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Grant Williams and Randy Stuart are Scott and Louise Carey, a vacationing couple lounging on a boat. A mist envelops Scott, and he is left with what looks like glitter on his chest. No other ill effects are noticeable. One day, six months later, his dry cleaner keeps screwing up, either giving him clothes that are too big, or doing something to stretch his old clothes. He begins to notice he may be losing height as well as weight. He goes to see a doctor (William Schallert), and discovers he is not imagining his condition. The doctor sends him home, but Scott comes back with even more, er, shrinkage. The doctors decide the radioactive mist, along with some insecticide Scott accidentally inhaled, is causing an almost anti-cancerous condition in his body. Instead of renegade cells growing, his body is shrinking at a uniform rate. Scott is injected with a serum that seems to stop his loss, but does not help him grow. His marriage to Louise begins to suffer as he takes out all of his frustrations on her. Down to thirty six inches, he runs away from home, getting stares the entire distance. He meets a sideshow midget Clarice (April Kent), and begins to feel normal again, trying to adapt to his new world. Eventually, he discovers the serum did not work, and he begins to shrink again. Scott then returns home to new dangers.
The radioactive mist that poisons Scott occurs in the first few minutes of the movie, indicating that the film makers really wanted to get going on the story. I would have appreciated just a little look at what his life had been like before he began to shrink. Williams does do a great job showing us his character's frustrations, I liked the fact that he is not just another pretty leading man. The final long set piece set in the basement is brilliant. Seeing Scott figure out how to get food is fascinating to watch, and never stretches the imagination. The "flood" is my favorite scene here, realistically played. I do wish the characters had loosened up just a little. I did not want an out-and-out comedy, but the doom and gloom gets a little heavy at times. Even Scott's relationship with Clarice is not a happy one, and ends too soon.
Richard Matheson wrote the screenplay based on his own novel, and does a great job. The special effects are incredible for a 1957 film, there were only a couple of scenes that were a bit iffy. No CGI, but good miniature and double shots that work well. Jack Arnold shows such a great eye, getting down to Scott's level as he shrinks. How dirty is the floor of your basement? Arnold will let you know. This is a quick eighty one minutes, and is never boring.
"The Incredible Shrinking Man" is now a classic in the science fiction film field. I highly recommend this entertaining film.
Stats:
(1957) 81 min. (8/10)
-Directed by Jack Arnold
-Screenplay by Richard Matheson from his novel
-Cast: Grant Williams, Randy Stuart, William Schallert, April Kent, Paul Langton, Raymond Bailey, Frank J. Scannell, Helene Marshall, Diana Darrin, Billy Curtis, Chet Brandenburg, John Hiestand, Joe LaBarba
(Not Rated)
Media Viewed: VHS
