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A dentist dies over x-rays and somehow Rock Hudson's involved. 1951 was WILD.
TMDB
56
IMDb
62
Google
87

The Fat Man (1951)

noir-adjacentcircus chaospreposterously plotted

Overview

DramaThrillerMysteryCrime

A innocent dentist is murdered and the only apparent motive seems to be to steal a set of dental x-rays. To the police it looks like an accident, but private eye Brad Runyan thinks there's more to it.

Flag of USUS
Content warning
private detective
corruption under bright lightsthe banality of eviltrust in institutions

Standout Aspects

Acting

J. Scott Smart commits fully to utter absurdity.

Direction

William Castle before he became WILLIAM CASTLE.

Costume

Circus performers look genuinely spectacular.

Best for:Solo: Perfect for lonely Tuesday nights with zero expectations.·Rewatch: Catch something new every time, mostly by accident.·Background: Ideal when you're folding laundry and half-watching.
William Castle

Director

William Castle

ReleasedMay 19, 1951
Runtime1h 18m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensitymedium
Tonemixed
Feellight
Universal International Pictures

Top Cast

J. Scott Smart

J. Scott Smart

Brad Runyan

Julie London

Julie London

Pat Boyd

Rock Hudson

Rock Hudson

Roy Clark

Clinton Sundberg

Clinton Sundberg

Bill Norton

Jayne Meadows

Jayne Meadows

Jane Adams

John Russell

John Russell

Gene Gordon

Jerome Cowan

Jerome Cowan

L.t. Stark

Emmett Kelly

Emmett Kelly

Ed Deets

Robert Osterloh

Robert Osterloh

Fletcher

Harry Lewis

Harry Lewis

Happy Stevens

Teddy Hart

Teddy Hart

Shifty

Ask about The Fat Man

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

This was William Castle's first credited directorial feature, years before his gimmick-heavy horror reign.

Cultural

Based on a popular radio series where J. Scott Smart originated the Runyan role—rare successful radio-to-film transition.

Gallery

Reviews

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