Daughter of the Mind
Encyclopedia
Daughter of the Mind is a made-for-television suspense film starring Don Murray
, Ray Milland
and Gene Tierney
. It was first broadcast on ABC on December 9, 1969 as the ABC Movie of the Week
.
), psychologist and ESP researcher Alex Lauder (Don Murray
) investigates a leading cybernetic expert's (Dr. Samuel Constable, played by Ray Milland
) report that he has seen and spoken with his young daughter, Mary (Pamelyn Ferdin
) — who died 13 weeks before. Keeping an open mind, Lauder decides to take the case and see wherever it may lead.
As Lauder's investigation progresses, he learns that U.S. government counter-intelligence is watching his every move with great interest. As 'Mary' continues to appear to others besides her father, including to Lauder, her mother and other acquaintances, the possibility of her being a real spirit begins to erode in Dr. Lauder's mind. Then Lauder starts to pursue the path that everything connected to Mary's appearances may be generated by elaborate human-made illusions to guilt Dr. Constable into leaving his research, which is being used by the U.S. military. In the end, Lauder and the counter-intelligence agents monitoring Constable uncover a plot from behind the Iron Curtain
to get the Nobel-winning scientist to defect from the United States.
Daughter of the Mind was one of the first high-quality offerings of ABC's Movie of the Week series. The film also represented the TV-movie debut of Gene Tierney
, as Mary's mother and Sam Constable's wife.
Don Murray
Don Murray may refer to:*Don Murray , jazz musician*Don Murray *Don Murray , Pulitzer Prize winning writer for the Boston Herald*Don Murray , of the group The Turtles...
, Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
and Gene Tierney
Gene Tierney
Gene Eliza Tierney was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day, she is best remembered for her performance in the title role of Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven .Other notable roles include...
. It was first broadcast on ABC on December 9, 1969 as the ABC Movie of the Week
ABC Movie of the Week
The ABC Movie of the Week is a weekly television anthology series, featuring made-for-TV movies, that aired on the ABC network in various permutations from 1969 to 1975.-History:...
.
Plot
At the request of a colleague (Ivor BarryIvor Barry
Ivor Barry was a British film and television actor.Born in South Wales, Barry served with the British Royal Artillery during World War II and completed his university studies prior to beginning his acting career...
), psychologist and ESP researcher Alex Lauder (Don Murray
Don Murray
Don Murray may refer to:*Don Murray , jazz musician*Don Murray *Don Murray , Pulitzer Prize winning writer for the Boston Herald*Don Murray , of the group The Turtles...
) investigates a leading cybernetic expert's (Dr. Samuel Constable, played by Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
) report that he has seen and spoken with his young daughter, Mary (Pamelyn Ferdin
Pamelyn Ferdin
Pamelyn Ferdin is a former American television and film child actor, active both in live action and as a voice actress in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and has since appeared in several voice acting roles as late as 2009...
) — who died 13 weeks before. Keeping an open mind, Lauder decides to take the case and see wherever it may lead.
As Lauder's investigation progresses, he learns that U.S. government counter-intelligence is watching his every move with great interest. As 'Mary' continues to appear to others besides her father, including to Lauder, her mother and other acquaintances, the possibility of her being a real spirit begins to erode in Dr. Lauder's mind. Then Lauder starts to pursue the path that everything connected to Mary's appearances may be generated by elaborate human-made illusions to guilt Dr. Constable into leaving his research, which is being used by the U.S. military. In the end, Lauder and the counter-intelligence agents monitoring Constable uncover a plot from behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
to get the Nobel-winning scientist to defect from the United States.
Daughter of the Mind was one of the first high-quality offerings of ABC's Movie of the Week series. The film also represented the TV-movie debut of Gene Tierney
Gene Tierney
Gene Eliza Tierney was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day, she is best remembered for her performance in the title role of Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven .Other notable roles include...
, as Mary's mother and Sam Constable's wife.
Cast
- Don MurrayDon Murray (actor)Donald Patrick "Don" Murray is an American actor.-Early life and career:Murray was born in Hollywood, California on July 31, 1929, the only child of Dennis Aloisius, a Broadway dance director and stage manager and Ethel Murray, a former Ziegfeld performer...
as Alex Lauder - Ray MillandRay MillandRay Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
as Professor Samuel Constable - Gene TierneyGene TierneyGene Eliza Tierney was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day, she is best remembered for her performance in the title role of Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven .Other notable roles include...
as Lenore Constable - Barbara Dana as Tina Cryder
- Edward Asner as Wiener
- Pamelyn FerdinPamelyn FerdinPamelyn Ferdin is a former American television and film child actor, active both in live action and as a voice actress in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and has since appeared in several voice acting roles as late as 2009...
as Mary - Ivor BarryIvor BarryIvor Barry was a British film and television actor.Born in South Wales, Barry served with the British Royal Artillery during World War II and completed his university studies prior to beginning his acting career...
as Dr. Cryder - Virginia ChristineVirginia ChristineVirginia Christine was an American film and television actress and voice artist. Christine had a long career as a character actress in film and television. She played "Mrs...
as Helga - George MacreadyGeorge MacreadyGeorge Peabody Macready, Jr. , was an American stage, film, and television actor often cast in roles as polished villains.-Background:...
as Dr. Frank Ferguson - William BeckleyWilliam BeckleyWilliam Beckley is an American actor, best known for his role as Gerard the butler in the television series Dynasty.Other TV credits include: Combat!, Batman, Mission: Impossible, Hogan's Heroes, Night Gallery, Marcus Welby, M.D., Planet of the Apes, Charlie's Angels, Kojak, Fantasy Island, Hawaii...
as Bessemer - John CarradineJohn CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
as Bosch - Cecil Ozorio as Devi Bessimer
- Frank Maxwell as Augstadt
- Bill HickmanBill HickmanWilliam "Bill" Hickman was a stunt driver/actor from the 1950s through to the late 1970s. Hickman played a major role in terms of development and execution in three of the greatest movie car chase sequences of all time....
as Enemy Agent