Casting unknown actors was crucial to the success of Dr. Cyclops (1940)
In spite of a fantastical premise, producers were looking for ways to make the film "believable."
Though cinematic special effects may seem like a breeze for many films today, back in the 1940s, good special effects required a keen eye and a strong hand.
Nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, Dr. Cyclops (1940) was a shining example of exactly what special effects were capable of at their most promising.
“Our objective was to make a film which would seem believable to the audience, fantastic though its premise was,” said producer Dale Van Every during an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer. “Use of Technicolor helped, because color seems to add a touch of fantasy to any film.
However, there was one major aspect of the film that Van Every struggled with: casting. In many cases, hiring a famous actor for a film is considered a smart move. But in the case of the success of Dr. Cyclops, it was guaranteed failure.
“When we came to casting the film, we really were stumped,” said Van Every. “It was obvious that if we took a Clark Gable or a Dorothy Lamour and made them stand a foot and a half high, nobody would believe it. They’d still be Gable and Lamour, photographed with a trick camera. Big names would have ruined the illusion. We had to find comparative unknowns who were also capable performers. That wasn’t too easy.”
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