Fun stuff. A wicked little thriller from the early 1950's, palpably flavored with some early Sci-Fi elements. These "Sci-Fi" elements, are primarily due to the doctors (quite humble) laboratory. And because of the consistently good (occasionally great) acting and steady direction, the movie moves along at a good pace and proves to be very entertaining for such a low-budget production. Not all good movies cost mega-bucks to make and "Donovan's Brain" is a fine example of that. Like several reviewers have stated before me, this is the best film adaption of the famous Curt Siodmak novel (in contrast to the laughably dismal, MST3K-panned "The Brain That Wouldn't Die"). By watching this movie, it's quite obvious that it came out of the same decade that gave light to The Twilight Zone; as I found the film to play out much like a long-play episode of that show. The film is tautly put together and well-acted, the cast (which includes a young-ish Nancy Davis/Reagan) and crew did a lot with a little, in creating a highly entertaining psychological/sci-fi thriller. Certainly somewhat dated, but in a most charming way. Take note of those great, highly excitable sound effects coming from the professor's laboratory - very fun sounds. Perfect viewing on a dismal rainy afternoon (or night). On a morbid sidenote, by sheer coincidence, I happened to see "Donovan's Brain" for the first time, on the very same day that Nancy Reagan was put in the ground. Like I said a bit on the morbid side.

Dr. Patrick "Pat" J. Cory (Lew Ayres) is researching brains with his assistant and friend Dr. Frank Schratt (Gene Evans) and his wife Janice Cory (Nancy Davis, a.k.a. Nancy Reagan) through experiments with monkeys in a laboratory in his house. When an airplane crashes nearby his house, there is only one near-death survivor, the millionaire Warren H. Donovan that is brought still alive to his care. However Donovan dies and Dr. Cory decides to use his brain in his experiment keeping it alive in a tank. Pat, Schratt and Janice research about the life of Donovan and they discover that he was a ruthless and evil man. Soon Donovan's brain imposes his personality to Dr. Cory and possesses him to get rid of his enemies and to live again in his body. Schratt and Janice sees the transformation of Dr. Cory and plan to destroy the brain. Will they succeed in their intent?"Donovan's Brain" is an entertaining B-movie with a combination of sci-fi and horror and a story in the style of Frankenstein, with a mad doctor and the result of his experiment. The conclusion is corny and commercial and would be better and better if the brain survives in the end. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "O Cérebro Maligno" ("The Evil Brain")

A neat example of what you can do on a small budget. Dr. Cory starts out a regular, married scientist who just happens upon a body crushed in a car wreck but with the brain still functioning and normal. The brain is removed from the mangled body and kept alive in a fish tank. It isn't long before the brain starts sending telepathic messages to the good doctor. Soon he's doing the bidding of Donovan's living brain, like gaining access to the Donovan fortune and using it to intimidate just about anybody who stands in the late millionaire's path to gain control of most of the country's economic resources. Cory's change of manner is noted by his wife and best friend, and it isn't long before they are both targeted for removal.Lew Ayres is in top form as the good Dr. Cory evolves into misanthrope Donovan. Amusing if one realizes Ayres began his career playing the gentle, heroic Dr. Kildare. Creative casting! Along for the ride is Nancy Davis - - the future Mrs. Reagan - - and Gene Evans, as Cory's loyal but confused assistant. Steve Brodie plays a blackmailing reporter who gets just what he deserves.All in all, "Donovan's Brain" is well worth watching if you're in the mood for something different. It has been selected to premiere on TCM later this month.

Lew Ayres had a long and distinguished career in motion pictures from the 1930s until his death in 1996. It takes in plenty of territory, such as his lead in the original ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT to his alcoholic younger brother in HOLIDAY to his psychiatrist sleuth in THE DARK MIRROR to his doctor in JOHNNY BELINDA to his ignored Vice President in ADVISE AND CONSENT to his later television work on a Columbo episode and even in L.A. LAW (as a super-annuated but likable attorney). There was also some interesting (but acceptable) political controversy: he took his exposure to war's horrors in ALL QUIET quite seriously, and was a conscientious objector in World War II. But he actually still served in that war as an ambulance driver, so nobody accused him of shirking his duty or of cowardice. He never did achieve Oscar status, but then neither did his contemporaries Edward Arnold nor Greta Garbo.One of the few times Ayres played a less than likable person was in this marvelous little science fiction film from the 1950s. Actually Ayres is portraying two personalities: First he is playing a typically good character, Dr. Patrick Cory. Doc Cory is working with his wife/nurse Janice (Nancy Reagan - here Nancy Davis) and Dr. Frank Schratt (Gene Evans) on research into brain waves and keeping brain tissue alive. He's making great progress with monkeys and animal brains. But he realizes that he has yet to have any experience with human brain tissue. So he is fascinated when an accident occurs near his desert laboratory/home. A private plane crashes killing the people on board. One is Warren H. Donavan, a multi-millionaire of questionable attitudes and business ethics. Because of his work with the local police department, Ayres is called in to the wreck site as a coroner. He writes up the death reports, but he notices that Donavan's brain case is in a good physical state despite the crash. He waits until the police leave, and (with Schratt's questioning assistance) he cuts out Donavan's brain and puts it into one of his specially designed tanks to be kept alive and measured for brain waves.Gradually Ayres picks up his second role and personality. You see, he does not realize that Warren H. Donavan was a very forceful personality - indeed a very hateful one. Early on Ayres (as Dr. Cory) meets Donavan's son and daughter, neither of whom are totally sorry to see their tyrannical and evil father dead (he'd been threatening to disinherit both for not listening to his "advice" to them). This should have tipped him off. Gradually, as day follows day, Cory and Schratt see that the brain of Donavan is getting healthier under their care, and seems able to function in the apparatus. But Schratt and Janice Cory notice that the Doctor is not himself - he is rather sharp with them both, and he does not seem to notice he has acquired some negative characteristics of Donavan's. Actually, of course, the powerful brain of Donavan is slowly taking over the softer, gentler Cory's brain. So the second personality emerges, and for long stretches of this neat thriller Ayres is actually playing Warren Donavan, complete with Donavan's diet (he likes milk and steak three times a day), wardrobe (a specially designed pinstripe suit), and limp.Donavan was having problems with the Federal Government at the time of his death: he was against paying any income taxes. I don't mean he lied and paid a minimum by playing fast and loose with the rules - he loathes the idea of income taxes. He has bribed a Washington IRS man (Tom Powers) to find legal roadblocks regarding a full scale investigation into his wealth. Donavan has also hidden a huge proportion of it (about $600,000 in 1950 dollars) in bank accounts under assumed names around California. Using the imprisoned Cory as his body, he takes this money out and starts assaulting the stock markets. His goal: to basically take over the American economy. How to do this: by having Cory and Schratt build better equipment to keep that mighty brain of his alive as long as possible. He does not plan to be stopped.And he won't be. He is blackmailed by one clever reporter Herbie Yokum (Steve Brodie) who has half the story correct: Yokum saw (when taking photos of the autopsied bodies of the plane victims) that Dr. Cory had done something with the brain of Donavan, although he never reported it to the police. He does not realize, as he gloatingly shows the autopsy photos to an angry Cory, that he is not talking to Cory but to Donavan at that point (who is not pleased to see photos of his body cut up). So Donavan makes fast work of Yokum in a subsequent accident.Eventually the brain also demonstrates it's willingness to injure anyone - Dr. Cory himself, Schratt, and even Janice. It is just by a sheer piece of luck or divine intervention at the end that the brain is finally stopped.Science fiction films in the 1950s tended to confront the Cold War issues of American threatened by "alien" cultures or beings. But only in DONAVAN'S BRAIN was it the threat of uninhibited capitalism boosted by science that took central stage. A very thoughtful little film indeed.