Gog, The Misogynist Machines

Richard Egan is an interesting fellow.  In the army during WW2, he taught Judo and bayonet fighting.  A devout Catholic, he believed marriage was forever, and had five children with his wife.  Egan waited for the right woman.  Though he dated Susan Hayward, Patricia Hardy won his heart.  Constance Dowling also stayed married to the same man until her death.  Dowling married Ivan Tors (the producer of today's feature).  Unfortunately, Dowling's death was too premature, falling prey to cardiac arrest at the age of 49.  Tors and Dowling had three children, plus a foster child from Kenya.  Egan and Dowling star in today's feature, 1954's "Gog."

As our film begins, scientists in a top secret underground lab are conducting experiments which will lead the construction of a space station.  Then, apparent sabotage strikes.  Dr. Hubertus and the sultry Dr. Kirby (Aline Towne) are killed when they are locked in their refrigeration room (see picture above) as the temperatures are adjusted to -85 degrees.  Unlike most government facilities, this lab has a plethora of beautiful female scientists.  Sadly, most of these brainy vixens will be killed off by some menacing force.  David (Egan), a secret government agent, is sent to the lab to figure out what went wrong.  He meets up with Joanna (Dowling) who works at the lab, but is actually a covert agent for our government, and David's girlfriend (see picture below).  Convenient.  As David begins to investigate, more beautiful women begin to die.  David asks a chemist analyze some metal, which could be a clue.  The chemist, Marna (Jean Dunn) is a blonde cutie, but succumbs to radiation poison when someone or something plants radioactive isotopes in her lab.  

As more pretty blondes fall, David makes some frightening discoveries.  The super computer (NOVAC) which controls the facility seems to be acting on it's own.  The NOVAC controls two robots, Gog and Magog (isn't there something biblical about this?) which appear to be acting on their own.  Is there a misogynist on the loose, or has a foreign power infiltrated the lab?  David and Joanna must hurry, as all indications are that something....or someone, is bent on incinerating the lab by causing a nuclear reaction.  As Gog and Magog begin a deadly rampage, our surviving scientists fight back with flamethrowers.  Here is an important movie rule, take heed!  Whenever characters go for a ride in a hot air balloon, the movie will ultimately suck.  However, when flamethrowers are introduced into the plot...well...the film will always be a worthwhile endeavor.  

Will David be able to save pretty Joanna from being melted down by radiation?  Is the disaster that befalls this underground lab the reason why the U.S. government doesn't hire sexy women as scientists, anymore?  As David gets closer and closer to solving the mystery before him, the NOVAC and it's robot friends focus their efforts on nuclear annihilation.  Available on Netflix, this is a terrific 1950s B Movie.