Bedlam
William Hogarth, (1697-1764), was an extremely influential English artist noted for his paintings and etchings, particularly those with a satirical edge. One of his most popular series was “A Rake’s Progress,” (1732-1734). Producer Val Lewton, (1904-1951), was so inspired by these paintings that he used them as a basis for one of his horror films for RKO. He even gave Hogarth screen credit for his contribution to the screenplay! This motion picture would be set in “St. Mary Bethlehem Hospital,” which is the world’s oldest mental institution and is still in operation today. Unfortunately during Hogarth’s day the hospital was infamous for the abuse and exploitation of its patients, even charging admission to view the “loonies” on display!
This week’s movie was “Bedlam” from RKO in 1946, directed by Mark Robson, (1913-1978), who co-wrote the screenplay with Val Lewton. The movie is set in 1761. Boris Karloff stars as “Master George Sims,” the apothecary of St. Mary Bethlehem, (called “Bedlam” for short). The wealthy “Lord Mortimer,” (Billy House), takes an interest in the facility when an acquaintance dies during an escape attempt. Mortimer’s protege “Nell Bowen,” (Anna Lee), pays a visit and is horrified by the conditions in the asylum. While there she encounters a Quaker masonry contractor named “Hannay,” (Richard Fraser), who is touched by her empathetic response and takes a liking to the woman. Sims tries to curry favor with Mortimer by holding a dinner in which he has his patients perform. One inmate, (Glen Vernon), is covered with gold paint and acts as the embodiment of “reason” until he dies of skin suffocation. Nell tries to convince Mortimer to support reforms in the hospital, but Sims talks him out of it by making him aware of the costs in taxes that he would have to pay. Sims and Mortimer decide to stop Nell’s reform campaign by having her committed! Once inside the hospital Nell is subject to Sims’ petty tortures. But the other inmates take Sims captive and put him on trial…
This is a very atmospheric thriller with an excellent cast and an intelligent script. Lewton and Robson use Hogarth’s artwork as an inspiration for the film’s visual style, and use examples of his artwork to punctuate the film’s changing scenes. Anna Lee and Boris Karloff are excellent, but Billy House steals the show as the powerful but flighty Lord Mortimer.
Unfortunately the critics and audiences of the day were not prepared for a film like “Bedlam” and it lost money for RKO. This brought Val Lewton’s relationship with the studio to an end. He worked on a few other projects, but nothing particularly successful. Val Lewton died after a couple of heart attacks in 1951. He was only 46 years old.
His influence continued on after his untimely death. Two of his directors went on to create Lewton-style horror movies. Jacques Tourneur directed “Night of the Demon” in England in 1957, (known in the United States as “Curse of the Demon “). In 1963 Robert Wise directed “The Haunting.” Both men acknowledged their debt and respect for the producer who first trusted them with the director’s chair.
Ian Fleming also made use of the plot device of killing a character with skin suffocation by painting them gold. This occurred in his 1959 James Bond novel “Goldfinger,” and in the 1964 motion picture adaptation of the same name. In reality this probably would not kill anyone, but it works well enough in both “Bedlam” and “Goldfinger.”
When Anna Lee visits Bedlam she is wearing the green curtain dress from the 1939 movie “Gone With The Wind.”
Stanley Kubrick was also inspired by the artwork of William Hogarth for the visual style of his 1975 movie “Barry Lyndon.”