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      The Brotherhood of the Bell

      1970 1 hr. 40 min. Mystery & Thriller List
      Reviews 44% Fewer than 50 Ratings Audience Score College professor Andrew Patterson (Glenn Ford) partakes in an initiation ceremony for a new member of a secret society to which he belongs. Ignorant of the group's true aim at first, he is ordered to convince a close friend, Dr. Horvathy (Eduard Franz), to withdraw his application to a prestigious school. Horvathy declines and kills himself. Horrified by the actions of the group, Patterson wants out. Soon, Patterson's own reputation and life are on the line when he publicly defies the group. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (5) audience reviews
      Audience Member The sets may be dated but the idea of a secret society pulling the strings isn't. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member A secret society influences the culture in hidden ways, electing who they want, building empires where and when they want, or destroying peoples lives should it suit their purpose, as one member finds out when he disagrees with that society's mandates and tries to get out of it. A strong cast and production team complement this little known effort. Look particularly for the scenes where a man is character assassinated on a popular television show led by interestingly casted William Conrad. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review kevin w A secret society influences the culture in hidden ways, electing who they want, building empires where and when they want, or destroying peoples lives should it suit their purpose, as one member finds out when he disagrees with that society's mandates and tries to get out of it. A strong cast and production team complement this little known effort. Look particularly for the scenes where a man is character assassinated on a popular television show led by interestingly casted William Conrad. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member An awesome film with Glen Ford being a victim of a strange, secretive fraternity known as The Brotherhood of the Bell. As a alumnus of the home of The Brotherhood, St. George College, Glen Ford now is a professor at another college 22 years later and as payback for his success he blackmails a man on behalf of the Brotherhood. In color, 100 minutes. [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/31/Brotherhoodimage198.jpg/220px-Brotherhoodimage198.jpg[/img] Trying to unmask the Brotherhood to society is frustrating as no one believes there is such a manipulative society in the first place. Since Ford vows to expose the Brotherhood, no one is trusted and tragic events unfold before him. He loses his job, his wife after she kills their neighbor, he sells his home, his father's corporation is sudenly investigated for tax fraud and so on and so on. SEE a clip of the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwe2adBto2k Movie adaptations have since been made since Brotherhood of the Bell, but with Ford being a convincing lead actor, none of them could surpass the tension that builds. The film ends rather too neatly however when Ford's academic boss delves into Ford's story and lends advice and shelter. See The Brotherhood of the Bell if suspense thriller drama appeals to you. Has a formidable and recognizable cast including William Conrad, Dean Jagger, Will Geer and a youngish Dabney Coleman. This is no ordinary TV movie as it boasts now famous Jerry Goldsmith as music composer. [img]http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSkq4SN-swB8ezmsN0r2YJTWKFXkEOOCKFN7Acwm3jtUuwHaVUv[/img] Ford as the desperate victim, a professor of economics SEE the film here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H57JthB_KVc This link is to a really poor copy that is fuzzy, but the audio of fine. Being a television film might account for the poor visual quality. [img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSetTyd_0hmkauNPEt1IfkUFRnIBaCQSrqPMybVmcYZJMN-4nTGA[/img] NOTES: 1 The director Paul Wendkos was nominated in 1971 by the Directors Guild of America for "outstanding directorial achievement in television." 2 The film relates how a successful economics professor, Dr. Andrew Patterson, discovers that an elite fraternity he had joined 22 years before in college is really a callous banking and business cabal that obtains wealth and power for its members through nefarious practices. Cast Glenn Ford as Prof. Andrew Patterson Rosemary Forsyth as Vivian Patterson Dean Jagger as Chad Harmon Maurice Evans as Harry Masters Will Geer as Mike Patterson Eduard Franz as Dr. Konstantin Horvathy William Conrad as Bart Harris Robert Pine as Phillip Everest Dunning William Smithers as Dr. Jerome Fielder Logan Field as Thaddeus Burns Dabney Coleman as Agent Shephard Scott Graham as Weber, the Beta Epsilon Lambda house proctor CREW Directed by Paul Wendkos Produced by David Karp Written by David Karp Music by Jerry Goldsmith Cinematography Robert B. Hauser Editing by Carroll Sax Distributed by CBS Television Warner Bros. Pictures Release date(s) September 17, 1970 Running time 100 minutes [img]http://product-images.highwire.com/1527907/2286739_290.jpg[/img] Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member classic paranoia thriller with a strong cast...movie moves briskly as the tension and mystery builds..only complaint is the movie ends too soon and there is no resolution to the story...it does leave you hanging a bit and wanting more.. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis College professor Andrew Patterson (Glenn Ford) partakes in an initiation ceremony for a new member of a secret society to which he belongs. Ignorant of the group's true aim at first, he is ordered to convince a close friend, Dr. Horvathy (Eduard Franz), to withdraw his application to a prestigious school. Horvathy declines and kills himself. Horrified by the actions of the group, Patterson wants out. Soon, Patterson's own reputation and life are on the line when he publicly defies the group.
      Director
      Paul Wendkos
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      English