They Saved Hitler's Brain (1963) (TV)

Director:

David Bradley

Writers:

Steve Bennett (writer)
Peter Miles (writer)

Release Date:

1963 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The most incredible plot to conquer the world!

Plot:

Nazi madmen preserve Hitler's brain on a small tropical island until the time is right to resurrect him and, along with him, the Third Reich.

Plot Keywords:

Hitler | Nazi | Scientist | 1960s | Death Of Title Character

Cast

Walter Stocker	...	Phil Day
Audrey Caire	...	Kathy Coleman 'K.C.' Day
Carlos Rivas	...	Camino Padua / Teo Padua
John Holland	...	Prof. John Coleman
Marshall Reed	...	Frank Dvorak
Scott Peters	...	David Garrick
Keith Dahle	...	Tom Sharon
Dani Lynn	...	Suzanne Coleman
Nestor Paiva	...	Police Chief Alaniz
Pedro Regas	...	Presidente Juan Padua
Bill Freed	...	Adolf Hitler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chuck Beston
Larry Burrell
Hap Holmwood
Dick McHale
Jerry Riggio
Tari Tabakin	...	Toni Gordon

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Paragon Films Inc.

Trivia:

"They Saved Hitler's Brain", despite bearing a 1963 copyright, was released years later. The 1963 film The Madmen of Mandoras (1963) was combined with new footage of "CID" agents Vic and Toni shot for the film and released to television as "They Saved Hitler's Brain". The Vic and Toni footage was clearly shot years later; the hairstyles and fashions did not become popular until the late 1960s.

Goofs:

Continuity: Numerous early scenes switch from day to night, especially during car chases.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Canned Film Festival: They Saved Hitler's Brain (#1.7)" (1986)

The brain was saved, the movie wasn't

I honestly started watching this movie with no idea of its plot (aside from that given by the title) and expected it to be some sort of cheap B movie from the fifties requiring me to suspend all reality of biology, physics, etc. as is necessary to watch so many sci-fi B movies of that era. I normally get a kick out with those movies because everyone knows they were made just for escapist fun . This one, sadly, wasted so much time on irrelevant subplots and secret agent chases added in the late sixties, that I fell asleep before getting to the original fifties movie.

The part of the film made in the fifties has some fun in it (if one can suspend all belief in science and accept the head itself) and has the really bad/silly plot, over acting, melodrama and effects that made B movies what we expect them to be. It rambles along to its 'climax' (with the head reacting to fire as no real human head ever could). The jarringly 'mod' sixties additional story (with the chase scene that can't seem to decide if it takes place during the day or in the middle of the night) added to the beginning almost is reminiscent of the silly cheesiness of The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes - except this was intended to be serious and thus seems a little pathetic.

Overall, the final film is just bad – and not in a good way. Unless you want a good cure for insomnia, avoid this one.