The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964)
Overview
Merlin Jones, a precocious and intelligent high-school boy, experiments with hypnosis and creates a mind-reading machine. However, his experiments land him in deep trouble with the law.
Cast
Tommy Kirk
Merlin Jones
Annette Funicello
Jennifer
Leon Ames
Judge Holmsby / Lex Fortas
Stuart Erwin
Police Captain Loomis
Alan Hewitt
Professor Shattuck
Connie Gilchrist
Mrs. Gossett
Norman Grabowski
Norman, Midvale Football Player
Burt Mustin
Bailiff
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r96sk
Bit of a disappointment by the end. It starts off very good, but sharply declines from the midway point.
<em>'The Misadventures of Merlin Jones'</em> is practically split into two stories, one about the ability to read minds and one about hypnosis. The former is entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but the latter is extremely stagnant and slow paced. The film loses all of the promising momentum that it previously builds.
Onto the cast, this is arguably Tommy Kirk's best performance to date with Disney. He is excellent as the titular character, adding a strong and fitting demeanour to the role. Annette Funicello (Jennifer) and Leon Ames (Holmsby) are noteworthy too.
Overall, it's a shame the production didn't finish how it started - I'd be rating this higher if it had. Still, this is one that is worth a watch.
