A millionaire businessman's brain is kept alive after a fatal accident, and communicates clues to a doctor on the trail of the killer
Anna Holt
Dr. Peter Corrie
Stevenson
Dr. Frank Shears
Ella
Mr. Walters
Immerman
Martin Holt
Marion Fane
Furber
Dr. Miller
Thomas Gabler
Dr. Miller
Stevenson's secretary
Da Silva
Inspector Pike
Young Woman at Dance Hall (uncredited)
Dance Hall MC (uncredited)
Instrument of Terror! An adaptation of film noir legend Curt Siodmak's novel, Donovan's Brain, The Brain offers up a murder mystery narrative to go with the mad science angle. It's not particularly thrilling but it does tick along nicely and director Freddie Francis has a keen eye for scene staging. Cast features Peter Van Eyck, Anne Heywood, Cecil Parker and Bernard Lee, and they all do what is required to make the material work. Stand out moments involve some delightfully monstrous paintings, a lie detector scene and all the sequences where Van Eyck is possessed by the brain of the powerful industrialist who was murdered by person or persons unknown. Good and safe "B" schlocky fare for the so inclined. 6/10
September 5, 1962
Anna Holt
Dr. Peter Corrie
Stevenson
Dr. Frank Shears
Ella
Mr. Walters
Immerman
Martin Holt
Marion Fane
Furber
Dr. Miller
Thomas Gabler
Dr. Miller
Stevenson's secretary
Da Silva
Inspector Pike
Young Woman at Dance Hall (uncredited)
Dance Hall MC (uncredited)
Instrument of Terror! An adaptation of film noir legend Curt Siodmak's novel, Donovan's Brain, The Brain offers up a murder mystery narrative to go with the mad science angle. It's not particularly thrilling but it does tick along nicely and director Freddie Francis has a keen eye for scene staging. Cast features Peter Van Eyck, Anne Heywood, Cecil Parker and Bernard Lee, and they all do what is required to make the material work. Stand out moments involve some delightfully monstrous paintings, a lie detector scene and all the sequences where Van Eyck is possessed by the brain of the powerful industrialist who was murdered by person or persons unknown. Good and safe "B" schlocky fare for the so inclined. 6/10