▁Dam on ▁ ▁Gre gg ▁Pal mer ▁as ▁L t . ▁Fish er ▁ ▁Morris ▁An k rum ▁as ▁Capt . ▁Davis ▁ ▁Production ▁The ▁film ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁story ▁by ▁Leo ▁Gordon ▁called ▁The ▁At omic ▁Man . ▁Gordon ▁went ▁to ▁fellow ▁actor ▁Michael ▁P ate ▁to ▁rewrite ▁the ▁story . ▁Need ing ▁money , ▁Gordon ▁sold ▁his ▁rights ▁to ▁P ate ▁who ▁took ▁the ▁story ▁to ▁his ▁brother - in - law , ▁screen writer ▁Phill ip ▁Rock . ▁ ▁Produ cer ▁Bened ict ▁Bog e aus ▁had ▁wanted ▁to ▁shoot ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁a ▁television ▁pilot ▁( a ▁common ▁cre ative ▁practice ▁of ▁the ▁time ), ▁to ▁be ▁shown ▁on ▁TV ▁as ▁three ▁episodes , ▁should ▁it ▁be ▁picked ▁up ▁for ▁synd ic ation . ▁Tra vel ing ▁to ▁Mexico ▁to ▁begin ▁shooting ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁Mexican ▁film ▁synd ic ates ▁ruled ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁actually ▁a ▁feature ▁film ▁and ▁demanded ▁Bog e aus ▁make ▁it ▁using ▁a ▁full ▁crew , ▁which ▁would ▁now ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁paid ▁at ▁feature ▁film ▁labor ▁rates . ▁With ▁the ▁budget ▁now ▁triple d , ▁director ▁Allen ▁D wan ▁claimed ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁shoot ▁the ▁feature ▁in ▁one ▁week , ▁instead ▁of ▁five ▁( some ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁cast ▁disput ed ▁this ▁statement ). ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁Rand ell ' s ▁last ▁leading ▁role . ▁ ▁Home ▁media ▁Cinema ▁R ar ities ▁offers ▁the ▁Most ▁D anger ous ▁Man ▁A live ▁as ▁a ▁manufact ured ▁on ▁demand ▁two - dis