The Colossus of New York

Paramount produced this fascinating, low-budget gem in 1958 and release it with a second feature which was tailor-made to go with it (see `The Space Children'). They played together at drive-in theaters nation wide, and thousand of kids like me watched them both in wide-eyed wonder.

Young viewers (15 to 25 years old) who watch either of these films today tend to totally miss the point. `The Colossus of New York' is an admirable and well-crafted exploration of concepts that were years ahead of their time: ideas like sensory deprivation, organ transplants, psychic powers, and others. This movie is NOT simply a Frankenstein rehash (as several misguided reviewers have claimed).

The story is about a noble, humanitarian genius whose brain is placed in an unfeeling robot body. The film invites the viewer to ponder what makes each of us the sensitive and compassionate person we are (or should be).

If `The Colossus of New York' seems hockey and corny to you, remember that it was designed for an audience -- and a culture -- that existed almost half a century ago. If you have the maturity and the intelligence to translate this message from a by-gone age, you'll benefit from your efforts.

If not . . . well, it's your loss.

An elderly doctor (Otto Kruger) transplants his genius son's brain inside the head of an over-sized robot after the young scientist is killed in an auto accident. The revitalized Colossus retains our sympathy but eventually grows somewhat mad and kills people by shooting them with rays from out of his eye fixtures. I must say that even though I don't typically get scared watching horror movies, the very first time I heard the robot's unhinged and desperately static-tinged voice as he's being given life, it sent absolute shivers of discomfort down my spine - I was terrified! I liked the look of the robot, and the unnatural way he's sometimes photographed jerkily lumbering along (which sometimes sloppily reflected the other characters' motions in the same scenes). Just really creepy. If they could have consistently managed to photograph the other people's reactionary movements at "normal pace" while the robot only was moving awkwardly, it would have been even more weirdly effective. The production values are very cheap, and there is only a modest piano soundtrack to accompany the activities, yet somehow it all works out effectively enough for this movie. Old man Otto Kruger was probably embarrassed to be acting in this, but I enjoyed him here just as I enjoyed his turn as a mad doc in THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE. This movie's also got unintentional chuckles, too (I was in hysterics at Kruger's silly looking-down expression at the United Nations of the film when his robot meets its fate). Fun low budgeted '50s Flick, now one of my favorites from the genre. **1/2 out of ****

The conventional wisdom is that this is a mediocre movie. Yet I find it strangely affecting. A man's brain is placed in a large robotic body, but it's not the usual mad scientist bit. The scientist is a desperate father and the brain belongs to his son (Ross Martin), killed(?) in an automobile accident.

Encased in his robotic body, the son longs to see his own son. These are mad scientists with family values!

The only music in the movie is provided by a lone piano. The motivation for this decision was probably more economical than artistic but Nathan Van Cleave's score echoes the fear and melancholy that permeates the film perfectly.

Not a great film, but one every sci-fi and horror movie fan should see.

Contrary to what some critics and viewers may say, THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK was actually quite dark and atmospheric! This was an exemplary modern-day take on the "Frankenstein's Monster" theme! The performances were well-done, the solo-piano music by Van Cleave was brilliant, and the Colossus itself was actually well created for its time. Even the climax, no matter how "cliched" by today's standard, is still poignant.

I definitely reccommend this movie! I think it deserves to be on DVD as well!

-John Cassidy

Despite some clunky moments I still think the best and most eerie part of Colussus of new york is when the "dead" scientist awakes, and gradually with mounting terror, realises his brain is in the body of a robot! This scene I'm sure influenced Director Paul Verhoeven when he made "Robocop" many years later. look at the creepy visuals in this scene as we see everything from the robots P.O.V and note that its visualisation is similar to what you see on an old Television monitor. those lines spoken by his creator "you can see, you can hear, you can speak and you can move" still sends a chill down my spine. I rate this as one of the best eerie mad lab scenes in the movies.