Searching for "The Lady and the Monster"
Some time towards the end of World War II my (normally
sensible) mother took me to a movie about a brain which a
scientist kept in a jar. The music which played when the brain
was speaking was even more terrifying than that in the shower
scene in Psycho. I wanted to escape, but couldn't. I swore I
would never be as insensitive to my kids as my mother was to me,
but damned if I didn't do the same with my daughter with "An
American Werewolf in London".
For years I asked people if they knew the title of this movie.
The answer always was, "Donovan's Brain". I looked up "Donovan's
Brain" on IMDb and found that the date was completely wrong.
On Friday, June 20, Turner Classic Movies showed "Donovan's
Brain". I watched. Robert Preston explained that the first
movie made from the book "Donovan's Brain" was "The Lady and the
Monster" and that it appeared in 1944. Bingo. I can now try to
find the movie and exorcise this particular memory. Does anyone
know if the movie has ever been available on tape?
BTW, I bought AWIL a few years ago on DVD and watched it with
my daughter. We were both disappointed. I am sure I will have
the same reaction when I finally again see TLATM. I am left
almost hoping that I fail to find it.