sacrifice the life of one man for the sake of medical science. Waggner himself acquired a reputation as a maestro of horror movies. Indeed, later that year in 1941, Waggner collaborated later with Chaney on their most memorable project "The Wolf Man," another saga about a considerate man whose life is destroyed by tragedy. What sets "Man-Made Monster" apart from the typical, run-of-the-mill, B-horror chiller is that Waggner conjures up a sympathetic hero, and Chaney, Jr., makes the guy into a charismatic figure. No, the hero isn't very swift, but he is a cheerful sort who intends nobody harm. Waggner gets a lot of mileage out of the relationship between Chaney, Jr., and a pet dog. "Man-Made Monster" marked the first time that Chaney, Jr., appeared in a horror movie as the monster. On the other hand, the mad scientist that Lionel Atwill plays is so incredibly despicable that you enjoy it when he suffers his comeuppance at Chaney, Jr.'s hands. At this point, the hero is so charged up that his arms and head glow with electricity. Eventually, he learns to don a rubber suit to conserve his electricity. Samuel S. Hinds is terrific, too, as the well-meaning doctor who persuades Chaney, Jr.'s character to serve as a guinea pig for their experiences. Of course, the benevolent Dr. Lawrence (Samuel S. Hinds) doesn't want to take advantage of our likable hero, but mad scientist Dr. Rigas (Lionel Atwill) displays no such qualms. Waggner paces this economical, 59-minute saga so that the suspense gradually builds after Dr. Rigas takes over the experiments with Chaney, Jr.'s' character. A peripheral romance smolders in the background between a newspaper reporter and Dr. Lawrence's secretary. Not only did Waggner helm this entertaining horror film, but he also penned the screenplay under a nom de plume. Waggner derived the film from a story H.J. Essex, Sid Schwartz, and Len Golas. Later, Waggner went on to helm the better-than-average "Horror Island" with Dick Foran.

dougdoepke Plot— to control his mind, a mad scientist (is there any other kind) sends a big current of electricity through a carnival guy making him glow like a neon sign. Trouble ensues.Anyone familiar with horror pictures of the 30's and 40's knows that under no circumstance do you let Karloff, Zucco, or Atwill strap you down, especially in a laboratory. Pity poor Chaney Jr. He's really a nice guy, but after one horizontal session with Atwill, he lights up like Main St. on a Saturday night. But then he should have seen it coming— after all, Atwill's laboratory has more bells and whistles than Cape Canaveral. Chaney'll never get his old life back now that he's turned into a walking light bulb.Worse, after Atwill has fried Chaney's brain, the big guy has all the personality of a zombie. So, what does the trial court's head doctor say is wrong with him after he's murdered a guy —why, acute melancholia, of course. Sounds to me like the screenwriter has something against head doctors. But then, he doesn't much care for district attorneys either. Because a woman drops dead of fright right after the righteous DA says the public has nothing to fear. Hope the guy has a back-up job.Good slick production from a practiced Universal crew. I especially like Corky the dog, a fine canine actor, along with ingénue Anne Nagel who certainly lit up my corner of the room. All in all, I guess we have electricity to thank for these pre-war laboratory monsters and then nuclear radiation for the post-war mutant monsters. One way or the other, they're still a lot of fun, like this one.