''The Happiness Cage'' is a 1972 American

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...

directed by

Bernard Girard Bernard Girard (February 22, 1918 – December 30, 1997) was an American screenwriter, producer and film director. Life and career A native of Vallejo, Girard served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He was nominated fo ...

. The film stars

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...

in his first starring role and

Joss Ackland Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland CBE (born 29 February 1928) is an English retired actor who has appeared in more than 130 film and television roles. He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Jock Del ...

. The film was also known as ''The Mind Snatchers'' and ''The Demon Within''.

Plot

After an altercation at a party given by his girlfriend, U.S. Army private James Reese is arrested for assault. Reese comes to the attention of Major, the head of Army program attempting to help those with terminal illnesses deal with their pain via a brain implant. Reese is determined to suffer from schizophrenia, making him an excellent candidate for the experimental program. Dr. Frederick (

) is trying to find a way to ease the aggressive nature of soldiers by developing a microchip to access the pleasure centers of their brains. Reese is transferred to the Veterans Hospital in Frankfurt, where the experiments are being conducted by United States Army. However, the experiment has taken a darker turn. The Army doctors are drilling into the patients’ skulls, attach wires, and alter their brains to create better soldiers and happier men — human robots. The patients are three veterans waiting to go into the operation clinic. The implant is placed into Reese. Another soldier with the implant goes berserk, and Reese rips the wires and connections away from the soldier, the soldier dies. Reese escapes the hospital but is recaptured. He refuses to activate the implant, but the Major overrides his decision and activates it. Reese, now docile and controlled by the Major, appears at a press conference as proof of the success of the program.

Reception

The film contains some brilliant performances, according to the review in ''The New York Times''. They also state that the story works better as a play than a movie, although Walken's performance was found to be gripping. ''

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and f ...

'' finds the movie limited by its low budget and its origins as a stage play, but noted it explores some of the same themes as the later ''

A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...

''.

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

found the movie had some very interesting parts, but that the movie was ultimately unsuccessful. It praised the work of Walken, but found the direction needs a more imaginative approach, and dialogue artificial.

Cast

as Pvt. James H. Reese *

as Dr. Frederick *

Ralph Meeker Ralph Meeker (born Ralph Rathgeber; November 21, 1920 August 5, 1988) was an American film, stage, and television actor. He first rose to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of '' Mister Roberts'' (1948–1951) and ''Picnic'' ...

as The Major *

Ronny Cox Daniel Ronald Cox (born July 23, 1938) is an American actor, singer and songwriter. His best-known roles include Drew Ballinger in ''Deliverance'' (1972), George Apple in ''Apple's Way'' (1974–75), Ozark Bule in '' Bound for Glory'' (1976), Co ...

as Sgt. Boford Miles *

Marco St. John Marco St. John (born Marco John Figueroa, Jr.; May 7, 1939) is an American actor who has appeared in films and television programs. He is known for his role as the horny truck driver in the 1991 film '' Thelma & Louise'' and for playing Sheriff ...

as Lawrence Shannon *

Bette Henritze Bette Joan Henritze (May 23, 1924 – February 22, 2018) was an American actress of stage, film, and television. She played supporting roles in films like ''The World According to Garp'', ''The Hospital'', '' Far From Heaven'', and ''Judy Berlin ...

as Anna Kraus *

Susan Travers Susan Mary Gillian Travers (23 September 1909 – 18 December 2003) was a British nurse and ambulance driver who served in the French Red Cross during the Second World War. She later became the only woman to be enlisted in the French Foreign Le ...

as Nurse Schroeder *

Birthe Neumann Birthe Neumann (born 30 April 1947 in Vanløse, Copenhagen) is a Danish actress. In 1972 she graduated from the Danish National School of Theatre, and was shortly afterwards employed as an actress at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen. At th ...

as Lisa *

Claus Nissen Claus (sometimes Clas) is both a given name and a German, Danish, and Dutch surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg Colonel Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (; 15 N ...

as Army Psychiatrist

Production

This film is based on Dennis J. Reardon’s acclaimed play ''The Happiness Cage'', which opened at Joseph Papp Public Theater’s Newman Theater in New York on October 4, 1970.Thompson, Howard. ″Dennis Reardon's 'Happiness Cage' Is Better Suited to Stage″.
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. June 29, 1972.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Happiness Cage, The 1972 films 1970s science fiction drama films Films directed by Bernard Girard American science fiction drama films Films set in Frankfurt Cinerama Releasing Corporation films 1972 drama films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films