Dr. Tony Nelson (James Congdon) has finally discovered a device that will move through the 4th dimension. This causes any object to pass through another. At first this seems too fantastic and most of his colleagues laugh his theories off. Tony soon has to find another job when one of his experiments starts an electrical fire and burns down his lab. He finds a loving home with his brother Scott (Robert Lansing), who is also a successive scientist. His newest discover, Cargonite, has caused him great grief when his boss takes full credit for the breakthrough material.
Tony starts to notice how desperate Scott is. Scott’s relationship with his assistant Linda (Lee Meriwether) is also being tested. The couple seem to have lost the spark that kept their romance burning. In fact, Linda starts to take a liking to Tony and the two form a relationship behind Scott’s back. Soon the situation grows worse when Scott makes a shocking discovery from Tony’s research. One of the tests soon cause Scott to stuck in a 4D state. Little does he know that this will cause fits of insanity.
4D Man (1959) is one of the more unusual sci-fi oddities of the late fifties. It was made with some of the money made off the hugely popular The Blob (1958) by director Irvin Yeaworth and producer Jack H. Harris, before making a third oddball adventure with 1960’s Dinosaurus!. The finished film is a completely different animal with themes of sin and thirst for power. It is also more down beat and melodramatic compared to some of the more campy elements in The Blob.
The central issue of a man becoming mad with his new power and abilities is used to good effect. In most scenes it plays as a metaphor for drug addiction. Robert Lansing (Empire of the Ants, The Nest) handles the script’s shortcomings with a solid and believable performance. His slow descent into madness is stunning to see with a powerful climax. In the commentary track with film historian Richard Harlan Smith, he brings up a moral element to the story and how 4D Man and The Blob were produced with church money in a Christan environment. On a second viewing I started to notice the moral dilemma with the power of using the 4D powers as a commentary on vice and sin.
Langsing’s performance and the colorful technicolor are two of the film’s most striking elements. The film as is well crafted but there is loose ends in the screenplay that leave the movie feeling awkward and oddly placed. There is not enough investment in Scott’s job or the research there doing. There is also a subplot with a rival scientist that is flat. The film’s biggest misfire is an innocent good ole boy performance by James Congdon. The script does him no favors and his character boils down to a pretty boy hero that makes speeches about the misuse of science. He is about engaging as a piece of driftwood.
On the positive end of the cast is some solid performances from Lee Meriwether (The first Catwoman in the popular Adam West Batman television series) and Robert Strauss. Meriwether adds a layer of depth as the sexually repressed Linda. It’s a stunning role with a juicy twist for her first feature role. Character actor Strauss (Billy Wilder’s Stalag 17, The Man with the Golden Arm) is fun as the sneaky Dr. Parker.
Kino Lorber has released 4D Man on a new Blu-ray with a much improved transfer. The audio is a mostly clear 2.0 English DTS-HD MA track. There are a few scenes where volumes drops noticeably down and there is one scene in a lab with a bit of white noise. The dialogue and musical score sounds fantastic with no hiss or peaking. English subtitles are included.
The 1080p HD transfer is clear with some noticeable issues. Some of the old age makeup is too chalky and uneven. With chunks of what look like moldy wax. But the colors are vivid giving the film a unique late fifties look. There is some slight print damage.
The extras make rewatches essential. The best extra is the previously mentioned highly informative audio commentary by Richard Harlan Smith. He covers the production in great detail, looks at the connections between the three sci-fi films by Jack H Harris and company, and changes from the original screenplay and the finished film. There is also a second commentary by Kris Yeaworth. There are also two archival interviews, the first with producer Harris and the second with actress Meriwether. Rounding out the disc is a radio spot, photo gallery, and a trailer gallery that features 4D Man, Donovan’s Brain, X: The Man with X-ray Eyes, The Quatermass Xperiment, Dinosaurus!,The Astro-Zombies, and Beware! The Blob.
Director- Irvin Yeaworth
Cast- Robert Lansing, Lee Meriwether, James Congdon
Country of Origin- US
Format- Blu-ray
Discs- 1
Distributor- Kino Lorber
Reviewer- Tyler Miller