The_Void The aim of becoming immortal is a fairly common theme in horror movies and has been experimented with often. A feature that is often a part of movies that focus on this idea is the central perpetrator killing off living people in order to achieve their aim of immortality, and that's basically what we have with this film. The Man Who Turned to Stone was clearly shot on a budget and is very much a 1950's 'B' picture, but in spite of that this film showcases some good ideas and the plot, while completely lacking in suspense, is at least interesting enough to keep the audience entertained for the duration; although that duration is only seventy two minutes. The plot focuses on a group of scientists that have beaten death by way of keeping the series of chemical reactions that keeps everyone alive going. The downside to this, however, is the fact that in order to keep this going; they have to sacrifice a human life. The scientists are currently residing over a women's prison, and the prisoners are starting to wonder why so many of their number is disappearing...The script written by Bernard Gordon has its fair number of plot holes, inconsistencies and illogical events; but you have to expect that sort of thing from a fifties B-movie. The film was shot on a budget and it really shows; it looks cheap throughout and nothing about it is particularly outstanding. The plot is definitely interesting in spite of this; and in spite of the fact that it contains very little in the way of tension or suspense. Finding out exactly what is behind the central mystery is really the only thing that manages to keep the film going for most of the duration. The acting is not great either, with none of the little known central cast really impressing. The prison setting is not convincing, with most of the girls being quite happy and there's not a sign of anything restraining them to the building in site. Once the main revelation is out of the way, the film boils down to a rather predictable ending. However, despite all the film's flaws; The Man Who Turned to Stone is at least a fun timewaster and doesn't outstay its welcome.

sol (Some Spoilers) Another insane attempt to create eternal life in what's called the "Germaine Cellular Theory" created by a bunch of 18th Century scientists who've managed to live some 240, from the early 1700's to 1957, years because of it.Lead by the top man Dr. Murdock, Victor Jory, this bunch of eternal life enthusiasts have been using the LaSalle Home for Troubled Young Women, which their in charge of, inmates for their secret and fiendish experiments in prolonging their miserable, in adding nothing positive to the world at large, and empty lives. The girls at the home are perfect in Dr. Murdocks experiments in that their both young and child-bearing which is the perfect combination in giving him and his cohorts the boost that they need in adding a few more years of life inside their stone cold and unfeeling bodies.After about a dozen young women ended up dead in the two years that Dr. Murdock has been running the detention home the state sends both social worker Carol Adams, Charlotte Austin, and state appointed psychiatrist Dr. Jess Rogers, William Hudson, to check out the place and see exactly what's going on there. It doesn't take long for Miss. Adams and Dr. Rogers to get to the bottom of what's happening and with the help of Dr.Cooper (Paul Cavanagh), who's slated for termination by Dr. Murdock, to get the goods, Coopers secret diary, on the Murdock gang and have them indited for murder. The only problem that both Miss.Adams and Dr. Rogers have is getting the vital information out to the police before they themselves end up dead in Dr. Murdock's eternal life experiments.The inevitable weak-link in Dr. Mrdock's chain, or gang of 230 year-old madmen and women, is his tall and mindless Frankenstein-like attendant Eric, Friedrich Von Ledebur. Eric is an early experiment by Dr. Murdock that went wrong and is only tolerated by him and his cohorts, Dr. Myer Dr. Freneau & Mrs. Ford, in him being used as a guinea pig, as well as keeping the rebellious young women inmates in line, in future experiments in life expectancy.Eric who's quickly deteriorating,by turning into the newest member of Mount Rushmore, soon becomes a liability to the Murdock gang who try to do away with him, like they did with Dr. Cooper, by not revitalizing him, through a sulfur electronic bath, with the life force of one of the young woman at the detention home. Knowing, in his hard rock head, that he's being thrown to the wolves, or left for dead, Eric turns on his masters and at the same time gives both Carol Miss. Adams and Dr. Rogers, who are slated to be experimented on, the cover that they need to both make their escape and at the same time get in touch with the outside world by calling the state troopers for help.With the fuse box blowing out, with Dr. Rogers help, in the basement the entire detention home is set on fire as hundreds of inmates, angry young women, break out and head for Dr. Murdock's laboratory seeking revenge for what he did to them and their dead friends. Murdock and Mrs. Ford, the only two of the gang of six still alive, decide to stick it out in their flaming laboratory knowing that the fate that awaits them outside is, knowing that their going to die anyway, a fate worse then death itself.

preppy-3 This takes place at the LaSalle Detention Home for Girls. Quite a few healthy girls there seem to die suddenly of heart attacks. It seems the head of the school Dr. Murdock (Victor Jory) and associates are hundreds of years old and need to siphon the energy from young girls to stay alive. If not they petrify and turn to stone. Staff member Carol Adams (Charlotte Austin) and Dr. Rogers (William Hudson) try to find out what's going on.Pretty laughable. The detention home for "girls" is full of actresses who are obviously in their 20s and 30s and are all so cheerful and happy. The plot itself is pretty stupid and the dialogue is pretty hysterical. Still the cast plays this blessedly straight and nobody is really bad--Jory and pro Ann Doran give out the best performances. Also the makeup on people turning to stone is pretty effective. Not good but fun in a strange sort of way.Best line--"I'll bet you a box of Girl Scout cookies that somebody died last night!"

artzau I remember seeing this film in 1957 which was only a step beyond the paranoia sparked by the McCarthy era and which saw a number of sci-fi thrillers which touched on themes of alien intrusions subverting the innocent. This film, alas, was one of the worst. The whole picture speaks of low budget-- the scene where the victims are "drained of their life essence," supporting the immortality of the bad guys is done in a wash tub with wires inserted-- and the acting is often garish. How Paul Cavanaugh and Victor Jory made this with straight faces amazes me. I had great respect for these actors-- they're the only ones I can remember-- but I recall leaving the theater shaking my head at what a terrible movie this was...even for back then. If it shows up on the late show, be advised it might provoke more laughs than chills.