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 |
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Bruce Kerr | ... | Beauty Contest M.C. |
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Audrey Devereau | ... | Jeannie Reynolds |
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Eddie Carmel | ... | Monster |
Edit
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:
It's madness, not science! See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
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 »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
(uncut) | (TCM print)Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1
Edit
Theme Music
by Abe Baker and Tony Restaino
Composed by Tony Restaino (uncredited)
Performed by Abe Baker (uncredited)
By Permission of Laurel Records
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The severed-head character of Jan is called "Jan in the Pan" by popular culture. See more »Goofs
In the initial surgery Cortner is very happy when he says the electric shock is enervating the brain, implying the brain is gaining strength when, in actuality, enervating means the opposite (i.e. sapping strength, weakening, causing to lose vigor) 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
Also released in shorter version that removes most of the violent footage. See more »Soundtracks
The WebTheme Music
by Abe Baker and Tony Restaino
Composed by Tony Restaino (uncredited)
Performed by Abe Baker (uncredited)
By Permission of Laurel Records
See more »
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The unethical surgeon Dr. Bill Cortner (Herb Evers) is developing a technique of transplantation of organs and members using a serum against rejection. When he has a car accident with his girlfriend Jan Compton (Virginia Leith), he saves her head only, and tries to find a woman with a beautiful body to transplant Jan's head against her will.
I found the low budget movie "The Brain That Wouldn't Die" very underrated in IMDb. The story is not so bad, and certainly inspired "Frankenhooker" and "The Man with Two Brains". The acting and the direction are very reasonable, and there are some mistakes of edition (for example, when Dr. Bill Cortner is having a conversation in the car with his friend on the sidewalk), but these errors just contribute to make the movie funnier. The make-up of the creature is great. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "O Cérebro Que Não Queria Morrer" ("The Brain That Did not Want to Die")