THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK (1958)

Dr. Jeremy Spensser, creator of a number of helpful inventions that have helped mankind, has just returned from Europe after receiving an international peace prize (read: Nobel Prize) for work on fighting hunger. When he returns home, he is killed by a truck when he tries to save his son Billy's toy airplane from a gust of wind. Jeremy's father William, a brain surgeon, removes his brain and keeps it alive in an attempt to transplant it into a gigantic robot. Carrington, an old friend of Jeremy's, argues against this plan, mentioning the possible dangers of separating the brain from the soul (which the robot would lack), leading to the dehumanization of the being, but William forges ahead with help from his other son Henry. When Jeremy is brought to consciousness in the huge robot body (as the Colossus), he is horrified and asks to be put to death, but William tells him he owes it to the world to keep making scientific discoveries. He is told that his wife and child are dead, and works intensely on his hunger-fighting experiments, but the Colossus soon develops mental telepathy and discovers that his family is still alive and that his brother Henry has fallen in love with Jeremy's wife Anne. Despite meeting and forming a relationship with his young son, the Colossus realizes that it is folly to try and help mankind, and destroying it might be better. The climax takes place at the United Nations building (hence the title) as Billy, the son, tries to stop his father, who can shoot death rays from his robot eyes (as pictured), from unleashing destruction.

A sort of Frankenstein story in different garb which examines the separation of pure reason and more complex humanity, this B-film has a kiddie movie feel at times (mostly through the interaction of the Colossus and Billy). Some critics have noted that the low budget actually enhances the film at times, giving scenes, including the UN climax, a dreamlike feel. More than fifty years later, this theme feels old hat but still the way in which Jeremy's brain decides he should undo the good he did while alive is interesting. The look of the monster, with a Roman-like robe, is unusual. Acting is average all around: Otto Kruger is mostly effective as William, Ross Martin (Artemus on The Wild Wild West) is Jeremy (briefly), journeyman TV actor John Baragrey is Henry, Robert Hutton is Carrington, and busy B-actress Mala Powers is Anne. 10-year-old Charles Herbert, who had over 60 credits, mostly TV, before he left acting at the end of 1960s, is fine as Billy. This is a movie I had seen stills from in the monster magazines I read as a child and always wanted to see, but all these years on, it was a bit of a letdown. Still, with lowered expectations, it's worth a view. [DVD]