Donovan's Brain

Rating:
Summary: What a bargain
Review: Heres one that just gets better with time. I saw this movie years ago and ordered it with just a vague memory of the theme. Wow! The former first lady has her hands full fighting for her husbands life. The brain grows stronger and more deadly as the movie progresses. MGM Midnight movies are fast becoming my favorite source for classic sci-fi. The price being right is one reason and the other is the high quality of picture and sound. A must see for any fan of sci-fi from the golden age. This review is for the DVD!

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good Entertainment
Review: I was recently in a book store and saw the audio tape version of Donovan's Brain. As I was taking a trip across the US, I thought it would be fun to listen to Curt Siodmak's novel. I listened to it three times. When I got to my destination, I checked Amazon to see if the movie was available on DVD. It was. I ordered it. I watched it several times noting that the movie version generally followed the novel. The movie stands up pretty well against comtemporaneous competition. It's not in the same class as Citizen Kane or The Godfather, but it's pretty good entertainment. The script, acting, direction and cinematography (although black and white) all work together to bring a B movie into the A category. It beats most of today's movies that have access to far larger budgets and far better technology.

Rating:
Summary: He shoulda stuck with monkey brains...
Review: Let's face it, brains are gross...they're gray, wrinkly, gelatinous, and usually covered with viscous fluids. Sure, some monsters find them rather tasty, but I think most of us would, at the very least, wince with disgust at the thought of handling a brain, that is unless you're some kind of medical professional specializing in brains, a creepy scientist with a hankering to tinker in the realm of the unknown, or just a sickie with a with an unnatural urge to mess around with disgusting things. Regardless, Hollywood has found disembodied brains to be a worthwhile subject for at least a few films from The Brain from Planet Arous (1957), Fiend Without a Face (1958), The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) (okay, this one features a disembodied head rather than a disembodied brain, but either way, it's a real stinker), The Brain (1964), The Man With Two Brains (1983), and this film, Donovan's Brain (1953). Of the sub genre, Donovan's Brain isn't the best, but certainly isn't the worst.

The film, based on a novel written by the prolific and influential Curt Siodmak (fans of early horror and sci-fi films will recognize the name) and directed by Felix Fiest, Donovan's Brain features Lew Ayres (calling Dr. Kildare...) as Dr. Patrick Corey, a scientist obsessed with unlocking the mysteries of the brain. The film also stars Nancy Davis (future First Lady Nancy Reagan and the woman who taught a whole generation how to `Just Say No') as his wife Janice, and veteran actor Gene Evans, who I last saw in the Steven McQueen western Nevada Smith (1966), as Dr. Frank Schratt, a local practitioner, part-time assistant to Dr. Corey, and a part-time alcoholic (his first scene in the film has him passed out on the floor).

The film begins with Dr. Corey and his wife returning from a trip to the local monkey store with a new specimen for Corey's experiments (don't get too attached to that monkey, Janice), that involve, you guessed it, brains...it seems Corey is intent on proving a brain, hooked to electrodes, can survive in a fish tank with dirty water, long after the host body is gone. Why, you ask? Why not, I say...well, after numerous failed attempts, this last one succeeds, and not a moment too soon as Dr. Corey is about to upgrade from monkey brains to human brains. It seems there's been a small plane crash in the area, and since Dr. Schratt is nowhere to be found (he's actually sleeping one off, if you know what I mean...glugg, glugg...), Dr. Corey is called in to tend to possible survivors. Apparently there's only one, a man named W.H. Donovan. Who is W.H. Donovan? Well, I tell you...he's an extremely rich man who possesses a very dark side, as we learn later on in the film. Anyway, attempts to save Donovan, who's very badly hurt, fail, Corey sees an opportunity in harvesting the dead man's brain. With the help of his wife and Dr. Schratt, they manage to not only save the Donovan's brain, but keep it alive...and soon it begins to grow (with a lot of pulsating and glowing involved), and become strong. So strong, in fact, it begins to psychically force its' will on Corey (primarily) and the others. In becoming aware of his predicament and his new found powers, Donovan see possibilities he never before imagined, and plans begin to formulate. What kind of monstrosity has been unleashed on the world? Can it be stopped? Perhaps, but at what cost?

I will say I enjoyed this film a lot. It's odd as the film is listed as sci-fi/horror, but it had an underlying `noir' quality, specifically the scenes where Donovan has taken over Corey's body, and is arranging his affairs, dealing with those who think him dead. He's a real meany, compared to congenial Corey who's obsessed but with the best intentions (saving lives, dammit!), to put it simply, and Aryes does a remarkable job switching personalities from Corey to Donovan. It's definitely a Jekyll and Hyde situation, and obvious enough for those who know Corey and have knowledge of the experiment understand what is happening. The direction is very good, and the use of shadows fairly pronounced, eliciting the `noir' quality I spoke of before. The plot is strong, and moves along at a good pace, allowing for little wasted screen time during the 84 minutes running time of the film. There are melodramatic elements included, involving concern for the change taking place with Dr. Corey, and given my limited experience with Siodmak's work, I feel this adaptation stays close to the original material. The effect is meant to infuse meaning and purpose to the characters, effectively turning them from 2-dimensional images on the screen to 3-dimensional characters the audience cares about, something that tends to be missing in a lot of modern day horror films, in my opinion. The special effects are pretty good (you will believe that pulsating brain lives) and enhance the story nicely. I wasn't too impressed with Nancy Davis' performance, but I couldn't decide if it was her acting, the inclusion of her character just because the story called for a female actress, or some of her lame lines (her character seemed resigned to state the obvious and provide little bits of exposition throughout, along with suffering a slight tinge of misogyny not uncommon in films of the time).

The film is presented in its' original format (full screen), and looks very sharp, although I did notice some minor speckling throughout, but nothing to get in a bind over (the scenes featuring the stock footage car crash are the worst, showing very noticeable damage). The only special feature is that of a theatrical trailer, but I really wasn't expecting much since this comes from MGM Midnight Movie series, which isn't known for its' inclusion of extras, but can be counted on to provide a good looking transfer.

Cookieman108


Rating:
Summary: A classic Brainer
Review: Lew Ayres stars in this classic "disembodied brain" flick. Though Donovan's body is dead, his brain lives on in a comfy fish tank from which it exerts phenomenal mental powers!

Co-star Nancy Davis went on to become First Lady of the United States, selected undoubtedly for her heroic acts against Donovan's malevolent organ.

This film inspired many a budding young biologist...or brainologist...to experiment with an old fish tank, a car battery and whatever old brain was laying about. Good clean fun for the entire family.

Rating:
Summary: IT'S A RICH MANS WORLD
Review: The first question most every one seems to ask about DONOVAN'S BRAIN is, is it true that Nacy Reagan is in it? And the answer is yes, but at the time she was Nancy Davis and she was just coming off HELLCATS OF THE NAVY and into this effective and very entertaining sci-fi/monster missing link that started life as a novel and was made three times into movies (THE LADY AND THE MONSTER, DONOVAN'S BRAIN, and finally just THE BRAIN). After what seems a very slow opening (where Nancy Davis does her own scene with a monkey), the film takes off once we're introduced to all the prinicpals and their secret work in the rumpus room keeping brains alive. DONOVAN'S BRAIN offers surprise after surprise. You don't expect it to be a film that works - the idea behind it seems impossible, but this film manages the impossible by giving us the standard sci-fi/monster set up, and then does a complete turn around and presents us with an almost Hitchcockian noir thriller involving the IRS, back taxes, bribery, blackmail, murder and vice. And it all comes to a conclusion that was almost unheard of in sci-fi/monster films of the 1950's - a ending grounded in reality, and a loose end at that (I can think of only two other films in the 50's that come to this kind of end and that would be THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and THEM!). DONOVAN'S BRAIN is not to missed, nor ignored. If you're a fan of the genre it's a must own, and if you're a casual buyer you will find DONOVAN'S BRAIN offers more that just a monster, but a solid script, fine preformances (Nacy Davis is actually very good in this film), and many surprises.

Rating:
Summary: IT'S A RICH MANS WORLD
Review: The first question most every one seems to ask about DONOVAN'S BRAIN is, is it true that Nacy Reagan is in it? And the answer is yes, but at the time she was Nancy Davis and she was just coming off HELLCATS OF THE NAVY and into this effective and very entertaining sci-fi/monster missing link that started life as a novel and was made three times into movies (THE LADY AND THE MONSTER, DONOVAN'S BRAIN, and finally just THE BRAIN). After what seems a very slow opening (where Nancy Davis does her own scene with a monkey), the film takes off once we're introduced to all the prinicpals and their secret work in the rumpus room keeping brains alive. DONOVAN'S BRAIN offers surprise after surprise. You don't expect it to be a film that works - the idea behind it seems impossible, but this film manages the impossible by giving us the standard sci-fi/monster set up, and then does a complete turn around and presents us with an almost Hitchcockian noir thriller involving the IRS, back taxes, bribery, blackmail, murder and vice. And it all comes to a conclusion that was almost unheard of in sci-fi/monster films of the 1950's - a ending grounded in reality, and a loose end at that (I can think of only two other films in the 50's that come to this kind of end and that would be THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and THEM!). DONOVAN'S BRAIN is not to missed, nor ignored. If you're a fan of the genre it's a must own, and if you're a casual buyer you will find DONOVAN'S BRAIN offers more that just a monster, but a solid script, fine preformances (Nacy Davis is actually very good in this film), and many surprises.

Rating:
Summary: AMAZING! ASTOUNDING! And A Pretty Good Little Movie, Too!
Review: There is something grotesquely ironic about seeing former First Lady Nancy Regan as the caretaker of a disembodied brain bent on world conquest--but at the time the movie first appeared the great irony in casting concerned actor Lew Ayres, who was best remembered as for his screen series as the respectable and responsible Dr. Kildaire, and who here plays a mad scientist. One way or another, cult-film enthusiasts will have tremendous fun with this one. But even so, DONOVAN'S BRAIN has a lot more going for it than cult-film appeal: the story line continues to resonate in the modern era of medical ethics issues, the script is surprisingly intelligent, and the director and actors play it out at a snappy pace.

Based on a successful novel, DONOVAN'S BRAIN concerns a scientist (Ayers) who is experimenting with keeping monkey brains alive in tanks--and when a nearby plane crash lands a terminal accident victim on his surgery table he presses his wife (Nancy Davis, later Regan) and surgical sidekick (Gene Evans) into recovering a human brain for his work. And he succeeds beyond all expection. Trouble is, the brain belongs to a truly evil multi-millionaire who wants to take over the world, and under Ayres care the brain grows... and begins to exert an unexpectedly nasty psychic influence on those around it.

Ayres was a gifted leading man whose credits ranged from ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT to JOHNNY BELINDA, and the film owes much of its success to his talents; Gene Evans is also quite good as the drunken surgeon Ayres befriends. As for Nancy, she is clearly a B-Movie actress, but she is a surprisingly competent one. Cult fans will have a field day, but the movie is too interesting as a whole to be designated such pure and simple; it has a lot going for it, and just about every one who sees it will have a good time. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Cool 50's "Brain" Flick
Review: This is a neat movie based on Curt Siodmak's novel about Dr. Pat Cory (Lew Ayers), his assistant Dr. Frank Shratt (Gene Evans), and his wife Jan (Nancy Davis, who would later become First Lady, Nancy Reagan) experimenting on a monkey's brain, trying to keep it alive on its own, when an airplane crash happens near by. Requiring the doctor's assistance, he uses his house to perform an operation on the only survivor, the multi-millionaire Warren Donovan.

This fails, but Cory hits upon the idea of using Donovan's brain for his experiments, with some unexpected results.

This isn't a gory movie by any means, but it is very effective with good performances all around.

The print that was used for the DVD is very clear and detailed, which sometimes shows the movie's shortcomings (some inferior stock footage for a car crash sequence and a poorly "matted" rain shot).

This budget DVD comes with a theatrical trailer and is closed captioned. If you're a sci-fi fan, I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Tidy little sci fi flick won't disappoint...
Review: What makes this film so good? It starts with a solid story - that's what! Although a modern film might take greater pains to make the pseudo-science sound plausible enough to induce that mental condition known as "the suspension of disbelief," nevertheless we recognize that this film was made in the 1950's and we happily go along for the ride, anyway. And what a ride! Lew Ayres and Nancy Reagan (then Nancy Davis, who had just completed working on Hell Cats of the Navy) put in fine performances in a movie that manages to be original enough to keep us interested for the duration. I won't rehash the plot as it is available in the Amazon description, but I will say that the movie manages to avoid succumbing to the potential silliness of its main subject and its depiction - namely, a large brain in a tank, wired up for medical and scientific observation, which grows in size as it manages to control its victims. A very suitable entry into a series called "midnite movies," this B-movie manages to look more like an A movie and is certainly worth its modest asking price. Oh and by the way, it's filmed in glorious black and white and comes only in Standard Screen size (widescreen wasn't around back then) which is rather nice because it makes for a larger image for those of us who do most of our DVD viewing on our laptops, like I do. Enjoy... and check out the other MGM Midnite Movies...

Rating:
Summary: creepy
Review: When I was a kid (maybe 8 or 9) I remember seeing this on the TV with my Dad (a big fan of 50's sci fi), and I thought it was the scariest thing I'd ever seen. Frankenstein didn't even begin to compare. Recommended, but don't show it to your kid, unless you want them to wake up screaming.