Based
upon the novel by Curt Siodmak, DONOVAN'S BRAIN ($15) is one of
the most intriguing of 1950s sci-fi movies. Made at a time when space
aliens were becoming the mainstay of the genre, DONOVAN'S BRAIN
offered a Frankenstein-like tale with a twist. Lew Ayres stars in DONOVAN'S
BRAIN as Dr. Patrick Cory, a scientist, who experiments push the envelope
on extending the life of the brain after the body has died. After a number
of failed experiments on monkeys, Cory finally meets with success, managing
to keep the brain alive in a glass container with electrical current and
some form of liquid nutrient.
As
coincidence would have it, a small private plane crashes near Cory's country
home/laboratory and the authorities seek his assistance with the injured.
One of the crash victims is millionaire W.H. Donovan, whose injuries prove
to be beyond the combined medical skills of Cory and his colleague Dr.
Schratt (Gene Evans). However, Cory thinks he can save Donovan's brain,
so against the objections of Schratt and his wife Janice (Nancy Davis)
Cory tries the radical procedure on the recently deceased millionaire.
Although alive, the brain lacks a way of communicating, so Cory devises
an apparatus that allows him to psychically link with the disembodied
mind. Unfortunately, the unlimited power supply gives Donovan's brain
the ability to control the bodies of others, and soon the disreputable
millionaire is using Cory's body to reestablish control of his financial
empire and kill anyone who gets in his way.
MGM
Home Entertainment has made DONOVAN'S BRAIN in a full screen presentation
that is representative the film's original theatrical framing. The black
and white image on the DVD is quite sharp and offers up a very respectable
level of detail that allows one to appreciate the textures of fabrics
and little nuances in some of the sets. There are some age related blemishes
on the film elements, although they are rather insignificant. Film grain
is also noticeable in places throughout the presentation, but it isn’t
distracting. Blacks are quite solid and inky, plus the image provides
good contrast and clean, stable whites. Digital compression artifacts
never make their presence known on this smartly authored DVD.
The
Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is on par for a 1953 production. There
are limitations to the fidelity of the recordings, but the sound never
becomes distorted, nor does it suffer from noticeable background hiss.
Dialogue is fairly crisp and always intelligible. A Spanish language soundtrack
is also included on the DVD, as are French and Spanish subtitles. The
basic interactive menus provide access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as a theatrical trailer.
DONOVAN'S
BRAIN is a minor sci-fi classic that benefits from a solid performance
by leading man Lew Ayres, who never plays down to the material, despite
its outlandish nature. This film is also noteworthy because it features
former first lady Nancy (Davis) Regan during her Hollywood days. Additionally,
MGM's DVD looks and sounds fine for a film of its age, making this a disc
that genre fans will want to check out.
Based
upon the novel by Curt Siodmak, DONOVAN'S BRAIN ($15) is one of
the most intriguing of 1950s sci-fi movies. Made at a time when space
aliens were becoming the mainstay of the genre, DONOVAN'S BRAIN
offered a Frankenstein-like tale with a twist. Lew Ayres stars in DONOVAN'S
BRAIN as Dr. Patrick Cory, a scientist, who experiments push the envelope
on extending the life of the brain after the body has died. After a number
of failed experiments on monkeys, Cory finally meets with success, managing
to keep the brain alive in a glass container with electrical current and
some form of liquid nutrient.
As
coincidence would have it, a small private plane crashes near Cory's country
home/laboratory and the authorities seek his assistance with the injured.
One of the crash victims is millionaire W.H. Donovan, whose injuries prove
to be beyond the combined medical skills of Cory and his colleague Dr.
Schratt (Gene Evans). However, Cory thinks he can save Donovan's brain,
so against the objections of Schratt and his wife Janice (Nancy Davis)
Cory tries the radical procedure on the recently deceased millionaire.
Although alive, the brain lacks a way of communicating, so Cory devises
an apparatus that allows him to psychically link with the disembodied
mind. Unfortunately, the unlimited power supply gives Donovan's brain
the ability to control the bodies of others, and soon the disreputable
millionaire is using Cory's body to reestablish control of his financial
empire and kill anyone who gets in his way.
MGM
Home Entertainment has made DONOVAN'S BRAIN in a full screen presentation
that is representative the film's original theatrical framing. The black
and white image on the DVD is quite sharp and offers up a very respectable
level of detail that allows one to appreciate the textures of fabrics
and little nuances in some of the sets. There are some age related blemishes
on the film elements, although they are rather insignificant. Film grain
is also noticeable in places throughout the presentation, but it isn’t
distracting. Blacks are quite solid and inky, plus the image provides
good contrast and clean, stable whites. Digital compression artifacts
never make their presence known on this smartly authored DVD.
The
Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is on par for a 1953 production. There
are limitations to the fidelity of the recordings, but the sound never
becomes distorted, nor does it suffer from noticeable background hiss.
Dialogue is fairly crisp and always intelligible. A Spanish language soundtrack
is also included on the DVD, as are French and Spanish subtitles. The
basic interactive menus provide access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as a theatrical trailer.
DONOVAN'S
BRAIN is a minor sci-fi classic that benefits from a solid performance
by leading man Lew Ayres, who never plays down to the material, despite
its outlandish nature. This film is also noteworthy because it features
former first lady Nancy (Davis) Regan during her Hollywood days. Additionally,
MGM's DVD looks and sounds fine for a film of its age, making this a disc
that genre fans will want to check out.