​Transitional horror/sci-fi new to Blu-ray

A pair of above-average horror/sci-fi films from the fifties debuted on Blu-ray this spring, both dealing with obsessed brain surgeons, each with elements of “Frankenstein.”

Their titles and promotional material make them seem like typical drive-in filler but both are a large step above their more lurid competition. Unlike most horror/sci-fi from that decade, neither giant monsters nor invaders from another planet are to be found in either film.

One of them is a modern-day (1950s) psychological thriller with hints of film noir and the other a classic-style 19th-century gothic thriller. At under 90 minutes each, they make a good double-feature.

Coincidentally the first film also co-stars Nancy Davis (Reagan), who recently passed away at age 94. Her big-screen career lasted barely a decade and she would appear in only two more films after this, but she continued acting on television until 1962 and of course achieved far greater fame as First Lady of California and later of the United States.

“Donovan’s Brain” (1953) is just one of several screen adaptations of its source novel, but the only one retaining the same title. Lew Ayres, best known for “All Quiet on the Western Front” and MGM’s “Dr. Kildare,” leads the cast as Dr. Patrick Cory, a brilliant scientist experimenting at his rural home with keeping the brains of animals alive, with the assistance of his wife (Nancy Davis) and a surgeon at the local hospital (Gene Evans) who happens to be an alcoholic.

When a private plane crashes nearby, emergency workers bring a critically injured survivor to see if they can help him, a millionaire businessman named Donovan, but he dies on the operating table. Cory discovers there are still alpha waves registering from the dead man’s brain and naturally wants to remove it for experimentation, ignoring the protests of his wife and assistant.

Not only does Cory succeed in keeping Donovan’s brain alive in a tank, but it starts to control Cory telepathically so Donovan can continue his disreputable business career based on shady deals and blackmail. Meanwhile, a reporter guesses what Cory has done and tries to blackmail him. Needless to say, things get more and more out of hand, with Donovan controlling Cory’s brain more and more effectively.

Ayres does a great job in what amounts to a dual role as the idealistic scientist and the ruthless (and murderous) business tycoon. The rest of the cast gives strong support, and production values look better than what the budget might imply, turning what could easily have become a cheesy B-movie into an effective noirish suspense thriller with philosophical overtones.

Kino’s HD transfer is extremely sharp with periodic dust on the negative. Audio is good for 1950s optical sound. Bonus features include an introduction by Joe Dante, an audio commentary packed with information on the production, actors, and genre, a trailer to “Donovan’s Brain,” plus trailers to “The Black Sleep” and “The Magnetic Monster,” all in standard-definition.

DONOVAN’S BRAIN on Blu-ray – Movie: B+ / Video: A / Audio: A- / Extras: B-

“A horror-horde of monster mutants walks the earth!” screams the tagline at the top of the movie poster for “The Black Sleep” (1956), with “the terror-drug that wakes the dead!” just below the title.

This low-budget independent horror film is substantially better than its exploitive advertising art makes it look, thanks to its all-star cast of veteran character actors, effective if modest production values, dramatic revisions of the original script (explained in the audio commentary), and slick direction by Reginald Le Borg.

Noted surgeon Sir Joel Cadmund rescues Gordon Ramsey, a young doctor, from execution and takes him back to his remote estate to become his assistant in his medical experiments. He’s been operating on live human subjects to learn how the brain works so he can cure his wife from a cancerous coma.

Ramsey, of course, is appalled. Meanwhile the police have become suspicious of Cadmund’s gypsy confederate, who has been obtaining subjects for his experiments. Things soon build to a climax with a revolt of Cadmund’s patients before the inevitable conclusion.

The result comes off as a sort of transitional genre film suggesting the classic Universal horror pictures of the 1930s to mid-40s, and anticipating the gothic horror revival by Hammer and American International in the late 1950s through the 60s.

Basil Rathbone is convincingly serious and ominous as the mad doctor, a man whose goal justifies any means, yet still having a touch of sympathy due to his lost love’s condition. Lesser-known but solid character actor Herbert Rudley makes a good, if not especially charismatic hero, and Akim Tamiroff as Rathbone’s gleefully mercenary associate, always excels at such slyly villainous roles with a dose of dark humor.

Horror icon Lon Chaney’s talents are largely wasted as a violent former patient. Patricia Blake (later known as Blair) makes an attractive love interest who also is a critical part of the plot’s complex character relationships. John Carradine has even less to do than Chaney. Bela Lugosi, quite frail but dignified in his final regular film role, plays the mute butler and appears extremely frustrated that he has no lines. Massive Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson provides the film’s menacing muscle as another former patient.

Kino’s Blu-ray has very sharp and film-like picture quality. Audio quality is good. Bonus features include an amazingly thorough and detailed audio commentary, an introduction by Joe Dante, a two-minute HD image gallery of production stills and advertising art for the film, and the same three trailers as the “Donovan’s Brain” disc.

THE BLACK SLEEP on Blu-ray – Movie: B / Video: A / Audio: A- / Extras: B-