Shock Corridor (1963)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

One of my all time favorites.

Just perfect...

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Bent on winning a Pulitzer Prize, a journalist commits himself to a mental institution to solve a strange and unclear murder.I knew nothing of this film going in, and really had little idea of who Sam Fuller was. I saw "Pickup on South Street", but that by no means prepared me for this masterpiece. Anyone who wants to see life in the early 1960s, this is the film to see, because it tells it real and it tells it raw.The plot and characters have all the hallmarks of exploitation, and yet this was a mainstream film. Maybe it had no big actors and maybe it won few awards, but it should have. This film is a treasure, and one of the all-time greatest American movies ever made for its story alone.

Shock Corridor is a film that Samuel Fuller made with limited sets and a tight budget. But out of these limitations Fuller made a truly great film. Yeah it's cheesy in some parts and some of the acting is pretty bad but it's a film that really get's under your skin. Johnny Barrett (Peter Breck) is a reporter for the paper who has himself committed to a mental hospital to solve a murder. I think this would actually be illegal but so on. Whilst there, Barrett befriends three main patients. Stuart (James Best) an ex soldier who underwent North Korean brainwashing, defected and returned and now believes himself to be General JEB Stuart of the American Civil War. Trent (Hari Rhodes) is an African American college student who was one of the first African Americans to integrate a Southern University, but was broken by racism and now believes himself to be a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Boden (Gene Evans) was a brilliant scientist who was driven insane by the knowledge of nuclear weapons and now has the mental capacity of a six year old. Martin Scorsese said that Stuart, Trent, and Boden represent the insanities of war, racism, and nuclear weapons respectively and I think that that's what Fuller's intentions were. Scorsese also pointed out that Fuller was showcasing in these characters that the United States had become like an insane asylum. I recommend Shock Corridor though I must point out. It is not for the faint hearted.

Hoping to win a "Pulitzer Prize" for his efforts, ambitious reporter Peter Breck (as John "Johnny" Barrett) goes undercover as an inmate in an "insane asylum." His attractive blonde girlfriend Constance Towers (as Cathy) agrees to pose as Mr. Breck's sister. Their story involves Breck making violent incestuous advances, deep-rooted in a fetish for Ms. Towers' braids. Breck's mission is to meet and interview three lunatics who witnessed a murder in the asylum, but have been unable to reveal the killer's identity. First up is stressed-out Korean War veteran James Best (as Stuart), who thinks he's a Confederate general in the Civil War. Next, Breck befriends Black riot leader Hari Rhodes (as Trent), who organizes Ku Klux Klan raids in the corridor. Last clues are provided by nuclear bomb genius Gene Evans (as Boden), who would rather be coloring with his crayons. It soon becomes apparent that Breck may have to risk his own sanity to solve the crime...This insane story was written, produced and directed by Sam Fuller. While the depiction of sanitarium and staff may be slightly off kilter, it hardly matters. The characters are a reflection of the "diverse" United States, with characters representing past, present and future. Women are portrayed with singular purpose, but are ultimately worth as much as anyone on screen. Other memorable characters include smooth-talking psychiatrist Philip Ahn (as Fong) and overweight opera singer Larry Tucker (as Pagliacci). Color stock footage looks like color stock footage, unfortunately, and a certain stripper would have made a better impression visiting Breck's bed later in the running time. Yet, the smallish budget gives it an edge, and highlights an imaginary thunderstorm. Small flaws do not detract from the "Shock Corridor" viewing experience as Mr. Fuller plays with your mind. He shows where American journalism is going – if it isn't already there.******** Shock Corridor (9/11/63) Samuel Fuller ~ Peter Breck, Constance Towers, James Best, Hari Rhodes

I find the subject of insane asylums and mental hospitals fascinating. During the 1960s, my mother was hospitalized many times for severe anxiety. At one time she was in a state hospital and received weeks of shock therapy. With that said, here is my opinion of the film. Fuller worked on an extremely small budget and under pressure not to go over the budget. I believe the movie worked, because it was obvious he spent much of his time working with his actors, ensuring their characters were as real as possible. The intensity of the film gave way to an energetic tension. The acting was marvelous, except for one actress: Constance Towers: her acting was embarrassingly melodramatic. The scene where she sang and performed was too long. The extra time could have been used in the hospital scenes. I found the characters believable, but not much of the situation. Some of the patients were calm, others very excitable, and others prone to violence. The film did show patients receiving medication, but not enough to keep them calm. Where were the attendants when needed. Would they really allow the patients to interact without supervision?? Why no intercom system? And the nymphos allowed to attack a man severely? Why weren't they being watched? Do nymphos really act that way? I doubt it!Suffice to say, it is definitely worth watching