

Bela Lugosi builds a spider robot to conquer the world. What could go wrong?
The truncated feature version of the 4½ hour serial about a mad scientist who attempts to rule the world by creating various elaborate inventions.
Acting
Lugosi's eyes doing 90% of the heavy lifting.
Practical Effects
The 'spider' robot is gloriously unconvincing.

Director
Ford Beebe
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This 78-minute cut butchered the original 12-chapter serial, leaving plot holes you could drive a spider-robot through.
Lugosi was deep in his 'paycheck roles' era here, but his commitment to absurd material is weirdly heroic.