Charly Movie Review

In his Oscar-winning performance, Cliff Robertson stars as the original Gump. Charly Gordon is a mentally disabled man who works in a Boston bakery where he is the butt of cruel practical jokes. Experimental brain surgery transforms him into a genius. He turns the tables on his co-workers, lectures to scientists, and has an affair with his therapist (Claire Bloom). But his triumph is fleeting when he learns that he will soon regress. Some of director Ralph Nelson's stylistic flourishes date the film, but it is still a heartbreaker with the courage not to let audiences off the hook with a conventional happy ending. A labor of love for Robertson, who appeared in the original teleplay that was based on Daniel Keyes’ novel, Flowers for Algernon. He bought the film rights and reportedly spent seven years trying to bring it to the big screen. In a career footnote apropos to this book, Robertson was blacklisted in Hollywood for four years after reporting studio head David Begelman for forging his name on a check. A science-fiction film, Brainstorm, marked his return to the screen.

1968 103m/C Cliff Robertson, Claire Bloom, Lilia Skala, Leon Janney, Dick Van Patten, William Dwyer; D: Ralph Nelson; W: Stirling Silliphant. Academy Awards ‘68: Best Actor (Robertson); Golden Globe Awards ‘69: Best Screenplay; National Board of Review Awards ‘68: 10 Best Films of the Year, Best Actor (Robertson). VHS, Beta, LV FOX, BTV