Miraculously, though, Jack Smight and his scriptwriter Howard Kreitsek have resisted the temptation to either simplify or betray, and their The llustrated Man (Warner-Pathe) is a new Bradbury story in all but author's credit.

It has its weaknesses -- of acting, of character -- but they are not fatal. What finally brings the movie down is its inadequate attention to the expectations of the audience.

The wraparound sequences are sturdier than the three vignettes.

The Illustrated Man substitutes ostentatious techniques for good storytelling.