Share
Released to theatres in 1956, "The Indestructible Man" was directed by Jack Pollexfen. The director began his career in the newspaper industry where he worked his way up from copyboy at the Los Angeles Express to working as a reporter for a variety of daily newspapers. Pollexfen went on to write and produce three plays and found himself in the movie business when MGM offered him a contract to turn one of his articles into a screenplay. His movie career was interrupted when he wrote training films and manuals for the Air Force during World War II. Pollexfen resumed his career in the entertainment business with a series of screenplays for adventure pictures like "Treasure of Monte Cristo" which was filmed in 1949, and "The Desert Hawk", produced in 1950. He began a career in producing a short time later, and in collaboration with Aubrey Wiseberg, released a number of low-budget sci-fi films during the 50s.
Pollexfen cast Lon Chaney Jr. to play the lead role of Charles "Butcher" Benton. Chaney, whose birth name was Creighton Tull Chaney, was born while his parents were on a theatrical tour, and joined them on stage for the first time when he was only six months old. His father, Lon Chaney, was a highly successful actor, and as a result, tended to overshadow the work that Chaney Jr. would do throughout his career. Chaney Jr. began working tradesman jobs, working as a plumber, a meat cutter's apprentice and more. His interest in acting started when he studied makeup at his father's side. He eventually began taking stage roles in stock companies, and started a career in film after his father's death in 1930. The younger Chaney played small parts until a producer insisted that he change his name to Lon Chaney, Jr. in 1935 as part of a marketing ploy. Though the idea worked as far as getting him more roles, Chaney played mostly unmemorable parts until 1939, when he played the role of the simple-minded Lennie, in a film adaptation of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". Chaney is said to have given a remarkable performance and the role is remembered today as one of his very best. Chaney made a mark in the horror film industry in 1941, when he starred as the tortured Lawrence Talbot in "The Wolf Man". His activity in low-budget horror films established him as somewhat of a star in that genre. Chaney struggled in his later years with illness and alcohol problems, and dies in 1973 from various causes.
Max Showalter is probably the only other recognizable actor in Pollexfen's " The Indestructible Man". Showalter expressed an interest in acting as a toddler, when his mother would take him to the local theatre where she played piano for silent films. Showalter went on to act in 92 shows at the Pasadena Playhouse between 1935 and 1938. He made his Broadway debut in "Knights of Song", and acted for two years in the cast of Irving Berlin's traveling musical, "This is the Army". Showalter, who is also a composer, songwriter, and pianist, made over 100- television and stage show appearances.
