DONOVAN'S BRAIN (1953)
Director: Felix Feist
MGM

How many times have you caught up with a highly regarded classic movie and been shell shocked with the question as to why it gets so much attention? This is the puzzling case with DONOVAN'S BRAIN, an early 50s science fiction "classic" that's tough to warm up to. As a youngster I would pass this one by during its many television airings, figuring that a brain in a lab couldn't be very exciting compared to my favorite man-made monsters and beastly wolf-men. Well, after finally giving this intelligent but dull film its moment in the spotlight I can say that I won't be too quick to reunite with Mr. Donovan any time soon.

Lew Ayres is a scientist with the elderly voice of a Jack Lemmon during his OUT TO SEA period. He becomes fascinated with the thinking apparatus of a wealthy dead crook named Donovan, and then studies it illegally in his lab with the help of his tipsy assistant (Gene Evans) and future First Lady Nancy Davis. While experimenting, Ayres begins to undergo a personality change as the brain slowly takes him over and dominates him. Unfortunately, nothing that transpires throughout the course of these excessive 84 minutes comes off as remotely interesting. I've never read the original novel by gray matter king Curt Siodmak, but I've got to believe it's more involving than this movie. It doesn't help matters any that this tired plotline has been worn thin by now, having been attempted in countless films, such as THE LADY AND THE MONSTER (1944), THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1958), and THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE (1959). All of the above are more fun to watch than DB. Hell, I'd even take THE MAN WITHOUT A BODY (1957) over this.

Despite my feelings on the film itself, I have nothing but more praise in store for MGM and their fine presentation of this entry from their generous Midnite Movies line. The picture quality is sharp and clear for a black and white movie made almost fifty years ago. The sound is adequately rendered in mono, also with a Spanish soundtrack and French and Spanish subtitles. There's also a welcome theatrical trailer to help those of us along who tend to nod off during the actual feature. (Joe Lozowsky)

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