X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes (1963)
A Doctor's experiments on himself to prove his research in enhanced vision leads to terrorizing visions.
Genre
Characters/Groups
Dr. James Xavier - Ray Milland
Dr. Diane Fairfax - Diana Van der Vlis
Dr. Sam Brant - Harold J. Stone
Dr. Willard Benson - John Hoyt
Female Party Goer - Lorrie Summers
Stanton's Nurse - Barboura Morris
Carnival Dancer - Cathie Merchant
Blackjack Dealer - Benjie Bancroft
Revival Preacher - John Dierkes
Character thumbnails with links to profiles
Detailed Synopsis
Dr. James Xavier is at the office of Dr. Sam Brant getting his eyesight checked. Dr. Brant tells him his eyesight is good and then figures out Dr. Xavier plans on experimenting on himself. Dr. Xavier tells Dr. Brant that he wants to see more of the visual wave spectrum. Dr. Xavier is showing Dr. Diane Fairfax a series of x-rays and asking her what her diagnosis is. He tells her about wavelengths that the human eye doesn't see. He then explains his experiment is to sensitize the eye so it can see radiation. Dr. Fairfax tells him she is there to see the progress of his research, and he complains the Foundation he is getting his money from wouldn't understand his research. Dr. Xavier then takes Dr. Fairfax into his lab and drops a few eye drops into the eyes of a Capuchin monkey. They test the eyesight of the monkey, who is able to see through a cloth and three colored pieces of paper. Afterwards, the monkey screams out and then dies. They do an autopsy of the monkey and learn it died of shock. Later, Dr. Fairfax tells Dr. Xavier that she started working for the Foundation so she could support some of the more radical experiments. She asks what the purpose of his experiment is and he tells her so that doctors can see through their patients and give mnore accurate diagnosis. She then tells him that the Foundation wants him to report on his findings the next day. Dr. Xavier goes to Dr. Brant and convinces him to help apply the experimental eye drops using himself as a guinea pig. Dr. Brant administers the eye drops and afterwards Dr. Xavier is able to see through a sheet of paper to read the page below it. He is also able to see items below Dr. Brant's lab coat. Dr. Xavier gives himself another dose, but screams from all of the light.
Dr. Brant and Dr. Fairfax represent Dr. Xavier at the meeting of the Foundation and Dr. Brant tells them Dr. Xavier has been unconscious since the experiment. He and Dr. Fairfax try to explain the importance of Dr. Xavier's work, but Mr. Bowhead cuts his funding. Dr. Willard Benson tells Dr. Xavier he thinks it is for the best he lost his research funding and tells him he wants him to look at a patient named Stanton. Stanton's Nurse takes Dr. Xavier to a young girl and after seeing through her body, Dr. Xavier realizes that Dr. Benson has misdiagnosed her. Dr. Xavier tells Dr. Benson his diagnosis is wrong, but Dr. Benson refuses to believe him and orders him to help during Stanton's surgery. Stanton's Nurse then tells Dr. Xavier someone is waiting for him outside. He goes outside and Dr. Fairfax takes him to a party. Dr. Xavier flirts with Dr. Fairfax and then a former student of Dr. Xavier asks Dr. Fairfax to dance. A Female Party Goer walks up to Dr. Xavier and asks him to dance. As they are dancing, Dr. Xavier can suddenly see through the clothing of the rest of the party goers and he eventually leaves with Dr. Fairfax. He continues to apply more eye drops and walks into the prep room before surgery. Dr. Fairfax tells Dr. Brant that Dr. Xavier is still using the experimental eye drops. Dr. Xavier tries again to tell Dr. Benson his diagnosis is wrong, and after Dr. Benson ignores his warning, Dr. Xavier slices him with a scalpel in the hand and takes over the surgery. He succeeds in performing the surgery, but Dr. Benson tells him he is going to report him to the board of the hospital and he will be tried for malpractice.
Dr. Brant and Dr. Fairfax take Dr. Xavier to Dr. Brant's office and his eyes are tested again. Dr. Xavier and Dr. Brant argue about Dr. Xavier continuing his experiment and as Dr. Brant tries to use a sedative on him, Dr. Xavier pushes him out the window and Dr. Brant falls to his death. Dr. Xavier then runs away. At a carnival, Crane tells the crowd about the psychic act and is heckled by Heckler 1 and Heckler 2. A crowd goes to see "Mentalo" and Dr. Xavier walks onto a stage. Crane collects pieces of paper with questions written down from the audience and Dr. Xavier is able to answer them all. After Heckler 1 calls the act a fake, Dr. Xavier reads out his personal information and Heckler 1 storms out of the tent. Crane tries to figure out how Dr. Xavier is able to do what he does and Dr. Xavier kicks him out of his room. Dr. Xavier records a journal entry about being close to out of the eye drops and his need for a lab to produce more. A group of carnival workers are sitting and talking and Carnival Dancer asks them if they have ever seen Dr. Xavier's eyes. Dr. Xavier walks up and the carnival workers try to convince him to use his powers to help people. One of them then calls him a fake and as he is walking away, Crane tells him not to pay attention to them and that he wants to be able to see all the naked women in the world and Dr. Xavier tells him he wants money. Later, a carnival patron falls off of a ride and as a crowd gathers around, Dr. Xavier is able to diagnose her injuries. Crane tells Dr. Xavier that he thinks he is a healer and that they could set up a place to heal people and make money.
They rent a place a place and Dr. Xavier tells Crane he is never to enter his room under any circumstances. Dr. Xavier continues to use the eye drop solution and is eventually forced to wear thick dark glasses to block out the light. Crane brings Mrs. Mart as Dr. Xavier's first patient and Dr. Xavier truthfully tells her there is nothing wrong with her besides old age. Word spreads and more and more people come to see Dr. Xavier. Eventually Dr. Fairfax finds Dr. Xavier and tells him she took up her practice again and she found him from tracking him down when her patients came to her knowing their diseases. She convinces him to leave with her, but as they try to leave, Crane tells Dr. Xavier that he knows he is wanted for the murder of Dr. Brant and threatens to go to the police if he leaves. Dr. Xavier pushes Crane aside and Crane runs after him screaming murderer. Dr. Xavier and Dr. Fairfax drive to Las Vegas. They walk into a casino and Dr. Xavier wins some tokens at a slot machine. He then sits down and wins money in Blackjack and the Blackjack Dealer tells him he doesn't care if he wins, its not his money. Eventually the Croupier comes over and tells Dr. Xavier the table is closed. After Dr. Xavier tells the other patrons what to play, Dr. Fairfax convinces Dr. Xavier to leave. As they are leaving, the Croupier and a security guard stop Dr. Xavier and as Dr. Xavier pulls away, his sun glasses fall off revealing his deformed eyes. Dr. Xavier runs off and steals a car. He is chased by a police helicopter and eventually crashes the car from not being able to see objects clearly. He runs away and stumbles into a revival tent. The Revival Preacher asks for people to come up and be healed. Dr. Fairfax and two police officers enter the tent and Dr. Xavier exclaims that he can see to the center of the Universe and at the center is an eye looking back at them. The Revival Preacher tells him he sees the Devil and the Revival Preacher tells him a hymn of Saint Matthew about plucking out the eye that offends you. Dr. Xavier then drops his head and plucks out his own eyes.