Shock Corridor (1963)

Director:

Samuel Fuller

Writer:

Samuel Fuller (written by)

Release Date:

11 September 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

The Medical Jungle Doctors Don't Talk About!

Plot:

Bent on winning a Pulitzer Prize, a journalist commits himself to a mental institution to solve a strange and unclear murder.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Psychiatrist | Police | Witness | African American

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins

Cast

Peter Breck	...	Johnny Barrett
Constance Towers	...	Cathy
Gene Evans	...	Boden
James Best	...	Stuart
Hari Rhodes	...	Trent
Larry Tucker	...	Pagliacci
Paul Dubov	...	Dr. J.L. Menkin
Chuck Roberson	...	Wilkes
Neyle Morrow	...	Psycho
John Matthews	...	Dr. L.G. Cristo
Bill Zuckert	...	'Swanee' Swanson
John Craig	...	Lloyd
Philip Ahn	...	Dr. Fong
Frank Gerstle	...	Lt. Kane
Rachel Romen	...	Singing nympho
Barbara Perry
Marlene Manners
Linda Randolph	...	Dance teacher in therapy class
Lucille Curtis
Jeanette Dana
Marie Devereux	...	Nympho
Karen Conrad
Allison Daniell
Chuck Hicks	...	Tough attendant
Wally Campo
Ray Baxter
Linda Barrett
Harry Fleer

Directed by
Samuel Fuller

Writing credits
Samuel Fuller		(written by)

Produced by
Samuel Fuller	....	producer
Sam Firks	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Leon Fromkess	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Paul Dunlap

Cinematography by
Stanley Cortez
Samuel Fuller		(dream sequence) (uncredited)

Film Editing by
Jerome Thoms

Art Direction by
Eugène Lourié		(as Eugene Lourie)

Set Decoration by
Charles S. Thompson		(as Charles Thompson)

Costume Design by
Einar Bourman		(as Einar H. Bourman)

Makeup Department
Dan Greenway	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Rudolph C. Flothow	....	production manager (as Rudolph Flothow)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Floyd Joyer	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Philip Mitchell	....	recording supervisor (as Phil Mitchell)
Josef von Stroheim	....	sound effects editor
Gordon Zahler	....	sound effects supervisor

Special Effects by
Charles Duncan	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Linwood G. Dunn	....	special optical effects (as Lynn Dunn)

Music Department
Jack Lowry	....	music editor
Gordon Zahler	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Mary Chaffee	....	script supervisor (as Mary Chaffe)
Jon Gregory	....	choreographer
Herbert G. Luft	....	assistant: Leon Fromkess

Production Companies

• Leon Fromkess-Sam Firks Productions (as F & F Productions)

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• Parafrance Films (1963) (France) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Amanda Films
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Divisa Home Video (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• Home Vision Cinema (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Metrodome Distribution (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• Punto Zero (2007) (Italy) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Ray Mercer & Company  titles (as Ray Mercer)
• Ryder Sound Services  sound recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:16 (1964) | UK:(Banned) (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating) (1990) | USA:Approved (certificate #20495) | Germany:12 | Sweden:(Banned) (1964) | Portugal:(Banned) | USA:Not Rated | Australia:M

Company:

Leon Fromkess-Sam Firks Productions

Trivia:

According to Samuel Fuller, the film was shot in 10 days, on one set, with no exteriors.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the fight scene in the kitchen, a bent table leg is abruptly straight and the pots and pans on the stove in the background change.

Quotes:

Psycho:Don't strike me! I'm pregnant! I've been carrying my baby for FIVE months now!

Movie Connections:

Edited into Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 10 (2007) (V)

Cuckoo's Nest: Class of 63'- by Samuel Fuller

Shock Corridor is like and not like other movies about the patients of a 'cuckoo's nest'. There's nothing the audience is going to necessarily learn about mental illness or about why the murder journalist Johnny Barrett (Peter Breck) is investigating is so crucial for him to commit himself into an asylum (or "mental home" as one orderly puts it). That's not exactly what Samuel Fuller- well-known B-film writer/director is out for. What he does come away with is an exploitation film that finds itself as being, well, remarkable. Somehow, the material finds itself as inspired for practically all the way.

As Barrett learns who the patients are, such as Larry Tucker playing Pagliacci (the big guy with a song sometimes in his head and mouth), James Best as Stuart (an ex-soldier who thinks he fought in the confederacy), and Hari Rhodes playing Trent (a black guy who takes himself seriously enough to, oddly, get heard out by the rest of the inmates at times). This, plus the cold orderlies and doctors, the nymphs, and just about all the others in the place, begin to wear Barrett's mental capacity down as he gets closer and closer.

For the players involved here, it's a character actors' feast- for a B-film every performance comes off as being believable, so much so that each performance has a level that's startling, immediate, and immensely theatrical. If one was to just watch the theatrical trailer without seeing the film one might come away with a different impression about how it turns out. Fuller's script is loaded with moments, grand and minute, of satire and the bizarre, and it fits. His direction as well creates an atmosphere that changes as much as some of the patient's mind-sets: scenes go from being rather funny (drop-dead a couple of times) to chilling and ridiculous to observant, not to mention surreal (i.e. the scenes in color, plus some of Barnett's inner monologue) and musical.

Though the film does have minor liabilities, to be expected, such as a less than great ending (expectable for the genre), and some flaws in the editing. But that shouldn't deter viewers who may want to get into the career of Samuel Fuller and aren't too sure where to start. Overall, Shock Corridor is a high quality, value exploitation flick that leaves a heavy impact on repeat viewings. A+