Mine Own Executioner (1949)

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London psychiatrist Burgess Meredith takes on the case of schizophrenic ex-POW Kieron Moore. So long as Meredith is diligent in his approach, Moore shows signs of improvement, and a lessening of his more violent tendencies. But the moment Meredith takes too much for granted, Moore goes off the deep… More London psychiatrist Burgess Meredith takes on the case of schizophrenic ex-POW Kieron Moore. So long as Meredith is diligent in his approach, Moore shows signs of improvement, and a lessening of his more violent tendencies. But the moment Meredith takes too much for granted, Moore goes off the deep end, murdering his wife and committing suicide. Brought up on malpractice charges, Meredith is saved by the testimony of his loyal physician-friend John Laurie, though for a time the psychiatrist's own mental condition is as fragile as that of his late patient. While Burgess Meredith was fond of noting that he had to leave Hollywood for England to find a worthwhile film role, Mine Own Executioner suffered from a bout of Hollywood-style interference in delineating the shady background of its protagonist, which might have clarified several confusing plot points. Still, the film has a lot of "guts," especially for a late-1940s effort. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi