The Unearthly

The Unearthly

Year: 1957

Runtime: 73 mins

Language: English

Director: Boris Petroff

HorrorScience FictionHorror the undead and monster classicsChilling experiments and classic monster horrorShow All…

In a remote psychiatric institute, a deranged doctor conducts gruesome experiments, implanting an artificial gland into the skulls of his patients to achieve artificial longevity. Isolated from the world, his twisted clinic becomes the breeding ground for a horde of mutated humans, forming a hell‑bound army bent on a terrifying mission to spread his nightmarish vision.

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Timeline & Setting – The Unearthly (1957)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Unearthly (1957). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1950s

The events unfold in a mid-20th-century setting, when experimental medical procedures and electric therapies were of growing interest. The era’s lax oversight and fascination with longevity provide the backdrop for Dr. Conway's unethical work. The period's social atmosphere amplifies the horror of treating people as means to an end.

Location

Psychiatric Institute, Basement Laboratory, Grounds by the Bay

The action unfolds inside a secluded psychiatric institute, with a hidden basement operating room used for illicit longevity experiments. Sterile corridors contrast with a damp basement where subjects are kept and manipulated. The institute's fenced grounds overlook a bay, a detail the plot uses to mislead investigators.

🏰 Institution 🧪 Laboratory 🌊 Bayfront

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:53

Main Characters – The Unearthly (1957)

Meet the key characters of The Unearthly (1957), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Dr. Charles Conway (John Carradine)

A brilliant but amoral psychiatrist running illicit longevity experiments in a secluded institute. He exploits vulnerable patients, rationalizing his actions with grandiose claims of scientific progress. He commands the basement operation with ruthless efficiency, prioritizing results over human safety.

🧠 Scientist 💉 Unethical 🕳️ Secrecy

Lobo (Tor Johnson)

A hulking, loyal enforcer who handles the grim tasks in Conway's basement experiments. His brute strength makes him a frightening presence, capable of intimidating others and disposing of bodies to protect the operation.

💪 Muscle 🗜️ Enforcer

Grace Thomas (Allison Hayes)

A patient seeking treatment for depression who becomes a test subject in Conway's experiments. She is initially hopeful but is gradually endangered by the procedure, embodying the vulnerability of those exploited for medical curiosity.

🩺 Patient 😟 Vulnerable

Danny Green (Arthur Batanides)

A patient with anger issues who joins the group and shows bravery in trying to expose the doctor. He aids others and sacrifices himself during the escape attempt.

🧯 Patient ⚔️ Brave

Lt. Mark Houston (Frank Scott) (Myron Healey)

An undercover police officer infiltrating the clinic to uncover the illicit experiments. He reveals his true identity to the others and leads the attempt to stop Conway, ultimately aided by police backup.

🕵️ Investigator 👮 Officer

Natalie Andries (Sally Todd)

A patient whose nervous breakdown is treated but who is sedated and subjected to an experimental procedure, resulting in a disturbing transformation.

🧠 Patient 😨 Nervous

Dr. Loren Wright (Roy Gordon)

An associate who delivers new patients to Conway, enabling the illicit program. His role highlights the complicity of medical networks in unethical experiments.

🤝 Associate 🧪 Complicity

Dr. Sharon Gilchrist (Marilyn Buferd)

Conway's assistant who questions the ethics of the process yet remains entangled in the scheme. She presses to become the next subject and is ultimately swept up in the investigation.

🧭 Assistant 💼 Ambition

Harry Jedrow (Harry Fleer)

A disfigured subject kept in the basement and presented as a fearsome figure. His existence underscores the human cost of the experiments and the consequences of tampering with life.

🧪 Experiment 🪦 Aftermath

Monster in Basement (Karl Johnson)

A living-creature result of the illicit experiments, kept in the basement and used to intimidate or illustrate the doctor’s reach over life and death.

🧟 Creature 🏚️ Basement

Police Captain George Reagan (Guy Prescott)

The authoritative police figure who oversees the investigation and ultimately oversees the arrest of the conspirators.

👮 Officer 🗣️ Authority

Police Officer Miller (Raymond Guth)

A member of the police force who assists in the investigation into Conway's facility and helps bring the operation to light.

👮 Officer 🕵️ Investigation

Police Officer Ed (Paul McWilliams)

A street-level police officer present during the resolution of the case, providing support as the authorities close in on the lab.

👮 Officer 🗂️ Duty

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:53

Major Themes – The Unearthly (1957)

Explore the central themes of The Unearthly (1957), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧪 Science & Ethics

Dr. Conway's longevity experiments reveal the dangerous edge of scientific ambition when patient consent is ignored. The film critiques medical ethics by showing subjects reduced to test material. The basement lab becomes a symbol of experimentation without accountability. The consequences of crossing ethical lines are explored as the subjects deteriorate or become property of the doctor.

🗝️ Secrets & Deceit

Grace's treatment is shrouded in secrecy; Wright and Sharon conceal the true purpose of the program from families. The false suicide coverup and hidden subjects expose a culture of deception. The undercover investigation unravels the lies, revealing the true nature of the experiments.

⚖️ Power & Control

The clinic becomes a microcosm of how power concentrates in a single unscrupulous mind. Conway's control over patients' bodies demonstrates the vulnerability of those seeking help. The arrival of law enforcement challenges this power, leading to arrests but not without cost.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:53

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