Dick Simmons, an American actor, made his mark in the cult film scene with roles in One Million B.C. (1940) and The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler (1971). His work in One Million B.C. showcases the early fascination with prehistoric narratives, while The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler taps into the era's sci-fi exploitation trends. Simmons' contributions to these films highlight the unique blend of adventure and genre experimentation that defines cult cinema.
The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler
Reporter Harry Walsh (Nielsen) witnesses an auto accident in which two people are killed. Recognizing the survivor as Senator Clayton Zachary Wheeler, (Dillman) he rides with him in the ambulance. After he reports Wheeler's accident from the hospital, the staff tells him there is no such person admitted. Walsh's editor orders him to retract his story, which he refuses to do, at the cost of his job. Some detective work leads him to Alamogordo, New Mexico. Meanwhile, Wheeler wakes up in a secret hospital run by Dr. Redding (Daly) and Dr. Layle Johnson (Dickinson). He finds out he is the recipient of an incredible transplant, utilizing organs harvested from "somas". These somas are bodies artificially grown from his own DNA. Walsh has to elude two less-than-brilliant agents on his way to Alamogordo, finally escaping them, traveling with some migrant workers. Wheeler learns that the "fee" for his surgery is to do whatever he can do as Senator, for the Committee—a form of medical blackmail. Fielding, (Wilke) the Committee chairman, refers to it as "a new type of money." Wheeler refuses to cooperate and threatens to turn the whole operation in. Fielding warns him he will never win a presidential nomination if news of his heart transplant gets out. In Alamogordo, Walsh deduces that Wheeler's plane must have gone to Los Alamos, site of the old Manhattan Project. With the help of a newspaper buddy, he lands at the base and discovers an extra soma of Wheeler. Thinking it to be the senator, he breaks it out and commandeers Dr. Johnson's car. The car wrecks when Walsh swerves to avoid hitting several somas wandering around. Johnson is injured, and Fielding tries to use the situation to change Wheeler's position, threatening not to save her. As Wheeler has grown fond of her, his resolve is weakening, but Redding assures him she is not badly injured. Walsh and Wheeler finally meet, and agree to expose the Committee together, even as Fielding and Redding discuss a new "client" they have been hoping for.
