Donovan's Brain

In this 1953 adaptation of the titular 1942 novel by Curt Siodmak, Lew Ayres (famed as a young Dr. Kildare in a series of 1930s movies) stars as Dr. Cory, a driven scientist who sidesteps ethical considerations to remove the living brain of a dead millionaire killed in a car wreck. But the unauthorized secret experiment has unanticipated consequences: the millionaire was a tyrannical businessman and his disembodied brain takes over the mind of the scientist, using the latter to maintain a hold over the rich man's power and fortune (which his heirs now fight over). While Cory appears unruffled by the blanks in his memory, his assistant (an alcoholic surgeon played by Gene Evans) and his wife (a wooden Nancy Davis, before she became Mrs. Reagan) are very concerned about his sudden bipolar behavior. Directed by B-movie veteran Felix E. Feist, the film is a cult favorite thanks to both its premise and the memorable central prop of a disembodied brain floating in a tank. But it is driven more by lots of talk and evil millionaire melodrama than action or sci-fi complications, and it fails to develop the Frankenstein hubris and arrogance of Dr. Cory into any kind of dramatic conflict (he is awfully mild for a mad scientist and his sins are easily forgiven by all). Still, the film does have a definite following and will therefore be of some interest to sci-fi buffs. Featuring audio commentary by film historian Richard Harland Smith, this is a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)