A pretty bland thriller with a plot that could have been played out and wrapped up much more quickly via a TWILIGHT ZONE episode. When a wealthy old lady is murdered by her demented gardener, one of her greedy heirs hires actor Stuart Whitman to infiltrate a mental hospital, befriend the gardener and find the whereabouts of a some buried loot. Also on the prowl for the fortune is power mad psychiatrist Lauren Bacall. Directed, poorly, by Denis Sanders and featuring a cast made up of what one would think is camp heaven...in addition to Bacall and Whitman, there's Carol Lynley, Timothy Carey and Roddy McDowell as the gardener. They barely register, though Carey's cameo gives the film a brief lift. Ultimately, it's all silly and very slow moving. Any irony introduced is diminished by multiple endings. Jerry Goldsmith's score is pretty impressive and was clearly expanded upon later on with PLANET OF THE APES.
Review of Shock Treatment
