A millionaire's brain is preserved after his death, and telepathically begins to take control of those around him.A millionaire's brain is preserved after his death, and telepathically begins to take control of those around him.A millionaire's brain is preserved after his death, and telepathically begins to take control of those around him.
Vera Ralston
- Janice Farrell
- (as Vera Hruba Ralston)
William Henry
- Roger Collins
- (as Bill Henry)
Fred Aldrich
- Bus Driver
- (uncredited)
Walter Bacon
- Pedestrian
- (uncredited)
James Carlisle
- Nightclub Patron
- (uncredited)
Lane Chandler
- Ranger White
- (uncredited)
Wallis Clark
- Warden
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn an interview, longtime Republic Pictures director Joseph Kane said that director George Sherman found working with star Vera Ralston so taxing that after this film was completed he quit Republic, where he had spent many years, because he thought he was going to be asked to direct another one of her pictures.
- GoofsHaving been convicted of murder, Roger Collins is confined in a federal penitentiary. But murder is not a federal offense; Collins should have been sent to a state prison instead.
- Quotes
Prof. Franz Mueller: What do I know about the brain itself? Nothing. Can it think? Remember after its body is dead? Could it be made to feel, to hear perhaps, or to express itself in some way? To contact the living?
- ConnectionsFeatured in Movies at Midnight: The Lady and the Monster (1954)
- SoundtracksYours (Quiereme Mucho)
Written by Augustin Rodriguez, Gonzalo Roig and Jack Sherr
Featured review
Not as good as the 1953 version, but still an entertaining forties thriller.
THE LADY AND THE MONSTER is the first version of Curt Siodmak's often filmed novel "Donovan's Brain". This first version is largely forgotten, and those that recall it usually dis-miss it as inferior to the 1953 version DONOVAN'S BRAIN with Lew Ayres. While the 1953 version is superior in almost every way, THE LADY AND THE MONSTER is still an entertaining, atmospheric 1940's thriller.
The plot is basically the same, but in this version the living brain of Donovan possesses the mind of scientist Richard Arlen to clear his illegitimate son who has been wrongly convicted of murder. The brain also wants to get revenge on his daughter, whom is just as money hungry and ruthless as Donovan was in "life." Even though Donovan's goals are good, his disembodied brain is still ruthless; he orders the possessed Arlen to kill a girl who gave false testimony at his son's trial.
We can always tell when Donovan is about to possess Arlen, the lighting and Arlen's make-up changes. The 1953 version employed no such tricks, and relied entirely on the acting skills of Lew Ayers. (See my entry on that version). Erich Von Stroheim plays the elder scientist, and as with any film he was in, he was always a commanding presence. There are hints of him having an unhealthy infatuation with Vera Ralston, but this doesn't lead anywhere.
Overall, LADY AND THE MONSTER isn't as good as the later 1953 version, but it is still a decent 1940's horror thriller.
The plot is basically the same, but in this version the living brain of Donovan possesses the mind of scientist Richard Arlen to clear his illegitimate son who has been wrongly convicted of murder. The brain also wants to get revenge on his daughter, whom is just as money hungry and ruthless as Donovan was in "life." Even though Donovan's goals are good, his disembodied brain is still ruthless; he orders the possessed Arlen to kill a girl who gave false testimony at his son's trial.
We can always tell when Donovan is about to possess Arlen, the lighting and Arlen's make-up changes. The 1953 version employed no such tricks, and relied entirely on the acting skills of Lew Ayers. (See my entry on that version). Erich Von Stroheim plays the elder scientist, and as with any film he was in, he was always a commanding presence. There are hints of him having an unhealthy infatuation with Vera Ralston, but this doesn't lead anywhere.
Overall, LADY AND THE MONSTER isn't as good as the later 1953 version, but it is still a decent 1940's horror thriller.
- youroldpaljim
- Dec 1, 2001
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime1 hour 26 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was The Lady and the Monster (1944) officially released in India in English?
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