Bedlam

Bedlam is set in London in 1761, where the St. Mary's of Bethlehem asylum, commonly known as Bedlam, has become a macabre attraction for wealthy visitors who pay to watch the inmates as though they were animals in cages. Nell Bowen, a spirited young woman under the protection of the wealthy Lord Mortimer, is appalled by the squalid conditions the patients endure. Her outrage brings her into conflict with George Sims, the asylum's master, who stages performances using the patients and punishes anyone who challenges him. When Nell refuses to stay silent, Sims uses his influence with Mortimer to have her committed, leaving her at the mercy of the institution. Directed by Mark Robson from a screenplay he wrote with producer Val Lewton, this was the first of the thirteen films Robson directed. Boris Karloff leads the cast as Sims, with Anna Lee as Nell Bowen, Billy House as Lord Mortimer, Richard Fraser, Glen Vernon and Ian Wolfe in supporting roles; forty-two performers are credited. The production was handled by RKO Radio Pictures and runs seventy-six minutes. On IMDb, the film holds a rating of 6.8 from around 4,700 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.7 from 85 votes. A critics' rating of 6.4 from 21 reviews places it close to the audience scores, suggesting broadly similar assessments.