Experiment Perilous
Experiment Perilous | |
---|---|
Warren Duff | |
Based on | Experiment Perilous 1943 novel by Margaret Carpenter |
Produced by | Warren Duff |
Starring | Hedy Lamarr George Brent Paul Lukas Albert Dekker Carl Esmond |
Cinematography | Tony Gaudio |
Edited by | Ralph Dawson |
Music by | Roy Webb |
Distributed by | RKO Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Experiment Perilous is a 1944 American
Plot
The story takes place in 1903. During a train trip, psychiatrist Dr. Huntington Bailey (George Brent) meets a friendly older lady (Olive Blakeney), when she turns to him for reassurance during a torrential downpour. She tells him that she is going to visit her brother Nick and his lovely young wife Allida, both of whom she effectively raised. Once in New York, Bailey hears that his train companion suddenly died while visiting her brother for tea. Shortly afterwards, he meets the strange couple and becomes suspicious of Nick's treatment of his wife. Nick (Paul Lukas) keeps Allida (Hedy Lamarr), whom he is trying to pass off as crazy, a virtual prisoner in their town house (a New York brownstone in the film), cutting off all contact with the outside world. The kindly Bailey takes it upon himself to attempt to free his new love, Allida, from the control of the insanely jealous Nick.
A frenzied gun battle and fist fight in their home, featuring the destruction of several large aquariums, replete with shattered glass, gushing water and floundering fish, may be the most memorable (and most often imitated) scene in the film. The house burns to the ground because of Nick's actions (killing him), but Allida, her son, and Bailey end up living happily in the country.
Cast
- Hedy Lamarr as Allida Bederaux
- George Brent as Dr. Huntington Bailey
- Paul Lukas as Nick Bederaux
- Albert Dekker as Clag, sculptor
- Carl Esmond as Maitland, painter
- Olive Blakeney as Cissie Bederaux
- George N. Neise as Alec Gregory, writer
- Margaret Wycherly as Maggie
- Stephanie Bachelor as Elaine
- Mary Servoss as Miss Wilson
- Julia Dean as Deria
- Sam McDaniel as Train Porter
- William Post Jr. as District Attorney
- Bill Ward as young Alec Bederaux (Nick & Allida's son)
Production notes
The production dates for the film were July 12 through early October 1944.
According to pre-production news items in The Hollywood Reporter, this film originally was to be produced by David Hempstead and star
To create the snow storm sequence, the studio used 100 tons of ice and six wind machines.
Radio adaptations
Experiment Perilous was presented on Screen Guild Players on October 12, 1946. Brent reprised his screen role, and Joan Bennett and Adolphe Menjou co-starred.[3] George Brent reprised his role in a Lux Radio Theatre broadcast on September 10, 1945, co-starring Virginia Bruce.
Modern culture
Released in the same year as the more famous
See also
References
- ^ "Experiment Perilous: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ "NY Times: Experiment Perilous". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
External links
- Experiment Perilous at IMDb
- Experiment Perilous at AllMovie
- Experiment Perilous at the TCM Movie Database
- Experiment Perilous at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Experiment Perilous film trailer on YouTube