A millionaire businessman's brain is kept alive after a fatal accident, and communicates clues to a doctor on the trail of the killer.

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(screenplay) (as Robert Stewart), (screenplay) | 1 more credit »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anne Heywood ...
Anna Holt
...
Dr. Peter Corrie
...
Stevenson
...
Dr. Frank Shears
Jeremy Spenser ...
Martin Holt
Maxine Audley ...
Marion Fane
...
Ella
Siegfried Lowitz ...
Mr. Walters
Hans Nielsen ...
Immerman
...
Miles Malleson ...
Dr. Miller
George A. Cooper ...
Thomas Gabler
...
Stevenson's secretary
Irene Richmond ...
Mrs. Gabler
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Storyline

A millionaire businessman's brain is kept alive after a fatal accident, and communicates clues to a doctor on the trail of the killer. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

INSTRUment OF TERROR! (original U.S. release print ad - mostly caps) See more »

Genres:

Crime | Horror | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

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Language:

Release Date:

9 October 1962 (West Germany)  »

Also Known As:

A Dead Man Seeks His Murderer  »

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Sound Recording)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Thomas Gabler is said to be in his 60s, but was played by a actor in his 40s. See more »

Connections

Remake of The Lady and the Monster (1944) See more »

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User Reviews

 
Stodgy story of a disembodied brain seeking justice from beyond the grave
6 March 2015 | by (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews

A stodgy retelling of the classic sci-fi novel, DONOVAN'S BRAIN. Disembodied brains were all the rage when this film was made, with the likes of THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE and various Hammer Frankenstein movies playing with the possibility of life after death. However, this being a UK/West Germany co-production, the narrative actually has far more in common with the German krimi genre than a typical sci-fi movie.

The narrative sees a millionaire being blown up in a plane crash, and it soon transpires that there was a bomb on board. Novelty value comes from the millionaire's brain being used to hunt down the culprits responsible, and he does so by possessing the body of the man (Peter van Eyck) keeping him alive.

The sci-fi elements are kept to a minimum here, with the emphasis instead on the murder mystery genre. As with many krimi films, stark black and white photography is the order of the day, with the cast populated by criminals, detectives and femme fatales. Director Freddie Francis contributes atmosphere to the narrative but this is one of his lesser pieces.

The story just doesn't have much in the way of oomph or excitement to it, even though there are a handful of decent moments. There are a couple of familiar faces in the cast, including Miles Malleson and Bernard Lee, but no performances here to get excited about. Definitely a potboiler, this one, and not a decent one either.


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