Brainstorm

Watch: Brainstorm

5/5/19651h 45m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The Most Fiendish Idea Ever Conceived By The Human Brain! ~

Overview:

Scientist Jim Grayam saves his boss' wife from suicide but then falls in love with her.

Director:

William Conrad

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

suicide attempt
driven insane

Cast

Jeffrey Hunter

~ as ~

Jim Grayam

Anne Francis

~ as ~

Lorrie Benson

Dana Andrews

~ as ~

Cort Benson

Viveca Lindfors

~ as ~

Dr. Elizabeth Larstadt

Stacy Harris

~ as ~

Josh Reynolds

Kathie Browne

~ as ~

Angie DeWitt

Phillip Pine

~ as ~

Dr. Ames

Michael Pate

~ as ~

Dr. Mills

Robert McQueeney

~ as ~

Sgt. Dawes

Strother Martin

~ as ~

Mr. Clyde

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 2 year(s) ago
7
This is probably the most complex role I ever saw Jeff (no - rey) Hunter ever undertake, and he's actually not at all bad. He is "Grayam", a man who comes to the aid of the slightly inebriated wife of his boss. "Lorrie" (Anne Francis) is considerably more grateful than her husband "Benson" (Dana Andrews) and it soon becomes clear that she has the hots for him and he, however reluctantly at first, is beginning to reciprocate. Pretty swiftly they are having an affair and rather curiously her husband seems to know all about it and care not a jot. He knows his wife will never leave her wealthy and confortable life - he plays a manipulative game and he plays it well. To thwart this, the two come up with a plan to eliminate "Benson" in plain sight and to cleverly orchestrate the scenario so as to allow his use of a plea of insanity. He sows the seeds well, gradually convincing all around him that he's not the full shilling before... What he didn't really reckon on though was the fickleness of "Lorrie" and the adeptness of the court-appointed psychiatrist "Larstadt" (Viveca Lindfors) who plays well here as the doctor who clearly knows how to play this game of intellectual cat and mouse every bit as well as her quarry. It's perhaps a little too long - too much time is spent on the establishment scenes, but Hunter, Francis and Lindfors are effective here as William Conrad gradually builds this into a sophisticated psychological drama that twists and turns nicely before a denouement that I found to be suitably pathetic. It's rarely seen these days, and may be a bit tame by 21st century standards, but it is a strong and characterful story that is well delivered and well worth a watch.