| Bedlam | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Mark Robson |
| Produced by | Val Lewton |
| Written by | William Hogarth (original) Val Lewton Mark Robson |
| Starring | Boris Karloff Anna Lee Billy House |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
| Cinematography | Nicholas Musuraca |
| Editing by | Lyle Boyer |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1946 |
| Running time | 79 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Bedlam is a 1946 film starring Boris Karloff and Anna Lee. Bedlam is part of a series of B films produced by the team of Val Lewton and star Boris Karloff for RKO Studios.
Plot summary
Set in 1761 London, England the film focuses on events at St. Mary's of Bethlehem Asylum, a fictionalized version of Bethlem Royal Hospital. After an acquaintance of aristocrat Lord Mortimer dies in an attempt to escape from the asylum, apothecary general Mr. Sims (played by Karloff, a fictionalized version of an infamous head physician at Bethlem, John Monro) appeases Mortimer by having his "loonies" put on a show for him. Mortified by the treatment of the patients, Mortimer's protege Nell Bowen (Lee) seeks the help of Whig politician John Wilks to reform the asylum. Mortimer and Sims conspire to committ Nell to the asylum, where her initial fears of the fellow inmates do not sway her sympathetic commitment to improving their conditions. Frustrated by Nell's progress with the inmates, Sims threatens her with his strongest "cure" but his attempt is thwarted by the very inmates that Nell helped. Ultimately, Sims is deposed and Nell is rescued by her Quaker friend that had counseled her through the whole process.
External links
- Bedlam at the Internet Movie Database
