I spotted a sealed copy of this DVD at my local store and bought it, based on my memories of this picture from decades ago. And it lived up to what I remembered.A seeming random crash of a young hot-rodder in New Mexico leaves behind a dead teenager and a wrecked car, along with a piece of equipment that doesn't look like it was part of any car or like it ought to be in the hands of even the most mechanically minded racing enthusiast. The local sheriff and a deputy consult the federal agent assigned to the district, who hasn't a clue what the device might be -- but on a hunch, he brings it to the government research facility at nearby Los Alamos, and that's when the case gets interesting, and alarming. The gadget is a piece of highly advanced, compact atomic weapons technology, not known outside of the most select scientific circles. But that only leads to more questions -- what was this hot-rodder doing with it, and why was he seemingly smuggling it over the border from Mexico? Soon there are investigations going on across the country and beyond, all the way to Marseille, France, and back.But don't think for a minute that anything you see in this picture is what it seems, in this first-rate thriller from the pen of Ivan Tors, which starts to move forward like an express train going down a steep grade during the last 20 minutes. Producer Sam Katzman was known for making quickly shot low-budget pictures, and most never aspired to be too much more than that -- but THE 49th MAN was one of those occasions where he latched on to a good script with a solid cast, and director Fred F. Sears (who was equally adept at quick, effective shoots) ran with it, even working in some nice odd camera angles here and there and some well-staged action scenes. The script has enough twists and turns to justify multiple viewings, and at this late date the period details are also fascinating. This is one Red Scare thriller that has aged extremely well.The transfer is very good, sharp and clean, and the audio is full and detailed, so all of the sometimes rapid-fire dialogue is understandable. I had no complaints with the made-on-demand (DVD-R) nature of this studio release, although this picture is good enough that it could have used a full DVD treatment, with an audio commentary. And thriller buffs will appreciate the presence of John Ireland in a good starring role, Richard Denning in a solid performance, and a young Mike Connors (as "Touch Connor") in an early supporting performance.