Donovan's Brain

Synopsis: Yet another version of Curt Siodmak's novel about an honest scientist who keeps the brain of a ruthless dead millionaire (Donovan) alive in a tank. Donovan manages to impose his powerful will on the scientist, and uses him to murder his enemies.
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Director(s): Felix E. Feist
Production: MGM Home Entertainment
  1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
6.0
Rotten Tomatoes:
55%
APPROVED
Year:
1953
84 min
132 Views


He's cold.

We'll be home

in a couple of minutes.

His teeth are chattering.

You gonna make friends

with this one, too?

He is cold.

Come here.

He's relaxing.

He likes me.

Me, too.

Frank?

Patrick.

Aw, Jan,

you know how much

this means to me.

Get with it, will you, baby?

Frank!

Hey, Frank!

Oh.

No.

Oh, Frank.

Come on.

Ok, colonel. Ok.

Lay off. Stop it.

Ready for duty.

Always ready.

Yes, sir, colonel.

Jan, put on some coffee.

Don't I always put

a pot of coffee on the stove

before I pass out?

There's lots of coffee.

Oh, my dear

Dr. Schratt,

you sober up with more grace

than anybody I ever saw.

You're terrific.

Come on, let's go.

Are you kiddin'?

Look.

Nope.

Frank, don't let me down.

What's more useless than

a surgeon with a hangover?

I'm a drunken zero.

I pass.

No, you don't.

I'd rather have you

do a corneal transplant

for me drunk

than anybody else sober.

Let's go, boy.

You're brilliant,

but not normal.

Heh heh. So are you,

but are you, and who is?

Uhh.

Great.

Come on, boy.

Hit the showers.

Turn in your suit.

Get me a long carotid

this time, will you?

Yes, indeed.

Clean to the last teeny pore.

Darling,

junior's falling asleep.

Good.

Look, he's the first

who's not scared.

That's a break for us.

Less problem with clots.

Pat, couldn't I keep him

as a pet?

I thought I was your pet.

Set him on the table, honey.

He's so young, so trusting.

He trusts me.

Must be just a baby.

Pat...

The others were too old.

Maybe that's why we failed.

This is your fifth try.

It seems so pointless.

4 wasted lives.

Monkey lives,

and is it pointless

for animals to help

save human life?

One soldier, one mother

in an auto accident,

one half-drowned boy,

one baby girl feverish

with freckles and a dimple.

You're right, darling.

I'm being silly.

Thanks, dear.

Now go make us

one of those wonderful

stews, will you?

She is really something.

So are you, pal.

Ok, you're on.

This is the day.

I feel it.

Me, too.

In about 30 minutes,

we'll have a monkey brain...

Alive.

Well, yes or no?

Frank, the pump.

Now the motor.

Jan, check the oscillograph.

For the fifth and last time,

I hope, nothing.

Keep watching it.

Frank, up 5 microvolts.

An Alpha curve.

Faint, but it's here.

Up 5 more.

The curve's firm and normal.

Honey, take a look.

It's something, kids.

A brain without a body...

Alive.

It's wonderful.

Great work, Frank.

Congratulations.

Terrific, but

I'm glad it's over.

All set, darling.

Immediately upon removal,

2 electrodes fastened

to cortical tissue.

If that's for me, I'm not here.

Hello?

No, Dr. Schratt's

not here.

Well, I don't know

about Dr. Cory.

Oh, hold on a minute.

Pat, it's the chief ranger.

There's been

an airplane accident.

He thinks some of the passengers

may still be alive.

Why don't they get Frank?

He'll be in town

in a half an hour.

That half hour might

save a human life.

This is Cory.

I'll be glad to help.

Where do I meet you?

I'll be there

as quickly as possible.

Honey, take care of things.

Notes of everything, huh?

I'll watch every second.

Yeah.

Ok, boys.

Set him down.

He'll never make it

to the hospital.

What about your place, doc?

It's only a couple of miles.

I don't think he has a chance,

but it's worth a try.

Ok.

This way, fellas.

Still living?

Perfect.

Same as when you left.

What about the wreck?

Three dead, one survivor.

He's in bad shape.

Give me a hand with this, boys.

Put the head right over here.

Jan, give them scissors.

Easy now, fellas.

Fast as you can,

cut away the clothes.

Tuttle, help

with the sheet there.

You'll find 'em

in the side drawer.

Better get Frank.

He's running a temperature.

I think he's asleep.

Wake him up.

Get him.

You pull him through, doc,

you should be set for life.

How do you mean?

That's Warren h. Donovan.

Means nothing to me.

He's supposed to be

worth a hundred million.

The sky's the limit on your fee.

Money can't help him now.

All right, boys.

Thanks very much.

That's swell.

You can go.

Frank'll be here in a minute.

Honey, we'll need your help.

Will you get

the gowns and things?

Hurry up, Frank.

Why weren't you in your office?

The whole wide world

is my office.

How bad is he?

Both legs completely gone.

His chest is crushed.

Tuttle, you better

get into the hospital.

If we pull him through,

we'll need a lot of things.

Right. I'll call you

as soon as I get to town.

We'll know for sure by then.

We'll need adrenaline,

and I'd start plasma right now.

Frank, you take care

of the chest.

I'll do the legs.

Clamp.

Uh...

What's the pulse?

None.

I think he's gone.

Adrenaline.

Let Frank do it.

Right into the heart.

Not a flicker.

Try a massage.

Still nothing.

Any idea who the poor man was?

Some millionaire,

name of Donovan,

Tuttle said.

Absolutely nothing.

Hmm.

Any ideas?

I wouldn't have wasted

this much time.

All right, that's that.

Thanks for covering for me, pat.

Tuttle hates my guts.

He'd love to see

his brother in my job.

Well, you go on back to bed.

I'll tell him you were sick.

Make out the death certificate

first, though.

That's not my department.

Why don't I park

Mr. Donovan in the garage?

All right. Thanks.

Wait a minute.

Hold everything.

Watch the current,

will you, Frank?

Jan, give us readings.

What's the big idea?

I'm curious, that's all.

What about it, Jan?

There must be something wrong.

There are indications

of Alpha waves.

Not too unusual.

In violent death,

like the plane crash,

organs of the body

die at different times,

and his brain's still alive.

You're right.

The waves aren't

weakening at all.

Come on, Frank, I think

we have time enough.

Time for what?

Donovan's dead, isn't he?

Beyond all help?

So?

Science can use Donovan's brain.

Hurry, or we'll never make it.

You're crazy.

Count me out.

It's against the law

to operate on a corpse.

It could mean jail.

And for what?

What do you hope to prove?

There's no time to talk now.

Either help me,

or leave me on my own.

Please, darling, don't...

Believe in me, will you, baby?

Get the instruments

out of the sterilizer.

Quickly.

The bottom tray.

You're wackier sober

than I ever was crocked.

What an idea,

stealing a man's brain.

Second success of the day.

To Patrick Cory,

doctor of science,

who plays miracle man

on the side.

Now will you tell us why?

Jan, please, 40th minute...

Tissue regains color,

complete recovery

from surgical shock.

It's simple, Frank.

We have blood banks,

bone banks, eye banks,

corneal transplants

from dead to living.

Jan, arteries resuming

pre-operative state.

Add the time.

So what? Preservation

of tissue is nothing new.

Why risk a jail sentence

for that?

If this brain lives,

maybe we can discover

how it thinks.

Impossible.

It can't see, it can't hear,

and it can't feel.

That's correct.

The brain itself can't.

That's why this one

feels no pain

even though it's still alive,

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Felix E. Feist

Felix Ellison Feist (; February 28, 1910 – September 2, 1965) was an American film and television director and writer born in New York City. more…

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