The Man Who Turned to Stone

‘Human or inhuman? No woman is safe…!’

The Man Who Turned to Stone is a 1957 science fiction horror film directed by László Kardos from a screenplay by Bernard Gordon [as Raymond T. Marcus] (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers; Zombies of Mora Tau; The Day of the Triffids).

The film stars Victor Jory (Kolchak: The Night Stalker; Circle of Fear; Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell), William Hudson (The She-Creature; The Amazing Colossal Man) and Charlotte Austin (Gorilla at Large; The Bride and the Beast; Frankenstein 1970).

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Plot teaser:

Two hundred years previously, a group of doctors learned to extended their lives by draining the vitality of others. Without such a tranfusion, they begin to petrify. They become the staff doctors of a girls’ reform school, assuring a supply of vital young bodies.

However outsiders sent to the school, Doctor Jess Rogers and social welfare officer Carol Adams, become suspicious of the unusual number of otherwise healthy inmates dying of heart failure or suicide…

Reviews:

Plot wise, this is an enjoyably claustrophobic, cynical and ambitious sci-fi shocker that’s been unduly overlooked amidst the plethora of late ’50s oversized monsters, alien invaders and teen terrors. Unfortunately, non-genre director László Kardos’ delivery lacks real style, so few of the nuances of Bernard Gordon’s intriguing story are amplified on screen. Despite it being an early women-in-prison entry, the film’s uninspiring title lacks immediacy, perhaps explaining its obscure status, which is a shame as its better than many of its better known counterparts. It might not be Invasion of the Body Snatchers but it deserves a look for devotees of more intelligent Fifties anti-Authoritarian Americana.

Adrian J Smith, Horrorpedia

“An odd mash-up of old school mad-science, a juvenile delinquency melodrama, and a women in prison flick, The Man Who Turned to Stone comes courtesy of Bernard Gordon, who, after being blacklisted, eked out a living writing this kind of sci-fi whiz-bangery for producer Sam Katzman under a parade of false names (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, Zombies of Mora Tau). And just like all those other Katzman flicks of the 1950s, this movie is a rollicking — if a slightly hair-brained — good time.” Micro-Brewed Reviews

“The brisk running time allows for little personal dimension among the captives and suggests no ambitions greater than survival for the death-defiant predators. Victor Jory displays a fine collection of historic art, too grand for a provincial reformatory — a hint of problems greater than administrative corruption. Paul Cavanagh’s confession to William Hudson accounts for a more memorable sequence, which leads in turn to Hudson’s dodgy search for a diary of ancient secrets.” Forgotten Horrors Vol. 6: Up from the Depths