"Donovan's Brain " is an episode of the CBS television anthology series Studio One consisting of an hour-long adaptation of Curt Siodmak's 1942 science fiction novel of the same name. The episode was first broadcast February 28, 1955. Produced by Felix Jackson and directed by William H. Brown Jr.,"CHSJ Television and Radio: Just Mary on TV; Lawrence Tributes; Thrilling Suspense". Telegraph-Journal. March 12, 1955. p. 6.King, Joe D. (March 14, 1955). "He's High Up on TV ... Portlander Director of Studio One Dramas; Bill Brown Started as Playwright While Student at Bowdoin; Portland Man Directs Star; Directed 'Long Goodbye'". Evening Express. p. 23. the episode starred Wendell Corey, E. G. Marshall, and June Dayton.

Cast Credits derived from February 26, 1955 issue of TV Guide's Chicago Edition."Monday, February 28". TV Guide-Chicago. February 26, 1955. p. A-26. Dr. Cory – Wendell Corey Dr. Shratt - E. G. Marshall Janice - June Dayton Yocum – Don Hanmer Fuller – Lawrence Fletcher Hinds – John Reese Sara – Patsy Bruder Bank Manager – Charles Penman Nurse – Stanja Lowe

Premise A doctor living with his wife in the Arizona desert experiments with keeping newly expired monkeys' brains alive. When a nearby plane crash results in the doctor performing this procedure on a mortally injured millionaire, unforeseen and sinister complications ensue.Vernon, Terry (February 28, 1955). "TV Tele-Vues". Long Beach Independent. p. 19."TV Tops: You Think Medic Is Chilling?". The Republic. February 28, 1955. p. 12.

Production Unbeknownst to the then 69-year-old American composer Wallingford Riegger, passages from his Symphony No. 3—as recorded the previous year for Columbia Records by Howard Hanson, conducting the Eastman-Rochester OrchestraFried, Alexander (January 16, 1955). "Shining, Simple Tunes for Children". San Francisco Examiner. p. ML-18.—comprised the episode's uncredited score.Widoe, Russ (August 20, 1955). "Composers' Popularity Growing". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 11. "Oliver Daniel, who was in an executive capacity for CBS for many years, was in a good position to observe the influence of the other revolution caused by television. [...] He pointed up a musical fact that had escaped me when he asked me if I had seen a particularly dramatic feature play called 'Donovan's Brain' which had appeared on CBS Television. When I said "Yes" he then told me that I had heard Wallingford Riegger's 'Third Symphony.'"

Critical reception The Toronto Star's Gordon Sinclair praised the episode for commanding viewer interest despite its patently outlandish premise, an achievement he credits primarily to the performances of Wendell Corey, E. G. Marshall, and—as "an oily type of blackmailer in Peter Lorre makeup"—Don Hanmer, and to producer Felix Jackson for giving the show "a tense action, a meatily packed production from the camera angle, and a constancy of movement that kept us wondering."Sinclair, Gordon (March 2, 1955). "Radio and Television". The Toronto Star. p. 26.

16 days after the broadcast, Evening Express TV editor Joe D. King, in his extended profile of the episode's director, William H. Brown Jr., dubbed the Studio One presentation "one of the best suspense plays we have yet seen on TV."

Reporting for the International News Service, Jack O'Brian called the episode "an expert chiller," but one whose "TV impact" would likely be lessened by the fact that the old Von Stroheim-Vera Hruba version had been "dunking in the channels for TV generations,"O'Brian, Jack (INS). "Radio and TV Comment". The Buffalo News. March 1, 1955. p. 22. a point echoed by Kansas City Star TV editor R. J. Hoyland.Hoyland, R. J. (March 6, 1955). "On the Television Scene". The Kansas City Star. p. D1. "'Donovan's Brain' still is [a] good thriller as Studio One demonstrated, but the grisly plot should be put away for a while."

Cincinnati Enquirer TV editor James Devane cited the episode as a prime example of the growing tendency of TV anthology dramas to minimize or dispense altogether with opening intros in the interests of grabbing the attention of viewers who might otherwise be tempted to change stations in search of more familiar fare.Devane, James (March 2, 1955). "Look and Listen: TV Men Worry Over Openings; Viewers Attracted by Clever Starts". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 16.

See also The Lady and the Monster, 1944 theatrical film based on the same novel Donovan's Brain, 1953 theatrical film based on the same novel The Brain, 1962 theatrical film based on the same novel

References

External links

Wallingford Riegger: Symphony No.3 Op.42 (1948) at YouTube