The Thing with Two Heads (1972)

User Rating:

2.8/10   

Director:

Lee Frost

Writers:

Wes Bishop (screenplay)
Wes Bishop (story)

Release Date:

19 July 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

They transplanted a white bigot's head on a soul brother's body!

Plot:

A rich but racist man is dying and hatches an elaborate scheme for transplanting his head onto another man's body...

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Chase | Two Headed Man | X Rayed Skeleton | Head Transplant

Cast

Ray Milland	...	Maxwell Kirshner
Roosevelt Grier	...	Jack Moss (as 'Rosey' Grier)
Don Marshall	...	Dr. Fred Williams
Roger Perry	...	Dr. Philip Desmond
Chelsea Brown	...	Lila
Kathrine Baumann	...	Patricia (as Kathy Baumann)
John Dullaghan	...	Thomas
John Bliss	...	Donald
Bruce Kimball	...	Police Lieutenant
Jane Kellem	...	Miss Mullen
Lee Frost	...	Sergeant Hacker
Wes Bishop	...	Dr. Smith
Roger Gentry	...	Police Sergeant
Britt Nilsson	...	Nurse
Rick Baker	...	Gorilla

Also Known As:

The Beast with Two Heads
The Man with Two Heads

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:PG

Company:

Saber Productions

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the big police-car/motorcycle chase, we see a POV shot from the motorcycle. The stunt driver (who looks nothing like any of the characters on the bike) can be seen on the right side of the screen with the camera shooting over his left shoulder.

Quotes:

Dr. Maxwell Kirshner: What the hell is the matter with you, Moss? Get back to bed!
Jack Moss: You jive.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

A Prayer

The head of a dying white bigot (Ray Milland) is transplanted onto the body of a black convict on death row (Rosey Grier).*

The Thing with Two Heads is a remarkable movie. The plot is, in a word, ludicrous. Ray Milland is nothing short of brilliant, and Rosey Grier holds his own. As far as I know, the movie was shot without going over the budget. One infers that Milland and Grier were able to keep straight faces during the shooting; this alone stands as testament to their professionalism as actors. The aforementioned plot is reason enough to watch this movie, which, despite understandably high expectations, will not disappoint. I rarely watch a movie more than once. The Thing with Two Heads is an exception. It's hard to say what I like best about the movie. The interchanges between Milland and Grier are humorous; they would almost qualify as banter. The special effects are unpretentious, even sublime. The movie may seem dated (it becomes quickly obvious that the shooting took place in the early 70's), but this only adds to its charm. I recommend its viewing highly.