Donovan's Brain

This film is one of my favorite 1950's horror/science fiction movies. I first saw this film on T.V. when I was about four and five years old, and it thrilled me then and I still enjoy it today. The story based on Curt Siodmak's novel was previously filmed in 1942 as LADY AND THE MONSTER. While that version has some virtues, the overall result was mediocre. It was filmed again 1962 as THE BRAIN with several character name changes and different plot elements. I last saw that version in 1970's. While I recall it being not bad, I don't remember it being as good as this version.

DONOVAN'S BRAIN is the best version primarily due the good performance of Lew Ayers as the possessed Dr. Cory with good support from Gene Evans. When I first saw this film again after many years I was impressed by Lew Ayers. When the evil brain of Donovan possesses Dr. Cory and he becomes Donovan, I had to remind myself that it was Ayers playing both "minds". This was done entirely by Ayers; the film employs no make-up or lighting tricks (as the 1942 version does) to create the different minds in the same body. Gene Evans lends good support as Cory's alcoholic but sympathetic doctor assistant. Steve Brodie is also good as the blackmailing reporter, but his role is somewhat shoehorned into the plot. He appears merely as someone for Cory as Donovan to knock off, and once he is gone, his blackmail threats are forgotten. However the scene's with Brodie are good. Note that when he confronts Cory/Donovan for a blackmail payment, he is wearing a worn out suit. When he returns for another payment, he shows up in a very expensive looking suit! The film is loaded with subtle touches like that.

Dr. Patrick "Pat" J. Cory (Lew Ayres) is researching brains with his assistant and friend Dr. Frank Schratt (Gene Evans) and his wife Janice Cory (Nancy Davis, a.k.a. Nancy Reagan) through experiments with monkeys in a laboratory in his house. When an airplane crashes nearby his house, there is only one near-death survivor, the millionaire Warren H. Donovan that is brought still alive to his care. However Donovan dies and Dr. Cory decides to use his brain in his experiment keeping it alive in a tank. Pat, Schratt and Janice research about the life of Donovan and they discover that he was a ruthless and evil man. Soon Donovan's brain imposes his personality to Dr. Cory and possesses him to get rid of his enemies and to live again in his body. Schratt and Janice sees the transformation of Dr. Cory and plan to destroy the brain. Will they succeed in their intent?

"Donovan's Brain" is an entertaining B-movie with a combination of sci-fi and horror and a story in the style of Frankenstein, with a mad doctor and the result of his experiment. The conclusion is corny and commercial and would be better and better if the brain survives in the end. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Cérebro Maligno" ("The Evil Brain")

When evil millionaire Donovan dies on his operating table, scientist Dr. Patrick Cory (Lew Ayres) seizes the opportunity and removes Donovan's brain, which still shows signs of life. He manages to keep the brain alive in a tank in his laboratory, where it grows in size in a short time as well as exhibiting telepathic abilities. Soon Donovan's brain becomes powerful enough to force his will on Cory and make him do his bidding.

Entertaining '50s sci-fi with few bells & whistles but an enjoyable cast and decent ideas. Lew Ayres is good. I like to imagine this is what happened to Dr. Kildare: he left medicine to become a research scientist and things went horribly wrong. Nancy Davis (Reagan) does a fine job, though her obedient housewife role is likely to draw criticisms from the huff & puff crowd. Gene Evans is great as Ayres' surgeon buddy with a drinking problem who gives Ayres the inevitable "you're playing God" speech. Steve Brodie is fun as a nosy reporter who gets what's coming to him. Based on a novel by screenwriter Curt Siodmak (The Wolfman, I Walked with a Zombie, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, etc.). Siodmak doesn't write the screenplay here. The movie was adapted before as The Lady and the Monster and Siodmak didn't write that either. Not sure why he didn't try to write his own movie version of the novel. This is a good sci-fi flick, though the middle is little more than Ayres going from place to place barking orders at people and handing out money. The beginning and ending are best. Not a lot of action, which won't sit well with everybody, but I was never bored.

Well-crafted sci-fi with minimal special effects. Of course, the premise of a disembodied brain taking thought control of its master has kicked around more than a few times. However, this is arguably the best version, thanks to a tight screenplay and a fine central performance. Ayers must go from nice guy doctor to tyrannical business tycoon whenever the evil brain takes control. And he does both in highly convincing fashion—sure a long way from young Dr. Kildare. Nancy Davis (Reagan) also delivers as the loyal wife. Her films may never have been very distinguished, but she was always a credible low-key performer. Note also that usual tough guy Gene Evans gets the thankless "Igor" role as the lab assistant.

I guess I could have done with fewer close-ups of the pulsating brain. Unfortunately, the effect comes across in fairly hokey 50's fashion. Then too, that all-out thunder and lightning sequence amounts to more than just a storm. Instead , it looks more like a rage in heaven, like someone above is really angry at what's going on below. The heavy-handed theatrics is really out of sync with what's gone before. Despite the two drawbacks, the overall result is better than expected, thanks to the A-grade performances in a B-grade movie.

There's always someone out there who feels he can do whatever he wants. A scientist finds a man, hanging on to life by a thread, from plane crash. He is unable to save his body, but decides he has the ability to keep the brain alive. It turns out that the brain is that of a man name Donovan who was a ruthless, cutthroat businessman, with no moral or ethical sense. Somehow, the brain begins to inflict its will on the scientist. It isn't long before the brain is ordering the man around and he isn't having him do acts of kindness. This movie is pretty bad, but it has a history, and people seem to enjoy it. My father, who probably saw about three movies in his life, knew this one. If you just want to have some fun and don't want to ask too many questions, this may be your cup of tea. Perhaps they should have sent the thing into politics. They could use some brains in congress.