The Mind Benders (1963)

A dedicated British scientist tests the possibility of brainwashing. If the experiment succeeds, he will stop loving his wife.

Director:

Basil Dearden

Writer:

James Kennaway (original screenplay)

Stars:

Dirk Bogarde, Mary Ure, John Clements

Cast

Cast overview:
Dirk Bogarde	...	Dr. Henry Laidlaw Longman
Mary Ure	...	Oonagh Longman
John Clements	...	Major Hall
Michael Bryant	...	Dr. Danny Tate
Wendy Craig	...	Annabella
Harold Goldblatt	...	Professor Sharpey
Geoffrey Keen	...	Calder
Terry Palmer	...	Norman
Norman Bird	...	Aubrey

Storyline

A British scientist is discovered to have been passing information to the Communists, then kills himself. Another scientist decides that they might have brainwashed him by a sensory deprivation technique, but he doesn't know if someone really can be convinced to act against their strongest feelings. So he agrees to be the subject in an experiment in which others will try to make him stop loving his wife.

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Plot Keywords:

experiment | sensory deprivation | brainwashing | spy | psychology

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Taglines:

PERVERTED... SOULESS! The Most Dangerous And Different Motion Picture Ever Brought To The Screen!

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1964 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

El extraño caso del doctor Longman

Filming Locations:

Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Michael Relph Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Edward Fox's first film.

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Quotes

Annabella: And I have every limb and organ that a girl should have, except one. I no longer have a shoulder to weep on. A Polish gentleman wore it away with his tears.

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Crazy Credits

This story was suggested by experiments on "THE REDUCTION OF SENSATION" recently carried out by certain Universities in the United States. The producers whilst making this acknowledgment wish to state, however the the events & characters portrayed are fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Connections

Edited into Out of this World Super Shock Show (2007)

User Reviews

Bland Bender

Good acting, photography, and ideas are not used to their full advantage by the script, particularly when it fell apart in the last few minutes. The opening of the film was quite intriguing. This film may have introduced the idea (familiar today) of an isolation tank. The hero spends some time in the tank and the experience changes him. The basic story line is the same as Altered States, but without the fantasy dimension. The supporting characters in Mind Benders are generally quite bland too. The transfer of the B&W source is quite good. The photography is technically quite good, but flat. Much more could have been done with the photography to enhance the drama. If you are thinking of renting this movie, you would probably find Altered States a better choice.