Charly (1968)

An intellectually disabled man undergoes an experiment that gives him the intelligence of a genius.

Director:

Ralph Nelson

Writers:

Daniel Keyes (novel), Stirling Silliphant (screenplay)

Stars:

Cliff Robertson, Claire Bloom, Lilia Skala

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Cliff Robertson	...	Charly Gordon
Claire Bloom	...	Alice Kinnian
Lilia Skala	...	Dr. Anna Strauss
Leon Janney	...	Dr. Richard Nemur
Ruth White	...	Mrs. Apple
Dick Van Patten	...	Bert (as Richard Van Patten)
Edward McNally	...	Gimpy (as Skipper McNally)
Barney Martin	...	Hank
William Dwyer	...	Joey
Dan Morgan	...	Paddy

Storyline

Charly is an adult male with a cognitive disability struggling to survive in the modern world. His frequent attempts at learning, reading, and writing prove difficult. His teacher, Miss Kinian, takes Charly to the clinic where he is observed by doctors who have Charly "race" a mouse, Algernon. Algernon is usually the winner thanks to an experiment that greatly raised his intelligence. This experiment is given to Charly, who at first does not seem affected. However, he becomes more logically advanced, eventually becoming a pure genius. Emotional and intra-personal consequences are involved when Charly learns the truth of the experiment, and struggles with whether or not the procedure was a good idea.

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Plot Keywords:

experiment | mouse | mental retardation | enhanced intelligence | genius | 

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Taglines:

The Poignant Incredible Story of A Man Whose Two Worlds Collide!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

M

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Two Worlds of Charly Gordon

Filming Locations:

Boston City Hospital - 818 Harrison Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

ABC Pictures, Robertson and Associates, Selmur Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The renowned screenwriter William Goldman made his first attempt at a screenplay by adapting the novel for Cliff Robertson, who eventually fired him and replaced him with the more experienced Stirling Silliphant.

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Goofs

In the lounge scene where Charly assists the mentally challenged busboy, Charly's hair switches back and forth from dry to slicked back.

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Quotes

Charly Gordon: Marry me, pretty girl, marry me.
Alice Kinnian: We will marry at... quarter past Wednesday on the 74th of November, and our anniversary will happily be... on those days where we both remember.

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Connections

Featured in The 70th Annual Academy Awards (1998)

User Reviews

You will never ever forget this movie

I saw this movie on TV when I was a child and while I don't remember every single plot detail, overall it made a lasting impression on me. So much so that I have been determined all these years to try and see this movie again.

I stumbled across the movie on TV and I clearly remember the highly emotional impact it made on me.

Thanks to IMDb I was able to keep searching for the title as I could best remember it and was thrilled when I discovered it here.

A truly stunning memorable movie - I only wish I could get it on DVD. Highly recommended.

When I think of all the dross I have watched over the years that is so forgettable, it is wonderful to return and discover a movie that captivate me so long ago and discover that I am not alone in rating it 10 out of 10!