Brainstorm *** (1965, Jeffrey Hunter, Dana Andrews, Anne Francis, Viveca Lindfors) – Classic Movie Review 10,351

Lust and the eternal triangle are played out rather well in William Conrad’s 1965 neo-noir dark thriller film Brainstorm, starring Jeffrey Hunter.

Producer-director William Conrad’s 1965 neo-noir dark thriller film Brainstorm stars Jeffrey Hunter as a handsome stranger, scientist Jim Grayam, who stops suicidal Lorrie Benson (Anne Francis) from going to an early grave, and then falls for her.

But her bad, wealthy hubby Cort Benson (Dana Andrews) finds out and torments him with his history of having brainstorms.

So Hunter retaliates by plotting to bump off Andrews, intending to confess to the murder and then get off on an insanity plea.

Lust and the eternal triangle are played out rather well in this goodish, creepy, decently performed suspense thriller along the lines of The Postman Always Rings Twice, but with useful variations in plot and psychology, plus the hints of mental instability, insanity and madness. The three stars are all good, particularly Hunter, and so is Viveca Lindfors, who plays the psychiatrist Dr Elizabeth Larstadt.

Brainstorm boasts quality black and white cinematography by Sam Leavitt and quality score by George Duning, too.

Character actors Strother Martin, John Mitchum and Richard Kiel are among the sanitarium’s patients.

Also in the cast are Stacy Harris, Kathie Browne, Michael Pate, Phillip Pine, Robert McQueeney, Joan Swift, George Pelling, Victoria Paige Meyerink, and Stephen Roberts.

Victor Rodman makes his last screen appearance in the uncredited role of a prison inmate.

Jeffrey Hunter is best remembered for The Searchers.

Brainstorm is directed by William Conrad, runs 105 minutes, is made by William Conrad Productions and Kodima, is released by Warner Bros (1965) (US) and Warner-Pathé Distributors (1965) (UK), is written by Mann Rubin, based on a story by Lawrence B Marcus [Larry Marcus], is shot in black and white and Panavision widescreen by Sam Leavitt, is produced by William Conrad, is scored by George Duning.

It was released on May 5, 1965 (US).

It stars Jeffrey Hunter as Jim Grayam, Anne Francis as Lorrie Benson, Dana Andrews as Cort Benson, Viveca Lindfors as Dr Elizabeth Larstadt and Kathie Browne as Angie DeWitt.

When it hit TV in the Seventies, the Panavision widescreen film was shown pan and scan.

It is shot at Warner Brothers Burbank Studios, 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, and on various California locations.

By chance, both Andrews (Night of the Demon) and Francis (Forbidden Planet) are mentioned in the lyrics of The Rocky Horror Picture Show song ‘Science Fiction’.

It is one of three suspense thrillers directed by Conrad for Warner Bros in 1965, the others being Two on a Guillotine and My Blood Runs Cold.

The star is credited as Jeff Hunter.

Conrad became famous as an actor in TV’s Cannon.

Conrad also directed Hunter in the pilot episode of the TV series Temple Houston for Warner Bros Television. The hour-long Western series ran for only one season on NBC from 1963 to 1964. Hunter and Francis had acted together in Dreamboat (1952), and in an episode of Temple Houston, while Hunter and Lindfors had acted together in King of Kings (1961). Andrews and Hunter had appeared in The Frogman together in 1951, while Andrews and Francis had worked together in The Crowded Sky and The Satan Bug.

The title Brainstorm was reused for the 1983 Natalie Wood thriller.

Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman ‘Hank’ McKinnies Jr; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) is best remembered for The Searchers and King of Kings, as well as for his 1965 role as Captain Christopher Pike in the original pilot episode of Star Trek and the later use of that footage in the episode The Menagerie.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,351

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com