An unidentified man is shot and thrown into the River Thames. He is rescued and rushed to the hospital where, during surgery, his heart stops for 7½ seconds.
Pushy American science reporter Mike Delaney (Gene Nelson) and his photographer girlfriend Jill Rabowski (Faith Domergue) recognise the injured man as a renowned nuclear physicist named Stephen Rayner (Peter Arne), nicknamed ‘The Isotope Man’ for his expertise and work with radiation. But when Delaney and the cops visit the nuclear lab where Rayner works they find him already there, hard at work.
While the real Rayner is recovering, it is discovered that he is existing 7½ seconds into the future. His eventual recollection of the name “Vasquo” and the initials “UTC” help to uncover a plot to destroy the atomic research laboratory.
It turns out that Emmanuel Vasquo (Vic Perry) and a company called United Tungsten Corporation of Argentina (UTC) – who would be put out of business overnight if Rayner’s experiments in the alchemical transmutation of elements to produce tungsten in the laboratory from cheap materials succeeded – have substituted a look-alike scientist (following plastic surgery to create a double) to sabotage the experiments.
The story was originally broadcast as a live play on TV by the BBC in 1953. It was preceded by a solemn announcement to the effect that the hospital practices depicted bore no relationship to those of the National Health Service.
Released in some markets as Timeslip.
Mike Delaney
Gene Nelson Jill Rabowski
Faith Domergue Detective Inspector Cleary
Joseph Tomelty Detective Sergeant Haines
Leonard Williams Inspector Hammond
Barry MacKay Dr Stephen Rayner/Jarvis
Peter Arne Dr Preston
Martin Wyldeck Sister Brown
Mary Jones Dr Peters
Philip Dale Dr Marks
Carl Jaffe X-Ray Assistant
Patricia Driscoll Alcott
Launce Maraschal Office Boy
Charles Hawtrey Emmanuel Vasquo
Vic Perry Dr Bressler
Paul Hardtmuth Allegan
Dervis Ward Robert Maitland
Donald Gray Nuclear Physicist
Anthony Woodruff Pat the barman
Brian O’Higgins
Director
Ken Hughes
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