''The Man Who Turned to Stone'' (a.k.a. ''The Petrified Man'') is a 1957 American

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

horror

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstel ...

directed by László Kardos and starring Victor Jory,

Ann Doran Ann Lee Doran (July 28, 1911 – September 19, 2000) was an American character actress, possibly best known as the mother of Jim Stark (James Dean) in ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955). She was an early member of the Screen Actors Guild and serv ...

and Charlotte Austin. The screenplay was written by Bernard Gordon under his pen name Raymond T. Marcus.''It Came from 1957: A Critical Guide to the Year's Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films'' by Rob Craig (Sep 25, 2013) ''The Man Who Turned to Stone'' was released in 1957 on a

double bill The double feature is a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatres would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown. Opera use Opera ho ...

with another Katzman-produced film, '' Zombies of Mora Tau''.

Plot

Two social workers, Dr. Jess Rogers (Hudson) and Carol Adams (Austin) grow concerned over the number of deaths of young women at a local young women's detention home. The otherwise healthy inmates are dying of heart failure or suicide. The social workers discover that the manager of the detention home is Dr. Murdock (Victor Jory). Tracy, one of the inmates, discovers a hidden laboratory. The lab is the base of group of unethical doctors who learned a hundred years ago to extend their lives by draining the vitality of others. Without such transfusions, they begin to slowly petrify. They have become the medical staff of doctors at a girls'

reform school A reform school was a penal institution, generally for teenagers mainly operating between 1830 and 1900. In the United Kingdom and its colonies reformatories commonly called reform schools were set up from 1854 onwards for youngsters who wer ...

, assuring a steady supply of vital young bodies to feed upon. The two social workers begin a quiet investigation, eventually exposing the doctors and their crimes and saving future victims.

Cast

* Victor Jory as Dr. Murdock *

as Mrs. Ford * Charlotte Austin as Carol Adams * William Hudson as Dr. Jess Rogers * Paul Cavanagh as Cooper *

Tina Carver Tina Carver (March 24, 1922 – February 18, 1982) was an American film actress and model active in the 1950s. Filmography Feature films *''The Man Who Turned to Stone'' (1957) as Big Marge *''Chain of Evidence'' (1957) as Claire Ramsey *' ...

as Big Marge Collins * Jean Willes as Tracy *

Victor Varconi Victor Varconi (born Mihály Várkonyi; March 31, 1891 – June 6, 1976) was a Hungarian actor who initially found success in his native country, as well as in Germany and Austria, in silent films, before relocating to the United States, where ...

as Dr. Myer *

Friedrich von Ledebur Friedrich Anton Maria Hubertus Bonifacius Graf von Ledebur-Wicheln ( – ) was an Austrian actor who was known for ''Moby Dick'' (1956), ''Alexander the Great'' (1955) and ''Slaughterhouse-Five'' (1972). Early life Ledebur was born in Nisko, ...

as Eric (as Frederick Ledebur) * George Lynn as Dr. Freneau

Production

Written by

Hollywood blacklist The Hollywood blacklist was an entertainment industry blacklist, broader than just Hollywood, put in effect in the mid-20th century in the United States during the early years of the Cold War. The blacklist involved the practice of denying empl ...

screenwriter Bernard Gordon, who used the pseudonym Raymond T. Marcus for this picture.

Reception

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo Award, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus and BSFA Award, British SF Awards. Two print editions appeared ...

'' found the movie covered ground that even at the time of release were already passé. It stated that the movie blends the juvenile delinquency genre with the horror-scifi which helps the movie and that the acting was credible. ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' found the movie a lesser work in the horror genre, adequate to hold the lower half of a double feature.

References

Bibliography

* Warren, Bill. ''Keep Watching the Skies: American Science Fiction Films of the Fifties'', 21st Century Edition. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009, .

External links

*
The Man Who Turned to Stone
at the TCM
Man Who Turned to Stone
at Variety {{DEFAULTSORT:Man Who Turned to Stone, The 1957 films 1950s science fiction films American science fiction films 1950s English-language films Films directed by László Kardos 1950s American films