Bedlam

Val Lewton had some good movies that transcended the B-movie genre. “Cat People,” “I walked with a Zombie” and “The Body Snatcher” come to mind — even “Curse of the Cat People” is worth a watch. Unfortunately “Bedlam” just doesn’t cut it. Boris Karloff is the highlight of this film employing his creepy craft work as the keeper of Bedlam, an asylum for the insane. However, Karloff’s efforts are not enough to keep this slow moving barge interesting. It stalls midstream and I nearly stopped watching, but it did pick up speed and interest at the end.
Optional commentary on the DVD does make it appear that the film production code censor shot holes through the original script, draining the life from an interesting concept. The real horror of this movie is that creativity in the marketplace often gets crushed by the heavy-handed hacks who wield a pen like an axe. (79 min.)

Unrated - 1946

Director:
Mark Robson

Starring:
Boris Karloff
Anna Lee
Billy House
Richard Fraser
Glen Vernon
Ian Wolfe
Jason Robards Sr.
Leyland Hodgson
Joan Newton
Elizabeth Russell

Writers:
Val Lewton as Carlos Keith (screenplay)
Mark Robson