Bedlam (1946 film)

Bedlam is a 1946 American horror film starring Boris Karloff and Anna Lee, and was the last in a series of stylish horror B films produced by Val Lewton for RKO Radio Pictures. The film was inspired by William Hogarth's 1732–1734 painting series A Rake's Progress, and Hogarth was given a writing credit.[1][2]

Bedlam
Theatrical release poster by William Rose
Directed byMark Robson
Written by
Produced byVal Lewton
Starring
CinematographyNicholas Musuraca
Edited byLyle Boyer
Music byRoy Webb
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • May 10, 1946 (1946-05-10)
Running time
79 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$350,000[1]

Plot

Set in 1761 in London, the film focuses on events at an asylum for the mentally ill, a fictionalized version of Bedlam (the Bethlem Royal Hospital). After an acquaintance of Lord Mortimer dies in an attempt to escape from the asylum, Master George Sims (a fictionalized version of an infamous head physician at Bethlem, John Monro), appeases Mortimer by having his "loonies" put on a show for him. Mortified by the treatment of the patients, Mortimer's protégée Nell Bowen seeks his aid, then seeks the help of Whig politician John Wilkes to reform the asylum, threatening Sim's corrupt practices.

Mortimer and Sims conspire to commit Nell to the asylum, where her initial fears of the fellow inmates do not alter her sympathetic commitment to improving their conditions as she tends to the comfort of her fellow inmates. Alarmed by Bowen's imminent release, following legal pressure from Wilkes, Sims plans to apply his most drastic "cure" to her, but his attempt is thwarted by the inmates whom Nell has helped. Sims is deposed, and Nell escapes and is reunited with her Quaker friend Hannay, who counselled her through the whole process.

Cast

Release

Theatrical release

The movie recorded a loss of $40,000.[3][4]

Home media

The film has been released on DVD by Warner Bros. as part of a double release with Isle Of The Dead[2] and as part of the Val Lewton Horror Collection, and features a commentary by film historian Tom Weaver.[5]

Reception

Later reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 18 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 6.4/10.[6] Film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film three out of a possible four stars, commending the film's atmosphere.[7]

See also

References
  1. Stephen Jacobs, Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster, Tomahawk Press 2011, pp 309-10
  2. Lineberger, Rob (2005-10-24). "Review: Isle Of The Dead/Bedlam". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on 2006-01-07. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931–1951', Historical Journal of Film Radio and Television, Vol 14, No 1, 1994, p. 46
  4. Richard B. Jewell, Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures, Uni of California, 2016
  5. Scapperotti, Dan (2008-01-08). "Out of the SHADOWS". Fangoria. Starlog Group. Archived from the original on 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. "Bedlam (1946)". Rotten Tomatoes.com. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  7. Leonard Maltin (2015). Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-14-751682-4.
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