Our journey through Nigel Kneale’s Beasts comes to an end with a poignant love letter to the rubber-suited monster genre.  Maybe.

Simon and Eugene discuss The Dummy.

Synopsis:

Filming on the latest, comeback installment of the Dummy movie series, Revenge of the Dummy, is not going well.  

Clyde Boyd, the man in the monstrous Dummy suit, is just not giving the performance needed.  He is upset at the presence of fellow actor, Peter Wager, the man who “stole” his wife and daughter.  So distracted, Clyde ruins yet another take and storms off the set, unable to continue.

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This presents problems for the director, Sidney.  In addition to the usual time/cost issues, he’s got a real deadline of getting the scenes with Sir Ramsey finished before the day over.  Sir Ramsey has a small part in the film, but he’s a real casting coup.  His contract expires after today and is leaving the country.  Failure to complete his scenes today will have disastrous consequences for this film.

On set to watch the events today is Joan Eastgate, writer, who really wants to chat with Clyde Boyd above all else.  She’s got an angle she wants to explore concerning how people adapt to the characters of the masks they adopt.  The publicity man escorting her has orders to keep her away from him.

Bunny Nettleton, producer of the film and, somewhat estranged friend of Clyde, arrives.  Upon seeing Clyde’s state, he suggests to Sidney that they replace Clyde with someone else.  Sidney tells him that no one else can fit the custom-built costume and, the actual performance of Clyde is visible in the Dummy.  It would be obvious it wasn’t Clyde.  If you want to fire somebody, fire Peter Wager – he’s competent, but basically a no-name actor who was hired as a fallback when the original lead had to drop out.

Bunny tries that, but Peter is wise to what’s up and makes sure Bunny knows he’ll sue if he’s dismissed.  He wants the part.  Bunny even offers him full pay and bonus to drop out.  No deal.  Get rid of that loser, Clyde.

Bunny chats for a while with Joan, and she expounds upon her idea.  She wants to know if Clyde, like some primitive tribesman experience a duality of personality when they put on the mask.  In some cultures, people who wear ceremonial masks, feel that they become — that they channel the actions — of the living mask.  Bunny assures her that, “no, it’s just a job to him.” 

But… that gives him a bit of an idea.

He tries talking with Clyde again.  He learns more about how deep in despair Clyde is.  He was on the point of suicide when this part came alone.  It literally saved his life, but he is despondent that, despite the success of the film, he is still unknown.  An actor who “lack presence” – a theme that has haunted his career and wrecked his marriage.

Bunny; however, tries a different approach.  People love the Dummy.  The Dummy has millions of fans.  You are the Dummy.  It is the synthesis of the you and the costume that becomes what they love and adore.  This motivates Clyde to try again.  As he leaves, Bunny lays it on even thicker, insisting he cannot be in the room to watch him put the costume on.  “This is it. This is the part I can hardly watch. Oh my god, I never wanted to see this! I never wanted to be in this room when you become the Dummy!”

The setup quickly and Clyde comes out and gives the performance of his life, also the life of the actor intended to be his victim in the scene, whom he kills on camera – for real.  Realizing what’s happening Sidney has the set evacuated.

The End.

Oh, wait, that’s only the end of Part I.

The police arrive, thinking that there’s a wild animal on the loose.  The Dummy is trapped inside the set and on a rampage, tipping over the tea trolly and everything.  The cops’ first attempt to get inside are rebuffed by the Dummy.

When they learn that part of the problem is Clyde’s estrangement from his wife, they demand that Peter go get her and bring her to talk with the Dummy.  Peter doesn’t like the idea, but he isn’t given a choice.

Their next attempt involves putting a speaker through one door and having Clyde’s wife talk to the Dummy, telling him what he wants to hear, while the cops try to get the body fo the dead actor out another door.  That fails, too, when the Dummy smashes the speaker.  Clyde’s wife rushes in to plead with it in person.  The dummy moves to attack her and she runs to escape, tripping over and covering herself in the movie blood prepared for the scene.

Seeing her covered horribly in blood, Peter grabs the shotgun in his car, and sneaks onto the set.  The form of the Dummy is in a chair, back to him, and he gives it both barrels.  The empty costume slumps to the floor.  The costume-less Dummy leaps out from behind Peter and strangles him to death.

As he is escorted away in police custody, the rather clueless Sir Rodney inquires to Joan, “who is that?”

“The Dummy,” she replies.

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