The Human Duplicators

Last updated
The Human Duplicators
Humandup.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHugo Grimaldi
Uncredited:
Arthur C. Pierce
Written byArthur C. Pierce
Produced byHugo Grimaldi
Arthur C. Pierce
Starring George Nader
Dolores Faith
George Macready
Barbara Nichols
Richard Arlen
Richard Kiel
Hugh Beaumont
CinematographyMonroe P. Askins
Edited byDonald Wolfe
Music byGordon Zahler
Distributed by Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc.
Release date
  • March 3, 1965 (1965-03-03)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$140,000

The Human Duplicators is a 1965 American science fiction film by Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc. Produced and directed by Hugo Grimaldi and Arthur C. Pierce (the latter uncredited as director), the film stars George Nader, Barbara Nichols, George Macready and Dolores Faith. It was shown in the US on a double feature with Mutiny in Outer Space .

Contents

The narrative follows a very tall space alien (Richard Kiel) who has come to earth at the command of the "Intergalactic Council" to replace select humans with "android doppelgängers." [1] The goal of human duplication is to take over the earth, but the plan fails when the androids are destroyed by an investigator from the US National Intelligence Agency.

Plot

Aboard a spacecraft heading toward earth, the head of the "Intergalactic Council" (Ted Durant) briefs Dr. Kolos (Richard Kiel), a gigantic humanoid alien, on his part to "expand our galaxy domination program." If Kolos succeeds, human duplicates –androids –will begin taking over. If he fails, he will be destroyed.

After arriving via "teletransporter" at the mansion of Dr. Vaughan Dornheimer (Macready), Kolos encounters Dornheimer's blind niece, Lisa (Faith). Not realizing that he's an extraterrestrial, she take Kolos to Dornheimer's laboratory. Kolos tells Dornheimer that together they will develop the sophisticated androids that Dornheimer is unable to create on his own. Dornheimer refuses, but Kolos makes it clear that he is now "the master" and that he will be obeyed.

The police, meanwhile, are stymied by multiple thefts from high-security electronics facilities, apparently perpetrated by the "top scientists" who work at them. Most baffling of all is Dr. Munson (Walter Abel). After being admitted to his facility, he tears a security door off it hinges with his bare hands and kills a guard. He then ignores shouted warnings to halt by a second guard, who shoots him four times in the back. Munson neither flinches nor bleeds, just gets into his car and calmly drives off as if nothing unusual has happened. He's an android, although the police don't know it.

Glenn Martin (George Nader) of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) takes over the case. Glenn fails to find out anything by posing as a reporter, although he meets Lisa. He later sneaks into Dornheimer's lab and witnesses human duplication. Lisa tells him that Dornheimer has been replaced by an android. As she leaves, Glenn is attacked by an android version of Dornheimer's servant Thor (John Indrisano). In the ensuing fight, Glenn smashes android Thor's head, destroying him. Kolos hauls Glenn off to be duplicated.

After duplication, android Glenn returns to NIA headquarters, where Gale Wilson (Nichols), Glenn's girlfriend and fellow agent, notices his oddly cold behavior. She wonders if Glenn is an android and decides to tail him.

Android Glenn goes to a facility to steal additional electronics. He is interrupted by Gale, then gets into a gunfight with the police, during which his arm is trapped in a sliding door. When the police yank the door open, expecting to arrest the real Glenn, all they find is android Glenn's arm. He has torn it off and escaped.

The real Glenn is locked in a cell with the real Dornheimer. Lisa brings Glenn his "lucky coin," which contains a wire that he can use to cut through the cell's bars. She is then dragged away by two android lab assistants. As he saws the bars, the real Dornheimer tells him that he can destroy the androids by zapping their heads with the lab's "pulse laser beam."

When Kolos refuses to turn Lisa into an android, android Dornheimer unexpectedly proclaims himself head of the android "master race" and has Kolos chained to a wall by the half-dozen android Thors it takes to overpower him, then begins the process of duplicating Lisa. But suddenly android Glenn returns, interrupting the duplication. Still loyal to Kolos, android Glenn refuses to accept android Dornheimer as master. They fight, destroying each other. The real Glenn zaps the remaining androids as Kolos breaks free of his chains.

After the androids have been destroyed, Kolos gently places the unconscious Lisa on a sofa. Her eyelids flutter open. She puts a hand to the corner of one eye and smiles.

Kolos says that his mission has failed and, sadly, he has learned that he too is an android. He teletransports back aboard the spaceship, presumably to meet his doom at the hands of the Intergalactic Council.

Cast

Unnamed characters: Lonnie Sattin; Mel Ruick (in credits as Melville Ruick); Walter Maslow; Larry Barton; Kim Satana; Benito Prezia; John Dasten (in credits as John Daston); Richard Schuyler; William White (in credits as Bill Hampton); and Andrew Johnson.

Production

The Human Duplicators' interior shots were filmed at Producers Studio in Hollywood. Exterior locations were Bronson Canyon in Griffith Park in Los Angeles and a school located at 5210 Clinton Street, which was used as the Space Research Corp. building where the scientists work. [2] The exact dates of filming are unavailable, but Hugo Grimaldi Productions copyrighted the film on October 21, 1964. [3]

In The Overlook Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction, British film scholar Phil Hardy lists the movie as an American-Italian co-production made by Woolner Brothers and Independenti Regionali. It was one of two such co-productions directed by Grimaldi and released in 1965, the other being its companion film Mutiny in Outer Space . [4]

Why Richard Kiel's name was not included on the movie poster remains a mystery, although the packaging of a VHS tape of unknown date identifies the film's stars as "Richard 'Jaws' Kiel and Hugh 'Ward Cleaver' Beaumont." [5] The film was Beaumont's final picture before retiring from acting. [6]

Release

The Human Duplicators was the color first feature on a double bill with the black-and-white Mutiny in Outer Space . [7]

The film was released in the US on 3 March 1965 and at an unspecified date the same year in Canada. It opened in Mexico on 14 December 1967 as Humanoides asesinos ("Humanoids, murderers"). A day later in West Germany, where Nader was well known for playing "tough FBI agent Jerry Cotton in eight highly successful but rubbishy crime thrillers" [8] it premiered as FBI jagt Phantom ("FBI hunts Phantom"). The movie was released to theaters in Italy as Agente Spaziale K-1 ("Space Agent K-1") and in France as Les Créatures de Kolos ("The Creatures of Kolos"). In Belgium it was shown under both the French title and the Dutch title Schepsels van Kolos ("Creatures of Kolos"). [9] The film was also released theatrically in Brazil, Greece and Spain. In France, the video version's title was Kolos, l'agent cosmique ("Kolos, the Cosmic Agent"). One of the titles used for a VHS of the movie in the US was Jaws of the Alien. Kiel appeared as the character Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979). [10] [11] [12]

The movie was theatrically released in the US by Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc., by International Film Distributors in Canada and by Regal Films International in the UK. Distribution in the US switched to Allied Artists in 1966 and 40 years later, in 2006, the American company Better Television Distribution had acquired the world-wide TV syndication rights. For personal home viewing, VHS tapes of The Human Duplicators were released in the 1980s by Joy Home Video in West Germany and at unknown dates by International Video Entertainment, ThrillerVideo and Star Classics Video in the US. The Star Classics VHS release is called Jaws of the Alien. [12]

Reception

The Human Duplicators has not received particularly good reviews from critics over the years. "Whit" reviewed the film for the 19 May 1965 issue of Variety and called it "an okay entry in its field." He wrote that there was little new in the plot, but that it "generates enough interest to pass in minor situations" and has "exploitation value" for theater owners. "Whit" was somewhat complimentary about the production crew, noting that "Don Wolf's editing is fairly fast." [13]

British film scholar Phil Hardy calls the movie a "confused and over-ambitious offering from Grimaldi." He says that The Human Duplicators "marks the beginnings of a return to the technical gimmickry of the 1930s". [4]

British critic Steven Puchalski refers to the film as a "colourful dose of swill" with a "silly plot and comical goofiness going for it." He makes specific mention of the special effects, sarcastically noting that "The highly technical duplication process involves the victims standing in a circular cage while red and blue lights flash at them," after which "they sit under clear plastic hair dryers until their brains harden." He adds that for unknown reasons the androids have heads made of plaster, "so whenever they're knocked on the noggin, their skulls crack open and Erector Set pieces tumble out. Oops! Design flaw, indeed ...." [14]

Kiel himself seems to have had mixed feelings about the film. He said in an interview with American film scholar Tom Weaver that the film "was a big hit in Chicago," where it played "in like 27 theaters" simultaneously. Kiel made personal appearances at theaters that were showing the movie in Chicago and said that they were so successful that he was asked to do the same in Toronto. But he told interviewer Maggie Howard in 2009 that "The way the director wanted me to act –kind of robotic –didn't come off as well as I would have liked." [15] [16]

The Human Duplicators was shown as Episode 6 of Season 3 of Elvira's Movie Macabre , which first aired on 5 August 1984. [17] The film was later featured in a season 4 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 originally telecast on 26 December 1992. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Jaws</i> (film) 1975 thriller film by Steven Spielberg

Jaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the 1974 novel by Peter Benchley. It stars Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody, who, with the help of a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter, hunts a man-eating great white shark that attacks beachgoers at a summer resort town. Murray Hamilton plays the mayor, and Lorraine Gary portrays Brody's wife. The screenplay is credited to Benchley, who wrote the first drafts, and actor-writer Carl Gottlieb, who rewrote the script during principal photography.

<i>Dr. Who and the Daleks</i> 1965 British science fiction film by Gordon Flemyng

Dr. Who and the Daleks is a 1965 British science fiction film directed by Gordon Flemyng and written by Milton Subotsky, and the first of two films based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. It stars Peter Cushing as Dr. Who, Roberta Tovey as Susan, Jennie Linden as Barbara, and Roy Castle as Ian. It was followed by Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Servo</span> Fictional character in Mystery Science Theater 3000

Tom Servo is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). Tom is one of two wise-cracking, robotic main characters of the show, built by Joel Robinson to act as a companion and help stave off madness as he was forced to watch low-quality films. At least during the Comedy Central era, he was somewhat more mature than his theatre companion, Crow T. Robot. Tom, more often than the others, signals the need to exit the theater to perform host segments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Kiel</span> American actor who portrayed Jaws in two James Bond films (1939–2014)

Richard Dawson Kiel was an American actor. Standing 7 ft 2 in (218 cm) tall, he was known for portraying Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979). Kiel's next-most-recognized role is the tough but eloquent Mr. Larson in Happy Gilmore (1996). Other notable films include The Longest Yard (1974), Silver Streak (1976), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Cannonball Run II (1984), Pale Rider (1985), and Tangled (2010).

Jaws (<i>James Bond</i>) Fictional character in the James Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker

Jaws is the nickname of a fictional henchman in the James Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979), played in both films by actor Richard Kiel. The character is known for his towering height 2.18 m and his metal teeth.

<i>Galaxina</i> 1980 American comic science fantasy film

Galaxina is a 1980 American science fantasy-comedy film written and directed by William Sachs. Shot on a low budget, the film stars 1980 Playboy Playmate of the Year Dorothy Stratten, who was murdered by her husband shortly after the film's release.

<i>Help! Im a Fish</i> 2000 Danish animated film

Help! I'm A Fish is a 2000 animated science fantasy musical film directed by Stefan Fjeldmark, Greg Manwaring and Michael Hegner, and written by Stefan Fjeldmark, Karsten Kiilerich, John Stefan Olsen and Tracy J. Brown. It stars the voices of Alan Rickman, Terry Jones and a then-unknown Aaron Paul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Macready</span> American actor (1899–1973)

George Peabody Macready Jr. was an American stage, film, and television actor often cast in roles as polished villains.

<i>The Mole People</i> 1956 film by Virgil W. Vogel

The Mole People is a 1956 American science fiction adventure horror film distributed by Universal International, which was produced by William Alland, directed by Virgil W. Vogel, and stars John Agar, Hugh Beaumont, and Cynthia Patrick. The story is written by László Görög. The film was released on December 1, 1956, on a double feature with their jungle adventure film Curucu, Beast of the Amazon. It has also been featured on episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Svengoolie.

<i>The Green Slime</i> 1968 film by Kinji Fukasaku

The Green Slime is a 1968 tokusatsu science fiction film directed by Kinji Fukasaku and produced by Walter Manley and Ivan Reiner. It was written by William Finger, Tom Rowe and Charles Sinclair from a story by Reiner. The film was shot in Japan with a Japanese director and film crew, but with the non-Japanese starring cast of Robert Horton, Richard Jaeckel and Luciana Paluzzi.

<i>Revenge of the Creature</i> 1955 American monster film by Jack Arnold

Revenge of the Creature is a 1955 3D monster film directed by Jack Arnold and produced and distributed by Universal-International. A sequel to the previous year's Creature from the Black Lagoon, it is the only 3D film released in 1955. Produced by William Alland, the film stars John Agar, Lori Nelson, John Bromfield and Nestor Paiva. The Creature was played by Tom Hennesy on land, and once again, portrayed by Ricou Browning underwater. It marked an early role for Clint Eastwood, in his film debut.

<i>The Slime People</i> 1963 film by Robert Hutton

The Slime People is a 1963 horror film directed by Robert Hutton, who also starred in the film. The film was featured on the first season of the television show Mystery Science Theater 3000, as well as the 1986 syndicated series The Canned Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Nader</span> American actor and writer (1921–2002)

George Garfield Nader, Jr. was an American actor and writer of Lebanese descent. He appeared in a variety of films from 1950 to 1974, including Sins of Jezebel (1953), Congo Crossing (1956), and The Female Animal (1958). During this period, he also did episodic television and starred in several series, including NBC's The Man and the Challenge (1959–60). In the 1960s he made several films in Germany, playing FBI agent Jerry Cotton. He is remembered for his first starring role, in the low-budget 3-D sci-fi film Robot Monster (1953), known as "one of the worst films ever made.”

<i>Moonraker</i> (film) 1979 James Bond film by Lewis Gilbert

Moonraker is a 1979 spy-fi film, the eleventh in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, and the fourth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The third and final film in the series to be directed by Lewis Gilbert, it co-stars Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Corinne Cléry, and Richard Kiel. Bond investigates the theft of a Space Shuttle, leading him to Hugo Drax, the owner of the shuttle's manufacturing firm. Along with space scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead, Bond follows the trail from California to Venice, Rio de Janeiro, the Amazon rainforest, and finally into outer space to prevent a plot to wipe out the world population and to recreate humanity with a master race.

<i>The Jet Benny Show</i> 1986 American film

The Jet Benny Show is a 1986 science fiction parody film, in which the title character is a spoof of Jack Benny. The plot is a broad parody of the Star Wars films, and is deliberately low-budget in appearance.

<i>Bog</i> (film) 1979 American film

Bog is a 1979 American independent horror film directed by Don Keeslar and starring Gloria DeHaven, Aldo Ray, Marshall Thompson, and Leo Gordon.

<i>Teenage Doll</i> 1957 film by Roger Corman

Teenage Doll is a 1957 film noir directed by Roger Corman, starring June Kenney and John Brinkley. It was financed by Lawrence Woolner, who had previously made Swamp Women with Corman. One writer called it Corman's "most impressive teen flick".

<i>Cruel Jaws</i> 1995 film

Cruel Jaws is a 1995 Italian direct-to-video horror film directed by Bruno Mattei under the pseudonym William Snyder. The film stars Richard Dew and David Luther, and was shot in Florida, including at the Theater of the Sea marine theme park in Islamorada.

<i>Mutiny in Outer Space</i> 1965 film

Mutiny in Outer Space is a 1965 black-and-white independent American science fiction film, written, produced, and directed by Hugo Grimaldi and Arthur C. Pierce, although Pierce was not credited as directing. It stars William Leslie, Dolores Faith, Pamela Curran, and Richard Garland.

References

  1. ↑ Rowan, Terry (August 30, 2015). Motion Pictures from the Fabulous 1960's. Raleigh, North Carolina. p. 80. ISBN   978-1329436985.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ↑ "The Human Duplicators: Filming & Production". IMDb .
  3. ↑ "Detail View". American Film Institute.[ dead link ]
  4. 1 2 Hardy, Phil, ed. (1995). The Overlook Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction. Woodstock NY: The Overlook Press. pp. 241–243. ISBN   978-0879516260.
  5. ↑ "VHS Title". Zombie Logic.
  6. ↑ Hugh Beaumont: Actor Turner Classic Movies Retrieved January 22, 2021
  7. ↑ "Movie Pressbook: The Human Duplicators (1965)". Zombo's Closet. June 23, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  8. ↑ Bergan, Ronald (February 8, 2002). "Obituary: George Nader". The Guardian .
  9. ↑ "Belgian Film Poster". EBay . Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  10. ↑ "The Human Duplicators (1965): Release Information". IMDb. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  11. ↑ Dagan, Carmen (September 10, 2014). "James Bond Villain Richard Kiel Dies at 74". Variety . Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  12. 1 2 "The Human Duplicators: Company Credits". IMDb. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  13. ↑ Wills, Donald, ed. (1985). Variety's Complete Science Fiction Reviews. New York City: Garland Publishing. p. 186. ISBN   978-0824062637.
  14. ↑ Puchalski, Steven (2002). Slimetime: A Guide to Sleazy, Mindless Movies. Manchester, England: Headpress/Critical Vision. pp. 157–158. ISBN   978-1900486217 . Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  15. ↑ Weaver, Tom (April 9, 2007). Eye on Science Fiction: 20 Interviews with Classic SF and Horror Filmmakers (reprint ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 210. ISBN   978-0786430284.
  16. ↑ Holland, Maggie (January 6, 2009). "The Den of Geek interview: Richard Kiel". Den of Geek . Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  17. ↑ "The Human Duplicators". IMDb.
  18. ↑ "Episode List: Season O (KTMA)". Mystery Science Theater 3000. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.