Charly Gordon (Cliff Robertson) is a gentle adult with the mind of a child. His determination to improve attracts the attention of his nightschool teacher, Alice (Claire Bloom). Charly exists in a world bound by his room and his job as a bakery sweep. Alice persuades a clinic to help Charly and the doctors agree to use him as a subject for experimental neuro-surgery. The operation is successful. Charly’s mind develops and he learns quickly, but his emotional growth does not keep pace. He appears before a convention as living proof of the surgery results and brilliantly answers questions. However, shortly before his appearance, he makes a frightening discovery; and the film ends with an unexpected resolution. Co-starring Lilia Skala, Leon Janney, Ruth White and Richard Van Patton. Cliff Robertson won an Oscar for his performance, a role he first tackled on TV’s U.S. Steel Hour in 1961. Based on the novel “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes.
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
306768
Language
English
Audience classification
PG
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)