Story of movie Bedlam Film : Bedlam (1946) is a 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 A Rake's Progress, and Hogarth was given a writing credit.
| Bedlam | |
|---|---|
theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Mark Robson |
| Produced by | Val Lewton |
| Written by | William Hogarth (A Rake's Progress) Val Lewton Mark Robson |
| Starring | Boris Karloff Anna Lee Billy House |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
| Cinematography | Nicholas Musuraca |
| Edited by | Lyle Boyer |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 79 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $350,000 |
Screenplay
Set in 1761 in London, the film focuses on events at St. Mary's of Bethlehem Asylum, a fictionalized version of Bethlem Royal Hospital, also known as "Bedlam." After an acquaintance of aristocrat Lord Mortimer dies in an attempt to escape from the asylum, apothecary general Master George Sims (played by Karloff, 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 protégé Nell Bowen (Lee) first tries unsuccessfully to persuade Mortimer to help, 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 sway her sympathetic commitment to improving their conditions and she tends to the comfort of her fellow inmates. Alarmed by Bowen's imminent release following legal pressure by Wilkes, Sims plans to apply his most drastic "cure" to her but his attempt is thwarted by the inmates that Nell helped. Ultimately, Sims is deposed and Nell escapes and is reunited with her Quaker friend who had counselled her through the whole process.
- Boris Karloff as Master George Sims
- Anna Lee as Nell Bowen
- Billy House as Lord Mortimer
- Richard Fraser as Hannay
- Glen Vernon as The Gilded Boy
- Ian Wolfe as Sidney Long
- Jason Robards Sr. as Oliver Todd
- Leyland Hodgson as John Wilkes
- Joan Newton as Dorothea the Dove
- Elizabeth Russell as Mistress Sims
- Frankie Dee as Pompie
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Theatrical release
The movie recorded a loss of $40,000.
Home media
The film has been released on DVD by Warner Bros. as part of a double release with Isle Of The Dead and as part of the Val Lewton Horror Collection, and features a commentary by film historian Tom Weaver.
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Initial 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. Film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film three out of a possible four stars, commending the film's atmosphere.
- Boris Karloff filmography
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