Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 41 — page 114: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FILM REVIEW DONOVAN’S BRAIN By H. J. CAMPBELL Forrest J. Ackerman, who is on first-name terms with Hollywood’s biggest stars, took me to the studios to see a special showing of this film while I was in Los Angeles as a guest of the Ackermans. With an unassumed air of familiarity, Forry wafted me past the guards, through a couple of barn-like sound stages and into the small, lush private theatre or projection room. There I met the producer of the film and several of the men who had put the picture together. We talked for a while and then out went the lights and the picture came on. The credit titles made it quite clear that the film was based on a story by Curt Siodmak, though when I met him at a party that night he told me he wished they hadn’t. He was not too pleased with what they had done to his story. I had to disagree, feeling that as a science fiction film (rather than simply as a film) they had made a pretty good job of the available material. My main com- plaint was that they should have chosen a story with a more modern and less hackneyed plot—though it was not hackneyed at the time of first publication, of course. For those who are not conversant with the story I will outline it. The main character is a doctor of science who is also a medical man and who is interested in what has now come to be called tissue culture methods. Up until nearly the opening of the picture he has had to be content with working on animal tissues. He is especially interested in the culture of nervous tissue in his private laboratory, tucked away between the moun- tains, where his dutiful wife, One-time nurse, aids him by taking notes and clearing up the mess he makes. Comes the day when a plane crashes nearby and seriously in- jures the passengers. One of these - is in too bad a state to be taken to hospital and is rushed to the doc’s home for an emergency operation. This is performed, but doesn’t do any good; the passenger dies. The doctor decides that here is a complete human brain, just dead. A great temptation and one to which he falls. The brain is removed from the man’s dead 113 comicldooks.conrn