Thing With Two Heads, The (1972) – Nostalgia Central

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Dr Maxwell Kirshner (Ray Milland ) is a rich, bigoted white man and brilliant transplant surgeon with an inoperable heart condition. He desperately hatches a plot to save himself by having his head grafted onto the body of a healthy younger man so he can continue living and working as a successful surgeon.

But the only available candidate is a big, burly black man from Death Row named Jack Moss (NFL star Rosey Grier), who has volunteered for the dangerous experiment to save himself from the electric chair.

The doctors work around the clock to transplant Kirshner’s head onto Jack’s body.

Unfortunately, they don’t inform Dr Kirshner about the body he’ll be sharing until he regains consciousness after surgery.

Bedlam erupts, and the rest of the movie is an extremely odd mishmash of gore, slapstick comedy, and good old-fashioned American racial tension.

The ensuing chase scene takes up most of the film and involves countless police and a helicopter in pursuit of Jack Moss and Kirshner’s head.

The fugitive(s) eventually arrive at the home of Jack’s girlfriend, Lila (Chelsea Brown).

Meanwhile, Dr Kirshner has hired a young black doctor, Fred Williams (Don Marshall), without an interview. Kirshner hates him (because he’s black).

But Dr Williams assisted in the head transplant and so has the skill and knowledge to eventually restore Jack to his normal self and detach Kirshner’s head.

Director Lee Frost keeps things lively and wisely plays everything straight to make this AIP movie seem even funnier.

Maxwell Kirshner
Ray Milland
Jack Moss
Roosevelt “Rosey” Grier
Dr Fred Williams
Don Marshall
Dr Philip Desmond
Roger Perry
Lila
Chelsea Brown
Patricia
Kathrine Baumann
Thomas
John Dullaghan
Donald
John Bliss
Police Lieutenant
Bruce Kimball
Miss Mullen
Jane Kellem
Sergeant Hacker
Lee Frost
Dr Smith
Wes Bishop
Police Sergeant
Roger Gentry
Nurse
Britt Nilsson
Gorilla
Rick Baker
Medical Salesman
Rod Steele
Hysterical Condemned Man
William Smith
Mitch
George E. Carey
Priest
Tommy Cook
TV Newscaster
Dick Whittington