Bedlam

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Bedlam

Released May 10, 1946

1h 19m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

After getting a glimpse of the conditions at the St. Mary's of Bethlehem Asylum, known as "Bedlam," Nell Bowen (Anna Lee) is concerned that the patients are being mistreated. When she seeks to better the situation, the head of St. Mary's, George Sims (Boris Karloff), uses his political savvy to have Nell committed. Being within St. Mary's does not deter Nell, however, and she starts to turn the patients against Sims in a bid to violently oust him from power.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Nicholas Musaraca's excellent cinematography contributes a number of fine effects, and there's a strange and witty aside on the invention of movies.

Nov 14, 2007

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

While the film has a tendency to wander into unadulterated Hollywoodisms in spots, it is a generally straight-forward and imaginative estimate of a two-century-old sociological theme.

Mar 25, 2006

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Tony Rayns

Time Out

Robson's notably unpoetic direction doesn't help, either; yet few Hollywood films ever had such ambition.

Jan 26, 2006

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Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

Attempts to balance horror with social conscience in a way that doesn't always work, but Lee and Karloff make for excellent foils, and it's thrilling to watch the two of them go toe to toe in a kind of proto-One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Rated: 2.5/4

Nov 29, 2021

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Another top-flight performance from Karloff.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 29, 2021

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...Mark Robson's film finally rolls over to reveal a modern heart in the right place...

Rated: 4/5

Feb 20, 2021

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Madoka A

Fantastic. Spooky. Funny. Great product! Really good!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/23/25

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deke p

KARLOFF as warden of insane asylum, evil but not a monster. An interesting and unuaual plot. The pro reviewers' rating far more justified than the modern audiences' low ratings. Karloff's fate is similar to Poe's Cask of Amontillado. Glad I saw it, for the first time 10.16.2021 on 13.3 THE MOVIE CHANNEL.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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dave s

Bedlam is a decent enough movie, but if you go into it expecting a horror film you are going to be bitterly disappointed. It's certainly understandable why one would expect some scares. Start with the poster…it looks a bit spooky. It stars Boris Karloff, the king of the horror film. It takes place in an asylum. It's promoted as a horror movie. But don't be fooled. It's the story of a woman concerned about the plight of the patients in a mental hospital and who is ultimately committed to the facility under false pretexts by the head of the hospital. Karloff, as usual, is creepy as all get out, the cinematography is great, and the lighting gives the film an eerie vibe throughout, but it is ultimately the story of the gap between the wealthy and the poor, as well as a comment on how mental illness was treated during a period when it wasn't understood.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

A stylish and atmospheric Gothic horror film from producer Val Lewton starring Boris Karloff. It is an interesting story well told. I quite enjoyed it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

Some good ideas, but ultimately it doesn't work.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Audience Member

Not a great movie by any means, but the dialogue is really great for something like this, and the characters are unique. And there's something undeniably chilling about everything, just in how people treat other people. Worth seeing for sure.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Mark Robson

Director

Boris Karloff

Master George Sims

Anna Lee

Nell Bowen

Billy House

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Synopsis

After getting a glimpse of the conditions at the St. Mary's of Bethlehem Asylum, known as "Bedlam," Nell Bowen (Anna Lee) is concerned that the patients are being mistreated. When she seeks to better the situation, the head of St. Mary's, George Sims (Boris Karloff), uses his political savvy to have Nell committed. Being within St. Mary's does not deter Nell, however, and she starts to turn the patients against Sims in a bid to violently oust him from power.

Director: Mark Robson
Producer: Val Lewton
Screenwriter: Val Lewton, Mark Robson
Distributor: Image Entertainment Inc., RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co: RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 1946, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 19m

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