Atomic Man, The (1955)

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