The ageing hero returns after 20 years in prison, tutoring a thief to take over his heroic role and tackle corrupt government officials.

Here he transformed the visitors once again and only the width of a post denied him a second heroic role.

It even features a theatre critic in a modestly heroic role - not something you see every day.

He enjoyed the opportunity to play a heroic role, and said the film gave him a chance to display his versatility.

In the monster films of the 1950s, the scientist often played a heroic role as the only person who could provide a technological fix for some impending doom.