Cliff Robertson found himself cast as heroic types after he played the young John F Kennedy in PT 109(1963), but the most rewarding role of his career came with this Oscar-winning portrayal of a mentally disabled bakery worker whose life is transformed by radical brain surgery, which so far has only been tried on laboratory mice.
Though his intellect develops rapidly, so do his overpowering sexual feelings for his night-school teacher, leading to a tragic aftermath.
The scenes between Robertson and Claire Bloom are touching, and Algernon the mouse is unforgettable, so director Ralph Nelson can be forgiven for playing down some of the fascinating possibilities raised by Stirling Silliphant’s shrewd script.
The film may feel a little twee in this more cynical age, but it remains an unassuming charmer.
Charly Gordon
Cliff Robertson
Alice Kinian
Claire Bloom
Dr Anna Straus
Lilia Skala
Bert
Dick Van Patten
Joey
William Dwyer Gimpy
Skipper McNally
Paddy
Dan Morgan
Dr Richard Nemur
Leon Janney
Mrs Apple
Ruth White
Hank
Barney Martin
Director
Ralph Nelson
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