Shock Treatment

Mental shenanigans involving out-of-work actor (Stuart Whitman), so desperate for money he'll accept any insane proposition lobbied his way, masquerading as a new patient at an asylum. He's hoping to get crucial information out of another patient (Roddy McDowall) on the whereabouts of some hidden loot, but unfortunately runs afoul of doctor Lauren Bacall (doing a Nurse Ratched years before her time). Delirious, over-the-top melodrama that's actually a hoot if watched in the requisite silly spirit. Whitman keeps a straight face throughout and actually wins the viewer over, but McDowall is just awful and Carol Lynley is hilariously mercurial as an inmate with glossy, shampooed hair. This show rightfully belongs to Bacall, pulling off an extreme role with her usual rigid-jaw aplomb. ** from ****