User Reviews

I've been a fan of Boris Karloff movies ever since I was sixteen, when Channel 4 had a late night season on Friday nights, showing great films like The Man They Couldn't Hang and The Boogie Man Will Get You. I really wish we'd have a VCR, as these films don't appear to have seen the light of day since. I've only seen Bedlam for the first time recently, but it came with great credentials (Boris Karloff AND Val Lewton) so I was more than willing to give it a try.

Karloff was born to play Master George Sims, the man who ran Bedlam, London's solution for the mentally ill or those who needed to be put away for fear of embarrassment to their families. In all his performances he manages to combine a natural warmth and sincerity with a just a hint of sadism beneath the surface. Even when playing an all out evil bad guy, like in The Black Cat, he still manages to be charming and polite. In Bedlam he is completely convincing as he ingratiates himself with the upper classes whilst threatening both the inmates and Nell Bowen, the woman who tries to improve conditions and ends up in the Institute herself.

The atmosphere portrayed in the dank, murky chambers and corridors of Bedlam is suitably dark and oppressive, and as such it invokes pity towards those incarcerated there, rather than fear. This is also probably an extension of the pity and care that Nell herself shows towards them, despite Karloff's attempts to show her compassion as limited and hypocritical.

My only real complaint about the film is the drawn out scenes between Nell and her Quaker friend who constantly reminds her of the need for non-violence and love for all around her, even Karloff himself. After a while you just want her to punch him in the face! It becomes more of a romance or even melodrama, which serves to a certain extent to undermine the more sinister elements of the film. There are also several comedic scenes with Nell's benefactor Lord Mortimer which feel slightly forced into the film, as though RKO wanted this to be lighter in tone than was usual for Lewton's horror films. Despite these minor gripes, Bedlam is still worth viewing for anyone who is a fan of Karloff, or the horror films of the 1940s. The final scenes alone, where the inmates get their revenge on the cowardly Sims, make this a film that deserves its status as a classic.

Unlike most horror films of 1940's, this movie, written by producer Val Lewton and director Mark Robson, does not show escapist monster rally - like atmospheric and well-made films from Universal - but something truly disturbing: human's cruelty to other humans. It is 18th century England and Bedlam, real-life institution for mentally ill, is hell on Earth (a bit like concentration camp in North Korea, minus human experiments). Quick-tempered actress (Anna Lee) opposes mercilessly sadistic warden (Boris Karloff) and depraved treatment of mentally ill, and she is soon endangered herself. Nice costumes, sets and props and (unfortunately) timeless and powerful message for need of human treatment for people with mental health problems, even if they are violent.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. For example, this movie was based on William Hogarth's 1732-1734 painting series A Rake's Progress.

Written by producer Val Lewton and director Mark Robson, who would go on to make Peyton Place, Valley of the Dolls and Earthquake. It would be Lewton's last movie for RKO.

Boris Karloff plays Master George Sims, who runs a fictionalized version of Bedlam, or as it is more formally known, the Bethlem Royal Hospital. Referring to his patients as looneys, he makes them perform for him. He's based on John Monro, who was in charge of the real Bedlam and actually charged the public admission to see his patients' bizarre behavior.

Shocked by the treatment of the patients, Nell Bowen (Anna Lee, "The British Bombshell" who would become the matriarch of soap operas General Hospital and Port Charles) tries to reform Sims' asylum, only to end up jailed there and menaced by the very patients she was trying to save.

The film closes with this legend: "Reforms were begun in 1773 - a new hospital was erected shortly afterward - and since that time Bedlam - once a by-word for terror and mistreatment-has led the way to enlightened and sensible treatment of the mentally ill."

I remember seeing "Bedlam" on television in the late 1950s. One scene in particular stayed with me – a man walking down a dark corridor in the asylum with inmates hands reaching out for him from their cells – the stuff that nightmares are made of.

Has "Bedlam" travelled well over the years? That depends on your expectations. In the intervening 67 years since it was made, we have seen all kinds of horror movies. After 1968, when the ratings system was introduced, much of the last four decades were with the gloves off – just about anything could be shown. As a horror movie, "Bedlam" can't compete with all that, but it is a film full of ideas, features a subject almost unique to cinema, and still manages to deliver a chill or two.

The film is set in London in 1761. Nell Bowen, played by Anna Lee, is a woman associated with Lord Mortimer, an administrator of St Mary of Bethlehem Hospital, more commonly known as Bedlam.

Nell becomes upset when Mortimer allows Boris Karloff's character, Master George Simms, the Apothecary General of Bedlam, to use the inmates of the asylum as amusements for paying customers. Nell has a conscience and befriends a Quaker stonemason named Hannay played by Richard Fraser. Together they attempt to better conditions for the inmates. However Nell insults Lord Mortimer in the process; she finds herself certified as insane and committed to Bedlam. Hannay attempts to save her.

Many of the leads in Val Lewton films have been described as expressionless, a nicer way of saying wooden. It was often the supporting players in Lewton's films who received the juiciest parts and gave the most animated performances. However, in "Bedlam", Anna Lee gives a spirited and engaging performance – possibly the best in any Lewton film. I say this because of the shades of light and dark the performance called for. By contrast, many Lewton heroines seemed to be in a state of clinical depression from the beginning to the end of their roles – often with good reason. Boris Karloff as Simms is also particularly good, projecting malevolence in an understated performance. Only Richard Fraser as Hannay is more true to form.

Lewton's team uncovered an obscure piece of history to create this story, complete with authentic sounding dialogue – no hint of modern vernacular creeps in to jar the ear. "Bedlam" also has scenes crammed with detail, capturing the feeling of "The Rake's Progress", the Hogarth paintings that inspired Lewton to make the movie.

Once the film enters the asylum, it gains considerable edge. There is great contrast between life on the inside with tattered inmates barely visible in the shadows of the cavernous asylum, and life on the outside with ornately dressed people inhabiting brightly lit rooms. Nell encounters the different layers of society within the asylum – based not surprisingly on mental competence. At first she is afraid, but then she does her best to ease the suffering of the inmates. Eventually this saves her from the excesses of Simms when the inmates rise up to protect her.

Even after 67 years, "Bedlam" still offers something different … a little known slice of history, a good story, compelling performances, and that corridor of reaching hands.

***SPOILERS*** In a role literally tailor-made for him, Boris Karloff offers up a smiling, bowing sadist who would bend his betters to his will- if only there were a way... He moves confidently through the lightless confines of the asylum he oversees, making merry with the "tortured souls" he encounters. He is very much at home, here in the dark. Would that one of the nobles with whom he rubs shoulders could spend some time here... An opportunity presents itself, and the trap is laid. No longer will he walk these "hollowed" halls alone...

The Lewton unit delivers another creepy classic, this one- in terms of the storyline itself as well as the patented approach to filmmaking- relying first and foremost on SUGGESTION. Each of these so-called "B" ("budget") pictures admirably stands the test of time; would that today's bloated-budget bombs could say as much. With limited resources and unlimited imagination, Val Lewton and company crafted gem after unforgettable gem. Finer filmmakers are almost impossible to find.

I might be wrong, but I definitely think Bedlam falls into the category of films that really wouldn't be allowed today. In a similar manner to Tod Browning's Freaks, it focuses on people with disabilities. The only noticeable difference is how the ones shown in this movie are mentally deranged, as opposed to Freaks' characters who suffer from physical ailments. Being another Val Lewton film starring Boris Karloff, I had high hopes for this movie after watching Isle of the Dead, which also featured Karloff in the role of the protagonist. Here, it's basically the opposite. In Isle of the Dead, Karloff played a paranoid military officer who is determined to find evil spirits on a remote island, and so (at least some of) the audience sympathized with him. For Bedlam, Boris plays a reckless, despicable human being whose cruelty really stretches the definition of the term "human". The movie takes place in mid 18th century england, and an insane asylum in london is Karloff's place of employment. A nobleman named Lord Mortimer (Billy House) becomes aware one day that a friend of his, who was held in the asylum, has escaped and subsequently died. George Sims (Karloff) the owner of the asylum tries to make Mortimer feel better by having his "lunatics" do performances in his presence. A girl who serves under Mortimer, Nell (Anna Lee) is appalled at the way Sims treats his patients, which leads to her attempting to implement better living conditions for them with the help of John (Leyland Hodgson). Meanwhile, Sims isn't pleased that someone is trying to alter the way he runs his asylum from right under his nose, as it poses a direct threat to his wicked authority. Even though Mortimer knows Nell personally, he plots with Sims behind her back to have her thrown into the mental hospital herself. This eventually succeeds, and she is found mentally incompetent during a trial. Undaunted, she still tries to improve conditions in the asylum. This is something that is made especially risky by the fact that she's dealing with a large amount of inmates who aren't really in control of their minds anymore. Later on, Nell is due to be released from the asylum due to John threatening to sue Sims, which leads to Sims threatening Nell with a "cure" that will make her just as mindless as the other inmates (but the film doesn't actually say what it is). In the film's climax, the inmates remember all the hard work Nell did for them and swarm Sims when he threatens Nell. Nell escapes the asylum and meets up with John, who is convinced that Sims needs to be saved before the inmates kill him, in spite of all the horrible things he's done. While Sims in on trial, he is stabbed by one of the inmates with a garden trowel that was stolen from Nell earlier, and his "corpse" is placed in a walled area which is then bricked up. It's then revealed that Sims was still alive after being trapped, and Nell is united with John. This is quite a good movie. Like other Val Lewton films, the budget was small, but a lack of money is no obstacle to having a good atmosphere. There aren't many things more disturbing than a mental hospital, and the scenery and behavior of the inmates does a lot to show that. If you've never seen a Boris Karloff movie, this is a great place to begin since it really shows his acting abilities. He's a thoroughly horrible person all through the movie, and I think seeing what happens to him at the end is going to be extremely satisfying for people. Overall, Bedlam is another film that I had to review right away after watching it because hardly anyone online knows of it. Pity.

With sad irony, Bedlam, one of the Val Lewton-produced B-movie quickies, was not successful at the box office yet was probably the best constructed of his films. Along with The Body Snatchers, I think it stands up as a compelling story with solid dialogue and better acting than we've come to expect from Lewton's films.

Boris Karloff, in a performance of skill and complexity, plays Master George Sims, the ruler of St. Mary's of Bethlehem Asylum in London...a forbidding hulk of a stone building. Bedlam, for short. The time is 1761. Bedlam is the place where the insane are sent, as well as inconvenient or embarrassing relatives. The violent ones are kept in chains and in cages. The quieter ones are housed in a huge ward, male and female all together, the floor covered with filthy straw, where the inmates mutter or cry or ceaselessly walk or stare at the walls. But they all cower when Master Sims comes in.

Nell Bowen (Anna Lee), is the smart, privileged and arrogant protégé of a fat English lord. When she meets Sims her dislike is instant. But Sims counts her patron as one of his sponsors. While many of the upper-class willingly pay a shilling to visit Bedlam and laugh at "the antics of the loonies," Nell finds herself repulsed and outraged. When she sets out to improve conditions, she finds herself blocked by the clever Sims. In a major miscalculation, she aims her furious temper at her protector, Lord Mortimer, leaves him and sets out to make him a laughing stock. Before long, she finds herself an inmate in Bedlam, too. Can she survive in Bedlam by showing kindness? Can she win over the inmates before a confrontation with Sims becomes inevitable? Will she ever be released? Will she find love in the arms of a Quaker she met...and if she does, can she curb her tongue with him? Will Sims ever be brought to justice? All rather mundane questions, but director Mark Robson and the Lewton production team, plus a larger than usual budget, set most of these questions in a fine and repellent reconstruction of an 18th Century insane asylum.

As unsettling and threatening as the movie looks, Bedlam is in no way a horror film. Bedlam is a well-balanced character study pitting the obsequious, envious and dangerous George Sims against the resourceful and unintimidated Nell Bowen. Karloff and Lee are more than up to the task. Anna Lee gives us a Nell Bowen who is remarkably quick with her temper and with her tongue. Her description of Sims is pungent. "If you ask me, my lord, he's a stench in the nostrils, a sewer of ugliness and a gutter brimming with slough." Boris Karloff gives us a fascinating portrait of a man who fawns over his superiors and abuses his inmates. It's a masterful job. Watch the difference in how he walks into Lord Mortimer's bedroom after being kept waiting for hours and how he strides into his own empire, Bedlam. Watch how he compulsively touches his pig-tailed wig to make sure it's on straight whenever he meets Lord Mortimer. Watch the difference in his stare when Nell Bowen is seen as just Lord Mortimer's plaything and when she's seen as a threat to him. There are several times when Karloff's face registers anger, resentment and satisfaction in just moments and with just a slight movement of his lips. And unlike many of Lewton's films, in Bedlam there are a number of capable actors in smaller parts.

With two strong actors, it's good to see that they were given a well-written script to work with. When Sims is accused of abetting the death of an embarrassing "guest" at Bedlam, a sane young man who could cause problems for Sims' sponsor, he simply smiles and says that the man's fall from the roof was "a misadventure, contrived by the victim and executed by nature's law that all who lose their grip on gutters must fall."

Was the treatment of the insane in Bedlam just an historical fact which we have corrected in our modern age? If you are naive enough to believe that you might want to read up on Titticut Follies, a Frederick Wiseman documentary he filmed in 1967. It shows the routine mistreatment and humiliation of the mentally ill by the guards and doctors at the State Hospital for the Criminally Insane at Bridgewater, Mass. Or you might sign up for a sociology class in college that could take you to visit a state hospital for the insane. I can recall my own visit years ago to a ward for men which was filled with patients wearing only untied hospital gowns. The men shuffled about or came up to stare and try to touch or simply rocked back and forth. The ward smelled strongly of human waste.