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:

A less than ordinary man is turned into a genius. He awakens to an exquisite love experience, but at an impossible price for CHARLY

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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

Cliff Robertson's Oscar winning performance in this film is his only Academy Award nomination.

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Goofs

When Charley is talking to Mrs. Kinnian outside the building for his night class he is wearing a gold vest. When the camera cuts back to him after Mrs. Kinnian enters her car, he is wearing a blue vest.

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Quotes

Charly Gordon: [Charly picks up a book and reads from it] "My name is Dick. I live in a house. I have a sister named Jane and a dog named Spot."
Charly Gordon: [He throws the book away] My name is Charly Gordon and I live in a room, and I got no sister and no dog, and I am stupid!

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Connections

Referenced in Rugrats: Faire Play/The Smell of Success (1997)

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!