The Atomic Brain 1964 | Monstrosity 1964 | Classic Sci Fi Movie | Classic Thriller Movies

The Atomic Brain is a 1963 science fiction/horror film produced by Jack Pollexfen and Dean Dillman Jr. and directed by Joseph V. Mascelli. It is perhaps better known under its TV release title, Monstrosity. The film stars Marjorie Eaton, Frank Gerstle, Erika Peters, and Xerxes the cat. It tells the story of a wealthy elderly woman who wants to have her brain transplanted into the head of a young woman, so that instead of being old, ugly, and rich, she can be young, beautiful, and rich. Things do not go according to plan, however. Co-producer and co-writer Dean Dillman jr. was the older brother of actor Bradford Dillman who narrated the film.
Plot:
In an atomic-powered laboratory beneath the mansion of the elderly, unpleasant, and very rich Mrs. Hettie March (Eaton), Dr. Otto Frank (Gerstle) is experimenting with brain transplantation. Things are not going very well, though, as all Dr. Frank has succeeded in creating so far is Hans, a snarling man-beast with a dog's brain, and the "Walking Corpse" - a pretty young woman (Margie Fisco) who wanders about the lab with a brain-dead glassy-eyed stare. Dr. Frank's goal is to carry out the wishes of Mrs. March and transplant her brain into the head of a beautiful younger woman.
To that end, Mrs. March advertises for domestic help and hires Nina Rhodes (Peters) from Austria, Bea Mullins (Judy Bamber) from England, and Anita Gonzales (Lisa Lang) from Mexico. Mrs. March plans to pick out the best-looking of the three and use her as a body donor so that she will become one of the richest and most beautiful young women in the world. She rejects Anita because the birthmark on her back makes her imperfect and chooses the curvaceous blonde Bea instead.
Anita is turned over to Dr. Frank for experimentation, and he transplants the brain of Xerxes the cat into her head. Anita immediately takes on the aspects of cat behavior: purring, hissing, eating mice, etc. Neither Nina nor Bea know what has happened to Anita, and when Bea comes across her, she scratches out one of Bea's eyes. Nina finds Anita on the roof of the mansion and attempts to get her down, but Anita loses her footing and falls to her death.
Because of Bea's injury, Nina becomes by default the choice for Mrs. March's new body. However, Dr. Frank takes pity on Nina and instead transplants Mrs. March's brain into Xerxes. Now a cat, Mrs. March is quite unhappy about this unexpected development, and after scratching Dr. Frank's hand in anger, locks him inside his atomic-powered experimental chamber when he enters it. Xerxes/Mrs. March then starts the chamber, which quickly reduces Dr. Frank to a skeleton, and also begins the chain reaction in the atomic pile below the lab that will cause it to explode, destroying all evidence of the lab and burning the mansion to the ground.
A half-blind Bea stumbles into the lab to rescue Nina. But as the lab starts coming apart, Bea is killed when a piece of machinery falls on her. Nina flees into the night, unaware that following silently behind her is Xerxes/Mrs. March, waiting for a chance to someday, somehow claim Nina's body as her own.
Source – Wikipedia
#ClassicSciFi #VintageconnoisseurPresents #ClassicHorrorThriller
Please Like and Subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBWs8bvBOk36ccEODelS
Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageConnoisseur