A doctor experimenting with transplant techniques keeps his girlfriend's head alive when she is decapitated in a car crash, then goes hunting for a new body.
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Title: The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Jason Evers | ... | Dr. Bill Cortner (as Herb Evers) | |
| Virginia Leith | ... | Jan Compton / Jan in the Pan | |
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Anthony La Penna | ... | Kurt (as Leslie Daniel) |
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Adele Lamont | ... | Doris Powell |
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Bonnie Sharie | ... | Blonde Stripper |
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Paula Morris | ... | Brunet Stripper |
| Marilyn Hanold | ... | Peggy Howard (as Marlyn Hanold) | |
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Bruce Brighton | ... | Dr. Cortner |
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Arny Freeman | ... | Photographer |
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Fred Martin | ... | Medical Assistant |
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Lola Mason | ... | Donna Williams |
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Doris Brent | ... | Nurse |
| Bruce Kerr | ... | Beauty Contest M.C. | |
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Audrey Devereau | ... | Jeannie Reynolds |
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Eddie Carmel | ... | Monster |
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Dr. Bill Cortner has been performing experimental surgery on human guinea pigs without authorization and against the advice of his father, also a surgeon. When Bill's fiancée Jan Compton is decapitated in an automobile accident, he manages to keep her brain alive. He now needs to find a new body for his bride-to-be and settles on Doris Powell, a glamor model with a facial disfigurement. Jan meanwhile doesn't want to continue her body-less existence and calls upon the creature hidden in the basement, one of Bill Cortner's unsuccessful experiments, to break loose. Written by garykmcd
Taglines:
Alive... without a body... fed by an unspeakable horror from hell! See more »Parents Guide:
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The film was rejected for UK cinema in 1961 when submitted as "The Head That Wouldn't Die" and finally received a DVD certificate in 2006. See more »Goofs
Kurt is upstairs in the living room and there is a fairly decent breeze blowing the curtains. However, the windows are shut as seen in earlier and again in later shots. See more »Quotes
Dr. Bill Cortner: There's more to surgery than just being a carpenter to patch up walls or a plumber to drain pipes. Our body's capable of adjusting in ways we've never dreamt of. If we could only find the key!See more »
Crazy Credits
Even before the opening credits, the voice of Jan can be heard saying, "Let me die. Let me die!" See more »Alternate Versions
An alternate shot of the men taking photographs of the model has the model completely topless. This was available for use in foreign release versions. See more »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
10 August 1962 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Black Door See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$62,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
This is wonderful over-the-top entertainment for fans of sleaze cinema. Some people apparently don't like this film because everyone in it is evil. Thankfully, that is true. There's nothing more boring than all those nice, bland heroes and heroines. Yecchh!! Our cast here is totally over-the-top "bad". Leslie Daniels in particular as the doctor's Igor-like sidekick puts on his best (or should I say worst?) Richard III impression, complete with withered hand and drawn out Shakespearean rant. A classic ham! And there's cheesecake for everyone with busty babes bursting out from every corner (as long as the doctor has to find a new body to crown his girlfriend's head on... well, who wouldn't pick the creme de la creme?). There's even a fabulous (meee-owww!) cat fight between two strippers that probably levitated a lot of audiences back in 1960. And ... RE-ANIMATOR fans will love the similarities of the angst-ridden head in the tray trying to seize a little power. So, how can anyone say this film is bad in a bad way? You want "good", go watch DONOVAN's BRAIN, a very competent but forgettable little film made several years earlier. This film is a like a mad, campy Halloween party. Leave your attitude behind, and try to enjoy it!