When a quiet middle aged man decides that his life isn't for him, he decides to start all over. New face, new identity, new career, new outlook. But is that really feasible? In the cold, cold world of new wave director John Frankenheimer it is, and the shock of a new existence takes its toll, especially as he finds it difficult to let go of his old life.
Character actor John Randolph becomes hunky Rock Hudson, leaving behind wife Frances Reid, his home, career and occasional visits from his grown daughter. What? Walk out on Alice Horton? Yes, the sands go through the hour glass but as the younger looking Hudson, he can't help but re-visit his old life, basically disgusted by his new one.
This created a lot of shock in its day, the fear factor of society having this as an option from evil scientists who mess with nature and have no regards for the ethics of birth, life and death.
The life Randolph/Hudson gets isn't what he dreamed of, ending up in an amoralistic society where he meets mystery woman Rita Gam. Veteran character actor Wesley Addy is quietly creepy and icy as Hudson's butler in his new life, and Murray Hamilton is the morbid head of the agency Hudson switches his identities in.
Like dramas about eternal youth, this has many disturbing, moralistic warnings, and often, it makes you wonder if there are agencies buried deep in society doing this exact same thing.
Character actor John Randolph becomes hunky Rock Hudson, leaving behind wife Frances Reid, his home, career and occasional visits from his grown daughter. What? Walk out on Alice Horton? Yes, the sands go through the hour glass but as the younger looking Hudson, he can't help but re-visit his old life, basically disgusted by his new one.
This created a lot of shock in its day, the fear factor of society having this as an option from evil scientists who mess with nature and have no regards for the ethics of birth, life and death.
The life Randolph/Hudson gets isn't what he dreamed of, ending up in an amoralistic society where he meets mystery woman Rita Gam. Veteran character actor Wesley Addy is quietly creepy and icy as Hudson's butler in his new life, and Murray Hamilton is the morbid head of the agency Hudson switches his identities in.
Like dramas about eternal youth, this has many disturbing, moralistic warnings, and often, it makes you wonder if there are agencies buried deep in society doing this exact same thing.