The Mechanical Man

This article is about the Italian film. For the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon, see Mechanical Man.
The Mechanical Man

Cover of Alpha Video DVD double-feature with The Headless Horseman (1922)
Directed by André Deed
Release dates
  • 1921 (1921)
Running time
 60 minutes
Country Italy
Language Silent
The Mechanical Man

The Mechanical Man (Italian: L'uomo meccanico) is a 1921 Italian science fiction film directed by André Deed. It is one of the first science fiction films produced in Italy, and the first film that showed a battle between two robots. The original film was about 80 minutes in length. However, only about 26 minutes of footage remains. The DVD release by Alpha Video uses an incomplete Brazilian print, with new English intertitles. It would influence a virtually identical scene in James Cameron's 1984 film, The Terminator.

Plot

The story begins with a scientist creating a device shaped like a man that can be remote-controlled by a machine. The mechanical man possess super-human speed and strength. The scientist is killed however by a gang of criminals, led by a woman named Mado, who wish to get the instructions for building the mechanical man. The criminals are captured before they are able to get them and are brought to trial and condemned. Mado manages to escape and kidnaps the scientist's niece whom she forces to give her the instructions which she uses to build a mechanical man.

The mechanical man is used for a variety of crimes, controlled by Mado. The scientist's brother however is successful in creating a second mechanical man which he uses to combat the original. The two mechanical men fight each other in an opera house and end up destroying each other as well as the opera house. During the final battle, Mado frantically attempts to control the mechanical man and is electrocuted at the control panel by a short circuit.

Cast

Lost Footage

Most of the lost footage consists of the beginning parts of the film such as the scenes with the scientist. Also lost is the cast credits, so some characters are unidentifiable.

See also

References

Information is referenced from the DVD release by Alpha Video.

  • Baker, Kage (2012). Ancient Rockets Treasures and Train Wrecks of the Silent Screen. (1st ed.). Chicago: Tachyon Publications. pp. 35–37. ISBN 9781616961121. 
  • Sterling, Bruce (21 May 2012). "Showtime: L'Uomo Meccanico, 1921". Wired. Retrieved 15 April 2016. 
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