Shock Corridor (1963)

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

Director:

Samuel Fuller

Writer:

Samuel Fuller

Stars:

Peter Breck, Constance Towers, Gene Evans

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 (as William Zuckert)
John Craig	...	Lloyd
Philip Ahn	...	Dr. Fong
Frank Gerstle	...	Lt. Kane
Rachel Romen	...	Singing Nympho

Storyline

Johnny Barrett, an ambitious journalist, is determined to win a Pulitzer Prize by solving a murder committed in a lunatic asylum and witnessed only by three inmates, from whom the police have been unable to extract the information. With the connivance of a psychiatrist, and the reluctant help of his girlfriend, he succeeds in having himself declared insane and sent to the asylum. There he slowly tracks down and interviews the witnesses - but things are stranger than they seem ...

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Plot Keywords:

psychiatrist | mental institution | undercover | mental patient | faked insanity | 

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Taglines:

"Shock Corridor" Opens the Door to Sights You've Never Seen Before!

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 1964 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Straightjacket

Filming Locations:

Kotoku-in, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allied Artists Pictures, F&F Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Color:

Black and White Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the initial scene in the psychiatrist's office, Dr. Fong has on his wall portraits of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.

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Goofs

During the climatic fight sequence between Johnny and Wilkes, Peter Breck's stunt double is visible in a few shots.

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Quotes

Cathy: He was sane enough to write that story. He's been sane for weeks. Don't you stand there and tell me there's nothing you can do for him. Why? Why does he look like that?
[Pan left to see Johnny sitting there motionless]
Cathy: Oh, god in heaven...

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Crazy Credits

The quote "Whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad". Euripides 425 B.C." appears at the beginning and end.

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Connections

Featured in The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller (2002)

User Reviews

And Now For Something REALLY Different

To describe SHOCK CORRIDOR as lurid would be an understatement: it plays like something torn from a supermarket tabloid. An ambitious reporter feigns madness and has himself committed to an insane asylum in order to investigate a recent and unsolved murder--and once inside he encounters everything from hateful attendants to a whole ward of crazed nymphos, and all the characters are presented in the most explotational tone possible.

But SHOCK CORRIDOR has a lot more going for it than just lurid exploitation. Director-writer Sam Fuller was renowned for his gutsy, no-frills, straight-to-the-point style, and in his hands SHOCK CORRIDOR becomes a vision of America as a society that places so much emphasis on conformity and success that people crack and go mad under the strain. And Fuller's cast is remarkable: even when the story goes ridiculously over the top, they perform with such sincerity, conviction, and realism that you can buy into the story in spite of its improbabilities.

SHOCK CORRIDOR will not be to every one's taste, but even those who dislike it will probably find themselves grudgingly fascinated by the film, and although the film transcends such labels fans of explotational and cult cinema will also find lots to enjoy. A classic of its kind. Recommended... but don't say I didn't warn you.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer