The Mind Benders
U.S. theatrical poster
Directed by	Basil Dearden
Written by	James Kennaway
Based on	The Mindbenders 1963 novel by James Kennaway
Produced by	Michael Relph
Starring	Dirk Bogarde Mary Ure John Clements Michael Bryant
Cinematography	Denys N. Coop
Edited by	John D. Guthridge
Music by	Georges Auric
Production company	Novus (Michael Relph Productions)
Distributed by	Anglo-Amalgamated (UK) AIP (USA)
Release dates	21 February 1963 (London) 1 May 1963 (United States)
Running time	109 min
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Mind Benders is a 1963 British thriller film produced by Michael Relph, directed by Basil Dearden and starring Dirk Bogarde, Mary Ure, John Clements, Michael Bryant and Wendy Craig.^[1] Screenwriter James Kennaway turned his screenplay into his 1963 novel of the same name.

American International Pictures released the film in the US as a double feature with Operation Bikini.

Synopsis

Professor Sharpey (Harold Goldblatt), working in a university research laboratory, is suspected of passing secrets to the Soviet Union, and commits suicide. British intelligence believe that this was due to shame over his betrayal of his country. His former colleague, Doctor Longman (Dirk Bogarde), believes that the sensory deprivation experiments that Sharpey was conducting on himself may have rendered him susceptible to brainwashing. He volunteers to undergo the same tests in order to prove his theory. The British Intelligence officer and a colleague decide to test the theory by trying to brainwash him against his much loved wife.^[2]

Cast

• Dirk Bogarde as Doctor Henry Longman
• Mary Ure as Oonagh Longman
• John Clements as Major Hall
• Michael Bryant as Doctor Tate
• Wendy Craig as Annabella
• Harold Goldblatt as Professor Sharpey
• Geoffrey Keen as Calder
• Terry Palmer as Norman
• Norman Bird as Aubrey
• Terence Alexander as Rowing Coach (uncredited)
• Grace Arnold as Train Passenger (uncredited)
• Timothy Beaton as Paul Longman (uncredited)
• Elizabeth Counsell as Girl Student on Station (uncredited)
• Roger Delgado as Doctor Jean Bonvoulois (uncredited)
• Terence Edmond as 1st Student at Party (uncredited)
• Edward Fox as Stewart (uncredited)
• Robin Hawdon as Student in Oxford (uncredited)
• Georgina Moon as Persephone Longman (uncredited)
• Edward Palmer as Porter (uncredited)
• Philip Ray as Father (uncredited)
• Pauline Winter as Mother (uncredited)

Screenplay

• James Kennaway, published in 1963 as a novel with the title The Mindbenders (Reprinted, Valancourt Books, 2014)

Critical reception

• TV Guide called it "a strange movie that leaves a deeper impression than one might expect due to the originality of the plot and the tense direction. It is the direct predecessor of Altered States."^[3]
• Movie Magazine International wrote, "as directed by the great Basil Dearden, it plays in an eerily realistic way and what you see lingers in the mind long afterwards."^[4]
• Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings called it, "a compelling and memorable movie."^[5]