An American reporter smells a story when he is stranded in an Iron Curtain country where the local dictator is using gamma rays to transform children into mutated henchmen.
An American reporter smells a story when he is stranded in an Iron Curtain country where the local dictator is using gamma rays to transform children into mutated henchmen.—Marty McKee <[email protected]>
Mike Wilson, an American reporter, and Howard Meade, an English photographer, are on a train enroute to Salzburg. Their passenger car accidentally disconnects and proceeds over an abandoned track-spur into an mysterious country, Gudavia, where they are jailed as spies. A scientist named Boronski (aka Dr. Macklin) controls the kingdom and is experimenting with the effect gamma rays have on humans. In addition to creating genius children, Boronski's work results in zombie-like creatures. Those creatures are under his control and he uses them to stay in power. He orders Wilson and Meade released, fearing unwelcome bad publicity, but Wilson smells a story and begins investigating while they await transportation to Salzburg. The two outsiders are aided by Paula Wendt, who works in the castle lab with Boronski because she wants to rescue her brother, Hugo, from Boronski's experiments. Events spiral out of control requiring Mike and Paula to enter Boronski's castle to rescue a local girl. Hugo discovers their presence and they are captured. Boronski plans to eliminate Mike, Paula, and the girl using gamma rays.—Les Adams <[email protected]>
Traveling by train to cover the music festival in Salzburg two newspaper men, Mike Wilson and Howard Meade, find themselves in the tiny Democracy of Gudavia. They are arrested as being spies. Gudavia has had little contact with the outside world for 5 years since the mysterious death of their king. The reporters learn that the country's leader, Dr. Boronski, is conducting gamma ray experiments on children in an attempt to increase their brain power.—garykmcd
A train travels through snow-covered countryside. Mike Wilson (Paul Douglas) and Howard Meade (Leslie Phillips) are aboard playing chess and discussing the trip so far. Wilson complains about the boredom, Meade is far more enthusiastic. He recalls a trip to Bulgaria as a photographic journalist.
The carriage they are traveling in becomes uncoupled from the rest of the train. The engine forges ahead, but the detached carriage is diverted onto a siding by two boys throwing a rail switch. The carriage rolls on, accidently crossing through a customs check point for the country Gudavia.
A customs officer manning the border crossing calls ahead to Commander Koerner (Philip Leaver) wanting to confirm if a train is expected. The commander is surprised; there have been no trains in Gudavia for five years due to government policy.
As the carriage rolls to a halt, government troops board the train to investigate the passengers. Wilson explains that they are in route to a music festival in Salzburg. The two passengers are puzzled by the reaction of the soldiers and the fact they can't find Gudavia on a map. Once thrown in jail they begin to appreciate their depth of their situation. Each is disgusted with the lack of consulates for them, Wilson American and Meade British. In another part of the city an experiment is being conducted. A group of five children are wired up to a machine. Doctor Bronski (Walter Rilla) explains how the experiment has to be taken to the very edge. They need to understand what the limits are, of how a matter of a tenth of a degree can make a fatal difference.Bronski is contacted by Koerner; after hearing what has happened he instructs the commander to get the men out of jail, and to fuss over them. Bronski dismisses the idea they are spies and understands the danger having two journalists in jail could represent.
The commander takes them to the local hotel run by Hans (Paul Hardtmuth). He is told to look after them in the very best of ways. In the meantime Meade goes to the telegraph office and arranges to send a telegram to the newspaper. The clerk accepts his message but then explains the telegraph office is not actually open and the message won't be sent. Meade looks on puzzled as the clerk rips up his message.
At the hotel the two men see a girl, Hedda (Pauline Drewett) playing the piano at an extraordinary level for her age. They watch spellbound as she performs. A local man arrives at the hotel and gives one of the staff, Anna (Jackie Lane) a note and asks her to pass it on to the men for the good of the children of Gudavia.
A young boy, Hugo Wendt (Michael Caridia) is watching the girl play, suddenly orders her to stop playing. He then corrects her in harsh tones explaining music is not an emotional exercise, but a strict recurring pattern. The girl cries and refuses till her mother comes in and takes her away.
As they are shown to their room, Anna passes the strange note to the men. It explains the children must be saved and Dr Bronski needs to be destroyed. The men are shocked and believe it is a crank and are going to ignore the message. Wilson is trying to contact his office in London by phone a scream echoes from the street below. A woman frantic with fear screams "murder, murder!" before she is quieted down and whisked away. The men decide to investigate and bump into Koerner. He dismisses the commotion as nothing more than hysteria caused by an accident to a local child. Koerner then tells them that Bronski will see them in the morning.
Continuing their exploration they are stunned by the lack of people till a crowd of men run past them into the darkness. Meade becomes separated from Wilson when he investigates a shop that may be open. Out of the darkness a strange man who can't speak corners Meade, moments later there is a whole group of the men. As Meade begins to panic another man hiding in the bushes blows a whistle and all the men suddenly run offMeade finds Wilson but struggles to explain what hed just experienced, Wilson thinks he is just tied and decides to go back to the hotel. There he questions Anna about the note and what is going on. Anna tries to deny everything till she slips and admits the man who gave her the note is now dead.
She then has a slip of the tongue and remarks if anyone finds out what she did she would be in trouble with Dr Macklin, she then corrects herself to Bronski. Wilson is immediately interested in the name Macklin, he is trying to remember where he knows it from when the phone rings distracting him.
On the phone is Koerner to confirm details of the visit the next day with Dr Bronski. Meeting Bronski and he seems affable but insists on no photos. Wilson then challenges Bronski by using the name Macklin, slowly Bronski admits he is indeed that person. Macklin was a famous biologist and then explains why he left the west for the. He became depressed over his work in longevity. Now he is nothing more than the local school principle.
He takes them to visit a student; it is Hedder the girl they saw playing in the hotel. Theyre then introduced to Paula Vendt (Eva Bartok) who is the schools senior tutor. She gives them a tour of the school and the activity currently underway for the upcoming cultural festival. They are then reintroduced to Hugo, who is the schools most gifted student.
Hugo is working on a large mask and shows it to the guests; Meade is shocked to see a resemblance between the mask and the group of men he encountered the previous evening. Koerner and Bronski have a private conference; Bronski decides they need to wait a few more days before allowing the foreigners use of a car. Koerner then brings up the issues of the previous evening, especially the group of unfortunates prowling around the town last night. Bronski explains he created them; Koerners job is now to care for them.
Later that day Meade and Wilson see a funeral and assume it is for the man who passed Anna the note. The reporters decide to snoop around see if there is a widow or family they can interview. They do locate his widow, Frau Bikstein (Rosalie Critchley) they show her the note and she agrees it is real, and goes on talk about experiments her husband was doing with Dr Bronski. They press her for more information but she refuses out of fear but she does give them access to an old diary from Bronski that her husband stole from the laboratory.
Wilson reads the diary. It outlines the experiments Bronski is conducting, by exposing young immature brains to gamma radiation; both geniuses and imbeciles can be created at will. The gamma ray accelerates the brains development and allows the full potential to be used.
Hugo has followed the men to their hotel and waits for them to go out. Bronski instructed him to retrieve a photo Meade had taken of Hugos mask. Hedda and her father are discussing plans to escape to Vienna when Hugo walks in. Hugo then admonishes Hedda for the weak sentimental music she is playing. Lockner then tells the boy he is Heddas father and he will not make Hedda stop playing. Hugo argues Lockner has no rights because the state is raising his child. Lockner throws the boy out, as he leaves Hugo gives a dire warning about the consequences of his actions.
Hugo sneaks back into the house and gains access to were the photos are kept and is caught by Meade. Hugo acts innocent and engages in a discussion about chess, before escapingWilson comes across Paula Vendt riding a horse and begins questioning her about what is happening at Bronskis laboratory. Paulas father was a friend of Bronski, and came to the country to work for him. Wilson doesnt believe she supports the research. Her mood becomes defensive and gallops off.
Hugo finds Bronski fishing and reports what he has discovered about Hedda and her fathers plans. Bronski asks the boy to continue the observations when he sees Paula watching them from behind a tree. He orders Hugo to go after her, stop her getting to the village.
In the village Meade sees Hugo and gives chase, determined to retrieve the photo. After giving chase Meade catches Hugo at a playground. Meade admits he has the negative but refuses to give it to the boy. Hugo calls on a gang of school boys who beat Meade and take the negative
At Bronskis lab he and Paula are finishing up for the night. Once he leaves Paula follows a series of secret passages that lead out of the castle and gives chase to the fleeing Hedda and her father. She finds them on the road out of town and warns Lockner that Bronski knows of their plans and will try to stop them.Within minutes they are attacked by a group of thugs and Lockner is killed when thrown off a cliff. Paula witnesses the attack and goes to help. Wilson sees Paula and follows her to site of the incident. Sobbing she tells Wilson the basics, but wont go into detail, she is concerned he is just writing a story and really not interested in helping.
Wilson catches up with Bronski and shows him Lockners body, Bronski acts clueless and Wilson leaves after threatening Bronski that if anything happens to Hedda he will go after Bronski. Bronski whistles up a gang of his thugs and they chase Wilson till called off
Next morning Bronski tells the commissioner her wants no public gatherings and tells him to cancel the festival. Wilson confronts Koerner in the street as people gather around. Wilson wants to know where Hedda is and will not take no for an answer. He then tells the people Bronski is behind the murders and Koerners role is to hide the truth.
That night, despite the official proclamations the people gather in the street to have their festival. Wilson looks for Meade at the hotel and cant find him, going back on the streets he is followed by Hugo who sees him speak to Frau Bikstein who then leads him to a hiding place where he finds Paula. He realizes she has had a change of heart and is going to help Wilson bring down Bronski.
She tells him Hedda is being held in the castle, as they discuss their options the police arrive. Paula and Wilson hide, but a discovered. A fist fight breaks out and the couple escape, blending into the festival makers on the streets.
Meade appears with a car finds Paula and Wilson. Meade unaware of Wilsons encounter agrees to drive them to the castle. A puncture forces them to abandon the car, and as they begin to walk the car explodes.Wilson sends Meade back to town for help, while he and Paula enter the secret labs. Paula finds Hedda and readies her for escape. Bronski returns with some of his goons and begins an experiment while Wilson hides in a corner
Paula successfully sneaks past the experimenters links up with Wilson and is nearly clear of the castle when they encounter Hugo. Paula tries to talk Hugo out of giving the alarm. She tells him she is his sister and Bronski killed their father. Hugo does not care and sets the alarms off
Bronski traps the three of them in a control room and gives them an ultimatum. They can exchange their lives for Heddas. Unseen a group of villages closes on the castle
Bronski explains the process of the Gamma ray process, and then turns the instrument on Wilson Paula and Hedda. He tells them they will suffer extreme discomfort before their brains are shriveledAt the gates the villages encounter the first of Bronskis goons and over powers them and continues to the castle
In the control room Bronski continues to intensify the ray explaining to the party they have but a matter of seconds left. Hugo begins to react badly to the situation, breaks into a sweat as if unable to control himself. Bronski orders him to his room. The boy sees Meades group entering the castle and warns the doctor. As Bronski climbs stairs for a better look, Hugo pushes him to his death
Hugo then sets about triggering a series of explosions throughout the lab, and the area is soon engulfed by fire. Wilson goes to help Hugo who is being attacked by a goon, somehow Bronski revives and attacks Wilson who finally kills him by pushing him into the flames. He then gathers Hugo and the others and begins escaping from the castle
Everyone finally gets out of the castle in time and watches the entire structure destroyed by flames and a series of explosions
Sometime later there is a street parade to honor the two journalists who helped save the citizens. Koerner arrives with a brand new car and gives it to the men. They quicly load up Hedda, Hugo, Paula and leave passing through the adoring crowds
