Tags
A to Z Challenge (2017), Family, Memories & Reflections, TV Shows, Uncategorized, Writing Prompts
Do you give up??? I would have been surprised had anyone gotten X. It was actually a very “B” movie at the time. Might have fallen down to a “D” or an “F” by today’s standards! It was…
X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes
(You know, I had NO idea they even HAD official trailers back in 1963!!!)
This film stars Ray Milland as Dr. James Xavier. A world-renowned scientist. Dr. Xavier experiments with X-ray vision and things go horribly wrong. While most of the cast are relatively unknown, Don Rickles is notable in an uncharacteristically dramatic role. Veteran character actor Morris Ankrum makes an uncredited appearance, his last in the movie industry. American International Pictures released the film as a double feature with Dementia 13. (Lordy! Wouldn’t you have loved to see THAT one! What WAS this nation fixated on during that time???)
Dr. Xavier develops eye drops intended to increase the range of human vision, allowing one to see beyond the “visible” spectrum into the ultraviolet and x-ray wavelengths and beyond. Believing that testing on animals and volunteers will produce uselessly subjective observations, he tests the drops on himself. After that things get very transparent! 😀
Shot in a mere three weeks on a budget of under $300,000, Roger Corman, the director of the whole farce, described the film’s success as a miracle. (Apparently I would concur since I remember virtually NOTHING about it…) However, the movie was notable for its use of visual effects to portray Dr. Xavier’s point of view. While crude by later standards, the visuals are still effective in impressing upon the audience the bizarre viewpoint of the protagonist. Personally I think it would have been much more effective shot in black and white with only the pov through his eyes in color. But that’s just me… (Wikipedia, sort of)
So! Has ANYONE else ever seen this movie??? I actually saw it at the drive-in. I was 12.
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Movin’ right along then! We are down to number two in our April A to Z Challenge — the lovely letter Y!
This is a TV series that had its birthing on radio like so many others. It debuted in 1953 with Walter Cronkite as the regular host. It ran from 1953 to 1957, and though it wasn’t my usual western or sci-fi fare, I CAN credit it with making me EXTREMELY curious about the world.
Some of my many fascinations it spawned were for the volcano Krakatoa west of Sumatra in Indonesia; the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco; the hurricane in Galveston in 1900; a fixation on Quake Lake (officially Earthquake Lake) in southwestern Montana which was created after an earthquake struck on August 17, 1959, killing 28 people, mostly campers; and probably the most poignant of all, Gettysburg, which affected me profoundly when I finally got the chance to visit there a few years ago. (Can you imagine how I’m going to react when I see Stonehenge in September!!! If I take off my shoes and walk in the grass will I REALLY feel the vibrations from the supposed sacred ley lines beneath???)
As you can see, I have a tendency to get carried away with “stuff.” 😀 It’s important to note that THIS TV SERIES is the reason my dad hauled my keister to the library to get my VERY FIRST LIBRARY CARD! It was a solemn moment for him and me. He felt like he was handing me the world. (Looking back now it is also a heartbreaking moment for me. But that’s for another post…)
ANYWAY… What do you think? Can you…
(Btw, if you know the answer, please keep it to yourself so as not to give it away. Stick a smiley face on your comment instead. Thank you so much!)
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(Just a quick note. If the title of the show is preceded with the word “The”, it will NOT be included in the name.)
Picture Sources:
X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes — Blu-ray.com
Letter Y — http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/to-z-badges-and-banners.html
Name That TV Show — Pinterest
jazzfeathers said:
The Man with the X-Ray Eyes??????
I have never ever even dreamed of this series.
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calensariel said:
Unfortunately it was just a movie from that period. I couldn’t for the life of me find a series. And I spent HOURS looking! But at least it’s the right time period. 😀
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Arlee Bird said:
Yes! I had that “X-Ray” film guessed correctly. I was such a little pervert back then. Well, not really, but the the premise of the film did intrigue me.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
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calensariel said:
LOL Yeah, a few of those scenes were probably pushing the envelope for those days! 😀 Even though they were quite tame.
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John Davis Frain said:
Never even heard of that movie. And you can put an X next to my Y guess as well. I’m hoping to snare one more victory with the grand finale…
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calensariel said:
Well I knew all along you could do it! 😀
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christineocheallaigh said:
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this one (easy to find though). I’d forgotten he’d done the voices of Ben Franklin and George Washington in the animated series “Liberty’s Kids”. I used to watch that all the time (by the time I saw the series, I think they were showing it in syndication, early in the mornings…if I was awake and noticed it was on I watched it, but it was usually on around 6 or 7 in the morning, so that wasn’t very often).
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calensariel said:
I remember that series, actually. I should watch an episode or two and see if my understanding of the world is different now than what was being taught at the time. I just might do that. I’m kind of curious. Thanks for bringing that up, Christine.
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christineocheallaigh said:
No problem, always happy to help. 😀
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Clare said:
I haven’t guessed one show yet and I’m positive I’m not going to start now – Oh wait, there is one more letter. Maybe I’ll guess that one 🙂 BTW – you’ve done an amazing job of this challenge this year.
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calensariel said:
Hey there, Clare Bear! Not as well as you’ve done with that new yard!!! 😀
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Clare said:
Don’t be so hard on yourself – you’ve done an amazing job.
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aruralgirl1 said:
Hubs sat there on the couch for probably a good hour hunting up the X title until he finally gave up. He did mention The Man with the X-ray Eyes, but we were looking for something that began with an X. . . X is so tricky to come up with something, that’s for sure!
I might know today’s show, but I will have to do a little research–or put my research assistant on it. 🙂
Sad this is nearly over. 😦
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calensariel said:
I wondered if people would b thrown off by that. But the title of it actually was “X — The Man With X-ray Eyes.” I had to hunt for it, too, before I realized that. (rolls eyes…it was a LONG time ago, or so it seems)
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Jean Davis said:
I don’t know either of these, but I do also have an interest in the natural disasters. It’s always interesting to see the impact they had on the society and environment.
Discarded Darlings – Jean Davis, Speculative Fiction Writer, A to Z: Editing Fiction
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calensariel said:
I got so excited the first time I saw Dante’s Peak! We’d been through Wallis, Idaho several times where parts of it were filmed. Always got a kick out of that. I remember the first time we visited Quake Lake (I was pretty young 9 or 10) and I got all upset because I wondered if I might be standing on someone’s grave. Those were mostly campers that were killed during that quake.
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eschudel said:
I am not very good at guessing these shows, but I am sure enjoying your posts!! I can’t believe we are almost done the challenge…
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calensariel said:
Thank goodness! I ran out of steam with the last two or three. This one perked me right up, however! 😀
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Denise Hammond said:
OMG. I actually saw it. I think, though, that it is best left forgotten. I do know Y, but I was sure you would pick You Bet Your Life.
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calensariel said:
😀 I love it when I’m unpredictable! (In truth, that’s most of the time! LOL)
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