Do actors dream of electric sheep? The Creation of the Humanoids (1962), what Wesley Barry did next...

Mankind is a state of mind. Man is no more or less than he thinks himself to be.

 

This film was produced and directed by Wesley Barry who was a silent film child star featuring in films such as Dinty (1920) with Colleen Moore, Noah Beery and Anna May Wong. Four decades later he was an experienced assistant director in his mid-fifties having worked consistently behind the camera since his acting roles dried up in the thirties; not a “victim” of the switch to sound perhaps just growing up and the more competitive environment.

 

This film is one of those he’s chiefly remembered by as a director and, having expected a cheesy low budget generic sci-fi shocker, The Creation of the Humanoids turns out to be rather more thoughtful and interesting. It’s a very dialogue-heavy production and more than a tad slow, but the acting is of a fair standard, there’s plenty of strangeness including an electronic score from co-producer Edward J. Kay and it raises some interesting questions about artificial intelligence, the laws of robotics and the future of mankind. Philip K Dick wouldn’t publish Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? until six years later and it shares the central concerns of Jay Simms original story and script.

 

Wesley Barry worked on a budget and his experience shows in getting the most out of an obviously limited spend for sets and costumes; there’s the odd special effect – a robot arm flopping on a laboratory table – but mostly it’s just lighting and acting. Barry worked in TV a lot and it shows with a film that could easily have been condensed into an episode of The Twilight Zone. Still, it’s fascinating to see what the freckle-faced youngster from Dinty did next.

 

It’s the near-ish future and mankind has almost mutually assured its own destruction following a nuclear war. As birth rates decline scientists develop more and more sophisticated robots to fill the gaps in human capital. They make these more and more like humans in order to make integration easier but there are some who worry that this assimilation will lead to domination and The Order of Flesh and Blood has been set up to undermine the development of more “human” robots, resorting to terrorism and subterfuge in the battle against the so-called “clickers”.

 

You hold meetings. Wear ridiculous clothes. You tell yourselves how superior we are to the robots, because you know we're not.

 

Our nominal hero is Captain Kenneth Cragis (Don Megowan) a senior member of the Order who holds a high rank in society. The film plays with our expectations throughout; is this an “Invasion” from within by advanced humanoids and are they intent on replacing “us” or just enhancing our existence. Cragis is arrogant and forceful, certain of his mission to defend the purity of the human race against the advances of non-human science.

 

David Cross, Don Megowan and Frances McCann

At one point he discovers that his sister, Esme (Frances McCann) has formed a relationship with a humanoid and there’s a very odd discussion in her apartment as the three of them discuss this with the clicker, Pax (David Cross) switching between subservience and reasoning with his partner’s brother. All quite off hand in a way and yet quite astonishing for the time when you think of the mechanics…

 

The problem for the Order and Cragis is that the science is moving far to swiftly for them and a scientist, Doctor Raven (Don Doolittle, who’s shock of grey hair make him look like a boffin from EC Comics' Weird Science). Raven has worked out how to transfer the consciousness of recently deceased humans into advanced robots – a "thalamic transplant" – which creates a hybrid that, mechanics aside, is an exact replica of the person. With the humanoids, Dr Raven is secretly replacing the human population with these replicas; some of whom may not be aware of what they are…

Don Doolittle and Dudley Manlove

The leaders of the Humanoids are emotionless and see only the logical imperative for their actions as they convert more and more in their “temple”. George Milan is Acto and Dudley Manlove plays Lagan, both acting impassively through their blue/grey "synthe-skin", metallic contact lenses and grey body suits.

 

As if to emphasis Cragis’ “last man on earth” qualities he meets a young woman, Maxine Megan (Erica Elliot) and the two very quickly fall in love. What could be more human as Man fights for the survival of the race….

 

Don Megowan and Erica Elliot look to the future

It’s probably not too much of a stretch to see this film carry echoes of the civil rights movement of the time. A segregated society concerned with assimilation and an underclass that two objected to being nicknamed as the “clickers” were. It’s interesting to see what Wesley “did next” and, this film is worth watching for novelty value alone. Like all good science fiction/fantasy it’s not really about tomorrow, it’s about today.