Flowers for Algernon
 Dust jacket of the novel’s first edition | |
| Author | Daniel Keyes |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace & World |
Publication date | April 1959 (short story) March 1966 (novel) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 311 (novel)[1] |
| ISBN | 0-15-131510-8 |
| OCLC | 232370 |
Flowers for Algernon is a short story by American author Daniel Keyes, which he later expanded into a novel and adapted for film and other media. The short story, written in 1958 and first published in the April 1959 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960.[2] The novel was published in 1966 and was joint winner of that year's Nebula Award for Best Novel (with Babel-17).[3]
Algernon is a laboratory mouse who has undergone surgery to increase his intelligence.
The story is told by a series of progress reports written by Charlie Gordon, the first human subject for the surgery, and
it touches on ethical and moral themes such as the treatment of the mentally disabled.[4]
Although the book[5] has often been challenged for removal from libraries in the United States and Canada, sometimes successfully, it is frequently taught in schools around the world and has been adapted many times for television, theater, radio and as the Academy Award-winning film Charly.[6][7][8][9]
History
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2024) |
Background
The ideas for Flowers for Algernon developed over 14 years and were inspired by events in Keyes's life, starting in 1945 with Keyes's conflict with his parents, who were pushing a pre-medical education despite his desire to pursue a writing career. Keyes felt that his education was driving a wedge between himself and his parents, and this led him to wonder what would happen if it were possible to increase a person's intelligence.[4][8][10] Based on these considerations, Keyes further developed his ideas for Flowers for Algernon by transforming the initial concept into what Keyes asserted as "a classic tragedy".[11] Keyes, in his 1999 memoir Algernon, Charlie and I: A Writer's Journey, explains more about his creative writing process and relates key insights for the conception of Flowers for Algernon. He said that he was inspired by Aristotle's dictum in the Poetics, which states that a tragedy can only occur for the highborn, because one could only have a tragic fall from a great height.[11] Keyes's thought was: "let's test that".[11] He therefore made his story's main character a person who was initially "lowborn" (a mentally disabled young man) who then became a "highborn" after the intelligence-enhancing procedures.[11] His goal was to elevate such a character to the heights of genius at the cost of being disconnected before having them lose it all.
A pivotal moment occurred in 1957 while Keyes was teaching English to students with disabilities, and one of them asked if it would be possible for the student to be put into an ordinary class (mainstreamed) if he worked hard and became smart.[4][12] Keyes also witnessed the dramatic change in another learning-disabled student who regressed after he was removed from regular lessons. Keyes said that "When he came back to school, he had lost it all. He could not read. He reverted to what he had been. It was a heart-breaker."[4]
Characters in the book were based on people in Keyes's life. The character of Algernon was inspired by a university dissection class, and the name was inspired by the poet Algernon Charles Swinburne.[13][better source needed] Nemur and Strauss, the scientists who develop the intelligence-enhancing surgery in the story, were based on professors Keyes met while in graduate school.[14] Events that Charlie experiences were also based on Keyes's life, including the Rorschach test and Charlie's frustration with it, which was inspired by Keyes' past experience with the test when he was exploring the causes of his anxiety as a college student. As he was developing his story, he satirically transformed his frustrating Tests and Measurements advisor into Burt, the tester who similarly frustrates Charlie.[11]
In 1958, Keyes was approached by Galaxy Science Fiction magazine to write a story, at which point the elements of Flowers for Algernon fell into place.[13][better source needed] When the story was submitted to Galaxy, however, editor Horace Gold suggested changing the ending so that Charlie retained his intelligence, married Alice Kinnian, and lived happily ever after.[15] Keyes refused to make the change and sold the story to The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction instead.[13][better source needed]
Keyes worked on the expanded novel between 1962 and 1965[16] and first tried to sell it to Doubleday, but they also wanted to change the ending. Again, Keyes refused and gave Doubleday back their advance.[15] Five publishers rejected the story over the course of a year[15] until it was published by Harcourt in 1966.
Publication
The short story "Flowers for Algernon" was first published as the lead story in the April 1959 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.[17][13][better source needed] It was later reprinted in The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, 9th series (1960),[18] the Fifth Annual of the Year's Best Science Fiction (1960),[19] Best Articles and Stories (1961),[13][better source needed] Literary Cavalcade (1961),[13][better source needed] The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929–1964 (1970),[20] and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction: A 30-Year Retrospective (1980).[18]
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction reprinted the original short story as part of its 30th anniversary October 1979 issue.[21] They reprinted it again in its May 2000 issue along with an essay titled "Algernon, Charlie and I: A Writer's Journey" by the author.[22] That magazine's cover announced the combination with "Flowers for Algernon / Daniel Keyes / the story and its origin".
The expanded novel was first published in 1966 by Harcourt Brace with the Bantam paperback following in 1968.[13][better source needed] As of 1997 the novel had not been out of print since its publication.[15] By 2004, it had been translated into 27 languages, published in 30 countries and sold more than 5 million copies.[23][better source needed] [24]
Synopsis
The short story and the novel share many similar plot points, but the novel expands significantly on Charlie's developing emotional state as well as his intelligence, his memories of childhood, and the relationship with his family. Both are presented as a series of journal entries ("progress reports") written by the protagonist, Charlie Gordon. The style, grammar, spelling, and punctuation of these reports reflect changes in his mental and emotional growth.
Short story
Charlie Gordon is a 37-year-old man with an IQ of 68 who works a menial job as a janitor at a factory.[a] At his job, his main "friends" are his co-workers Joe Carp and Frank Reilly, who frequently bully and mock him. Charlie attends a literacy program taught by Ms. Kinnian in hopes of improving his intelligence, and is selected to undergo an experimental surgical technique to increase it. The technique has already been tested on a number of nonhuman animals; the great success was with Algernon, a laboratory mouse. Although these events proved fruitful, the procedure's full results were unknown. Charlie's surgery is a success, and his IQ triples.
With an increased intelligence, he realizes his co-workers at the factory, whom he thought were his friends, only liked having him around so they could tease him. His new intelligence frightens his co-workers, and they start a petition to have him fired. Additionally, Charlie's perspective on his professors shifts negatively as he recognizes that Dr. Nemur is only using Charlie to advance his scientific career instead of altruistically helping Charlie become smarter. Later on, Charlie demonstrates courage by standing up for a 16-year-old imbecile dishwasher who gets mocked by customers at a local diner. As Charlie's intelligence peaks, Algernon's suddenly declines. The mouse loses his increased intelligence and mental age and dies afterward; Charlie buries him in the backyard of his home. Charlie realizes his intelligence increase is also temporary and that his fate will mirror Algernon's. As the effects of his mental deterioration are becoming more evident, he finds flaws in the experiment, which he calls the "Algernon–Gordon Effect". By the time he finishes his work, his intelligence has regressed to its original state. Charlie is aware of and pained by what is happening to him, as he loses his knowledge. He resumes his old job as a janitor at the factory and tries to go back to how things used to be, but he cannot stand the pity and guilt from those around him, including his co-workers, his landlady, and Ms. Kinnian. Charlie states he plans to "go away" from New York, and his last wish is for someone to put flowers on Algernon's grave.
Novel
The novel opens with an epigraph taken from Book VII of Plato's The Republic:
Charlie Gordon, 32 years old, demonstrates an IQ of 68.[a] His uncle has arranged for him to hold a menial job at a bakery so that he will not have to live at the Warren State Home and Training School, a state institution. Desiring to improve himself, Charlie attends reading and writing classes, taught by Miss Alice Kinnian, at the Beekman College Center for Retarded Adults. Two researchers at Beekman, Professor Nemur and Dr. Strauss, are looking for a human test subject on whom to try a new surgical technique intended to increase intelligence. They have already performed the surgery on a mouse named Algernon, resulting in a dramatic improvement in his mental performance. Based on Alice's recommendation and his motivation to improve, Nemur and Strauss choose Charlie over smarter pupils to undergo the procedure.
The operation is successful, and Charlie's IQ reaches 185 within the next three months. At the same time, he begins recalling his childhood and remembers that his mother Rose physically abused him and wasted money on fake treatments for his disability, while his younger sister Norma resented him. As Charlie's intelligence, education, and understanding of the world increase, his relationships with people deteriorate. His co-workers at the bakery, who used to amuse themselves at his expense, now fear and resent his increased intelligence and persuade his boss to fire him. Alice enters a relationship with Charlie but breaks up with him after she realizes that she can no longer relate to him and claims that his intelligence has changed his personality. Later, Charlie loses trust in Strauss and particularly Nemur, believing that they considered him a laboratory subject and not a human before the operation. While at a scientific convention in Chicago, Charlie feels humiliated when he is treated like an experiment and flees with Algernon in retaliation.
After moving to Manhattan with Algernon, Charlie becomes involved in a relationship with Fay Lillman, his neighbor, which quells his loneliness. After an incident with a disabled busboy, Charlie becomes inspired to continue to improve Nemur and Strauss's experiment and applies for a grant. However, he notices Algernon is beginning to behave erratically. In his research, he discovers a flaw behind Nemur and Strauss's procedure that indicates he might lose his intelligence and possibly regress back to his previous state. Before that happens, Charlie publishes his findings as the "Algernon–Gordon effect", as Algernon dies.
As Charlie begins to regress to his former mental state, he finds closure with his family. Rose, who still lives in the family's old home in Brooklyn, has developed dementia and recognizes him only briefly; his father Matt, who broke off contact with the family years earlier, does not recognize him at all. He is only able to reconnect with Norma, who is now caring for Rose in their newly depressed neighborhood, but he declines to stay with them. Charlie begins dating Alice again, but his frustration with declining intelligence eventually causes him to end his relationships with her and Dr. Strauss. Unable to bear the thought of being dependent and pitied by his friends and co-workers, he decides to live at the Warren State Home and Training School, where no one knows about the operation. In a final postscript to his writings, he requests that someone put flowers on Algernon's grave in the backyard of Charlie's former residence.
Style
Both the novel and the short story are written in an epistolary style collecting together Charlie's personal "progress reports" from a few days before the operation until he regresses back to his original state almost five months later. Initially, the reports are filled with elementary spelling errors and awkwardly constructed sentences, reflecting the writing of a young child.[25] The story is told from Charlie's point of view, in a first-person perspective, allowing the reader to see through Charlie's eyes and hear each thought. Keyes shares the importance of this in his memoir, "This had to be told from Charlie's perspective. It had to be first person, major character angle—in Charlie's mind and through Charlie's eyes all the way."[11] As an imbecile, Charlie is initially an unreliable narrator who presents the story through an immature worldview; his low intelligence compromises his ability to understand the world around him. This results in a case of dramatic irony, as readers are often more aware of Charlie's situation than he is.
Following the operation, however, the reports begin to show marked improvements in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and diction, indicating a rise in his intelligence.[26] As his intelligence improves, Charlie's perception broadens, and he realizes that things are entirely different than he had perceived them to be. Charlie's awareness increases to match that of the reader's and quickly surpasses it. This transforms him into a reliable narrator, able to provide all relevant information accurately.
Charlie's regression is conveyed by the loss of these skills.[26] In his final state, Charlie returns to a state of unreliability, his ability to accurately narrate events diminished by the regression. The polar differences in writing style emphasise the changes Charlie experiences from the operation and take the reader along with Charlie's arc and growth/regression as well as support the foil throughout the story.
Themes
Important themes in Flowers for Algernon include the treatment of the mentally disabled,[4][27] the impact on happiness of the conflict between intellect and emotion,[28][29] and how events in the past can influence a person later in life.[29] Algernon is an example of a story that incorporates the science-fiction theme of uplift.[30]
Reception and legacy
Algis Budrys of Galaxy Science Fiction praised Flowers for Algernon's realistic depiction of people as "rounded characters". Stating in August 1966 that Keyes had published little fiction and whether he would publish more was unknown, he concluded "If this is a beginning, then what a beginning it is, and if it is the high point in a very short career, then what a career".[31] In February 1967 Budrys named the book the best novel of the year.[32]
Awards
The original short story won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960.[2] The expanded novel was joint winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966, tied with Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany,[3] and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1967, losing out to The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein.[33]
In the late 1960s, the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) decided to give Nebula Awards retroactively and voted for their favorite science fiction stories of the era ending December 31, 1964 (before the Nebula Award was conceived). The short story version of Flowers for Algernon was voted third out of 132 nominees and was published in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929–1964 in 1970.[34] Keyes was elected the SFWA Author Emeritus in 2000 for making a significant contribution to science fiction and fantasy, primarily as a result of Flowers for Algernon.[35]
Censorship
Flowers for Algernon is on the American Library Association's list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–1999 at number 43.[6] The reasons for the challenges vary, but usually center on those parts of the novel in which Charlie struggles to understand and express his sexual desires.[36][better source needed] Many of the challenges have proved unsuccessful, but the book has occasionally been removed from school libraries, including some in Pennsylvania and Texas.[37][better source needed]
Influence
Flowers for Algernon has been the inspiration for works that include the album A Curious Feeling by Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks.[38] It also inspired the 2006 modern dance work Holeulone by Karine Pontiès, which won the Prix de la Critique de la Communauté française de Belgique for best dance piece.[39] A 2001 episode of the TV series The Simpsons titled "HOMR" has a plot similar to the novel.[40] The 2012 film, Bourne Legacy, features a mentally disabled soldier who is reliant on an experimental medications to raise and maintain his intelligence, and much of the action centering on how to secure a supply of said medication; one scene specifically captures his fear of slipping back to his former state in a similar manner to Charlie.[41][42] A 2013 episode of the TV series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia titled "Flowers for Charlie" is heavily based on the novel.[43]
Adaptations
Flowers for Algernon has been adapted many times for different media including stage, screen, and radio. These adaptations, as well as other media which have referenced it, include:
- A 1961 episode of the television drama The United States Steel Hour, "The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon", starring Cliff Robertson and Mona Freeman.[44][45]
- A 1968 film, Charly, also starring Cliff Robertson, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.[44][46]
- A 1969 stage play, Flowers for Algernon by David Rogers.[44][47]
- A 1978 stage musical, Charlie and Algernon by David Rogers and Charles Strouse.[44][48][49]
- A 1979 concept album, A Curious Feeling by Tony Banks, is a loose adaptation, originally planned as a more faithful one.[50]
- A 1991 radio play, Flowers for Algernon, for BBC Radio 4 starring Tom Courtenay.[51]
- A 2000 television film, Flowers for Algernon, starring Matthew Modine.[52]
- A 2001 Spider-Man comic story, "Flowers for Rhino", by Peter Milligan and Duncan Fregredo.[53]
- A 2001 episode of the television series The Simpsons, "HOMR".[54]
- A 2002 Japanese drama, Algernon ni Hanataba o for Fuji Television, starring Yūsuke Santamaria.[55]
- A 2006 episode of the television series, Frisky Dingo, "Flowers for Nearl".[56]
- A 2013 episode of the television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "Flowers for Charlie".[57]
- A 2013 episode of the television series The League, "Flowers for Taco".[58]
- A 2015 Japanese drama, Algernon ni Hanataba o for Tokyo Broadcasting System, starring Yamashita Tomohisa and Chiaki Kuriyama.[59]
- A 2020 episode of the television series Curb Your Enthusiasm, "Beep Panic".[60]
Further stage and radio adaptations have been produced in France (1982), Ireland (1983), Australia (1984), Poland (1985), Japan (1987, 1990), and Czechoslovakia (1988).[44]
Notes
- Charlie's age is 37 in the short story and 32 in the novel.
References
- Daniel Keyes (1966). Flowers for Algernon (1st ed.). New York: Harcourt, Brace & World. OCLC 232370.
- 1960 Hugo Awards, TheHugoAwards.org, July 26, 2007, retrieved April 23, 2008
- "Past Winners of SWFA Nebula Awards". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
- Emily Langer (June 18, 2014). "Daniel Keyes, author of the classic book 'Flowers for Algernon,' dies at 86". The Washington Post.
- Daniel Keyes (2004) [1966]. Flowers for Algernon. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 9780156030304. OCLC 0156030306.
- The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–1999 -ALA.org
- Kyle Munley (October 3, 2008). "Challenged and Banned: Flowers for Algernon". Suvudu. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- "Frequently Asked Questions and Updates". Daniel Keyes. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
- Birdsall, Peter (1978). Mind War: Book Censorship in English Canada. CANLIT. p. 37. ISBN 0-920566-01-4.
- Keyes 1999, p. 16
- Keyes, Daniel (September 1, 2004). Algernon, Charlie, And I: A Writer's Journey. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-547-56408-1.
- Keyes 1999, p. 97
- Hill 2004, p. 3
- Arthur Evans (December 1, 2009). "The Inspiration for Charlie Gordon". Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- "Daniel Keyes: 40 Years of Algernon". Locus Magazine. June 1997. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
- Bujalski 2002, p. 52
- "Publication: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1959". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- "Fantasy & Science Fiction: Anthology Stories (by author)". sfsite.com. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
- "The Fifth Annual of the Year's Best SF. Judith Merril. Simon & Schuster 1960". bestsf.net. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
- Silverberg 1970
- "Publication: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1979". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
- "Publication: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, May 2000". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- Hill 2004, p. 9
- Shaw, Tristan (September 7, 2019). "Meet American writer Daniel Keyes". Wayne State University. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
- Bujalski 2002, p. 21
- Bujalski 2002, p. 15
- Bujalski 2002, p. 13
- Coules 1991, p. ix
- Bujalski 2002, p. 14
- Langford, David (November 22, 2017). "Uplift". In Clute, John; Langford, David; Nicholls, Peter; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Gollancz.
For both the experimental mouse and the retarded narrator in Flowers for Algernon ... , the arc of uplifted intelligence rises high above the species norm into similarly lonely realms, only to fall again.
- Budrys, Algis (August 1966). "Galaxy Bookshelf". Galaxy Science Fiction. pp. 186–194.
- Budrys, Algis (February 1967). "Galaxy Bookshelf". Galaxy Science Fiction. pp. 188–194.
- "1967 Hugo Awards". TheHugoAwards.org. July 26, 2007. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
- Silverberg 1970, p. xii
- "Daniel Keyes to be Author Emeritus". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Archived from the original on October 9, 2000. Retrieved April 21, 2008.
- Hill 2004, pp. 7–9
- Jodi Mathews (June 22, 1999). "Controversial book removed from Texas middle school after one parent complains". firstamendmentcenter.org. Archived from the original on September 28, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
- Tony Banks Biography, tonybanks-online.com
- "Agenda / Holeulone". La Terrasse. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- Beck, Marilyn; Smith, Stacy Jenel. "A Talk with 'The Simpsons' Al Jean on the Show's 25th Anniversary". creators.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- McWeeny, Drew (August 10, 2012). "Watch: Tony Gilroy discusses his 'Flowers For Algernon' take on 'Bourne'". UPROXX. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- Edelstein, David (August 10, 2012). "The Bourne Legacy: Behavior Modification, for Secret Agents and Moviegoers Alike". Vulture. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: "Flowers For Charlie" (Episode 9.08)". Paste Magazine. July 26, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
- "Flowers for Algernon". Daniel Keyes. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
- The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon at IMDb
- Charly at IMDb
- "Flowers for Algernon by David Rogers". Dramatic Publishing. Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
- "Charlie and Algernon: book and lyrics by David Rogers, music by Charles Strouse". Dramatic Publishing. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
- "Charlie and Algernon". Musical Notes. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
- "Genesis News Com [it]: Tony Banks - A Curious Interview - 30th September 2009". www.genesis-news.com. May 13, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
- Coules 1991, p. xxiv.
- Shales, Tom (February 20, 2000). "'Algernon': Of Mouse And Man". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
- Lander, Randy. "SPIDER-MAN'S TANGLED WEB #6". thefourthrailcom. Archived from the original on May 25, 2002. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
- Beck, Marilyn; Smith, Stacy Jenel (2013). "A Talk with 'The Simpsons' Al Jean on the Show's 25th Anniversary". Creators Syndicate. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- Clements, Jonathan; Tamamuro, Motoko (November 1, 2003). The Dorama Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese TV Drama Since 1953. Stone Bridge Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-61172-521-6. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- "Embracing the Chaos of Adult Swim and Frisky Dingo". Aesthetics for Birds. May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- Lang, Derrick J. (July 22, 2013). "'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' Season 9 Spoilers Revealed At Comic-Con". The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
- "The League: "Flowers For Taco"". AV Club. October 24, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- "[JDrama] Algernon ni Hanataba wo Ep02 720p HDTV x264 AAC-DoA :: Nyaa". Nyaa. April 20, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- Bramesco, Charles (March 1, 2024). "The Most Essential Richard Lewis Episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm". Vulture. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
Sources
- Bujalski, Andrew (2002). Aglietti, Boomie; Quinio, Dennis (eds.). Flowers for Algernon: Daniel Keyes. Spark. ISBN 1-58663-514-X.
- Coules, Bert (1991). The Play of Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon (including notes by Robert Chambers). Heinemann (published 1993). ISBN 0-435-23293-2.
- Hill, Cheryl (2004). "A History of Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon" (PDF). LIBR 548F: History of the Book. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2007.
- Keyes, Daniel (1999). Algernon, Charlie and I: A Writer's Journey. Boca Raton, FL: Challcrest Press Books. ISBN 1-929519-00-1.
- Scholes, Robert (1975). Structural Fabulation: An Essay on Fiction of the Future. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press. ISBN 0-268-00570-2.
- Silverberg, Robert, ed. (1970). The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929–1964. Tom Doherty Associates. ISBN 0-7653-0537-2.
- "Flowers For Algernon". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.
External links
- "Flowers for Algernon" title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Flowers for Algernon title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- "Flowers for Algernon" on the Internet Archive
Charly (1968 film)
| Charly | |
|---|---|
 1968 theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ralph Nelson |
| Screenplay by | Stirling Silliphant |
| Based on | Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes |
| Produced by | Ralph Nelson |
| Starring | Cliff Robertson Claire Bloom Leon Janney Lilia Skala Dick Van Patten |
| Cinematography | Arthur J. Ornitz |
| Edited by | Fredric Steinkamp |
| Music by | Ravi Shankar |
Production companies | ABC Pictures Robertson and Associates Selmur Productions |
| Distributed by | Cinerama Releasing Corporation |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 106 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,225,000[3] |
| Box office | $8,500,000 (rentals)[3] |
Charly (marketed and stylized as CHAЯLY) is a 1968 American science fiction drama film directed and produced by Ralph Nelson and written by Stirling Silliphant. It is based on Flowers for Algernon, a science-fiction short story (1958) and subsequent novel (1966) by Daniel Keyes.
The film stars Cliff Robertson as Charly Gordon, an intellectually disabled adult who is selected by two doctors to undergo a surgical procedure that triples his IQ as it had done for a laboratory mouse that underwent the same procedure. The film also stars Claire Bloom, Lilia Skala, Leon Janney, Dick Van Patten and Barney Martin. Robertson had played the same role in a 1961 television adaptation titled "The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon," an episode of the anthology series The United States Steel Hour.
The film received positive reviews and was a success at the box office and later in home media sales. Robertson won Best Actor at the Academy Awards.[4]
Plot
Charly Gordon is an intellectually disabled man who lives in Boston. He has a desire to learn and has attended night school for two years, taking a class taught by Alice Kinnian. He learns to read and write, though his spelling and penmanship are poor and he is unable to spell his own name. He works as a janitor at a bakery, where his coworkers amuse themselves by taking advantage of his disability, and he enjoys playing with children at a playground.
Alice takes Charly to researchers Dr. Richard Nemur and Dr. Anna Straus, who have been investigating methods for increasing intelligence. Having successfully tested a surgical procedure on a lab mouse named Algernon, they are looking for a human test subject. They put Charly through a battery of aptitude tests and have him try to solve a series of paper mazes while Algernon runs through models of them. Charly consistently loses to Algernon, but is selected for the surgery.
After surgery, Charly loses to Algernon again and is frustrated at not immediately becoming smarter. After some time passes, he finally beats Algernon and his intelligence begins to increase. His coworkers tell him to operate a complex machine, hoping that he will break it so they can have the day off, but he successfully operates it. Embarrassed and frightened by his new intelligence, they persuade the bakery owners to fire Charly. Alice continues teaching him, but his intelligence continues to increase and eventually surpasses hers. Lacking emotional maturity, Charly becomes infatuated with Alice and confesses his love for her, but she sharply rejects his advances. He flees in an act of rebellion but eventually returns to Boston, and the two start to consider marriage.
Nemur and Straus present their research at a scientific convention. After playing the film of Charly's original aptitude tests, they bring him out for a question-and-answer session. He is now the intellectual equal or superior of everyone in the audience, but he has also developed a cynical view of humanity that the attendees mistake for humor. He reveals that Algernon has lost his enhanced intelligence and died, facts that the research team kept from him, and expects to undergo a similar decline. Fleeing the convention and seeing hallucinations of his previous self everywhere, Charly stops to help a busboy pick up a tray of dropped glasses after observing that he is intellectually disabled.
Charly overhears Alice, Nemur, and Straus discussing his situation and offers to assist in finding a way to preserve his intelligence, but their combined efforts prove fruitless. He falls into a depression and asks Alice never to visit him again. Some time later, Alice sees Charly playing with children on the playground, having fully regressed to his original level of disability.
Cast
- Cliff Robertson – Charly Gordon
- Claire Bloom – Alice Kinnian
- Lilia Skala – Anna Straus
- Leon Janney – Richard Nemur
- Ruth White – Mrs. Apple
- Dick Van Patten – Bert (as Richard Van Patten)
- Edward McNally – Gimpy (as Skipper McNally)
- Barney Martin – Hank
- William Dwyer – Joey
- Dan Morgan – Paddy
Production history
Development
The short story Flowers for Algernon had been the basis of "The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon", a 1961 television adaptation in which Robertson had also starred for The United States Steel Hour.[5] Robertson had starred in a number of television shows that were turned into films with other actors playing his roles, such as Days of Wine and Roses. He bought the rights to the story, hoping to star in the film version as well.[6]
Robertson originally hired William Goldman to write the screenplay on the strength of Goldman's novel No Way to Treat a Lady, paying him $30,000 out of his own pocket.[7] However, Robertson was unhappy with Goldman's work and then hired Stirling Silliphant to write a draft.[8]
Robertson received $25,000 for his role in the film.[9]
Release
The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on June 28, 1968.[1] It then opened at the Baronet Theatre in New York City on September 23, 1968.[1]
Box office
The film was a hit, earning $7.25 million in theatrical rentals during its release in North America, and it earned an additional $1.25 million in theatrical rentals overseas, making it the 16th-highest-grossing film of 1968.[10] After all costs were deducted (including $1,325,000 paid to profit share), the film reported a profit of $1,390,000, making it one of the few successful films made by Selmur/ABC Pictures.[3]
Critical reception
Vincent Canby called the film a "self-conscious contemporary drama, the first ever to exploit mental retardation for...the bittersweet romance of it"; he called Robertson's performance "earnest" but points out that "we [the audience] are forced into the vaguely unpleasant position of being voyeurs, congratulating ourselves for not being Charly as often as we feel a distant pity for him." Canby calls Nelson's direction "neo-Expo 67", referring to the use of split screen to "show simultaneously the reactions of two people facing each other and conversing" and the use of "little postage stamp-sized inserts of images within the larger screen frame."[11] Time magazine called Charly an "odd little movie about mental retardation and the dangers of all-conquering science, done with a dash of whimsy." While "the historic sights in and around Charly's Boston setting have never been more lovingly filmed", "The impact of [Robertson's] performance...is lessened by Producer-Director Ralph Nelson's determination to prove that he learned how to be new and now at Expo '67: almost every other sequence is done in split screens, multiple images, still shots or slow motion."[12] Screenwriter Maurice Rapf[13] called Robertson's performance "extraordinary" and called "astonishing" his on-screen "transformation from one end of the intellectual spectrum to the other"; Rapf took issue with what he called the "pyrotechnics of the camera" and the "flashy opticals", calling the effects "jarringly out of place" and better suited for a "no-story mod film like The Knack."[14]
Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, writing "The relationship between Charly (Cliff Robertson) and the girl (Claire Bloom) is handled delicately and well. She cares for him, but inadequately understands the problems he's facing. These become more serious when he passes normal IQ and moves into the genius category; his emotional development falls behind. It is this story, involving a personal crisis, which makes Charly a warm and rewarding film." By contrast, Ebert pointed out "the whole scientific hocus-pocus, which causes his crisis, is irrelevant and weakens the movie by distracting us."[15]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 55% approval rating based on 20 critical reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10.[16]
In 2009, Entertainment Weekly listed Charly among its "25 Best Movie Tearjerkers Ever."[17]
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Actor | Cliff Robertson | Won | [18] |
| Berlin International Film Festival | Golden Bear | Ralph Nelson | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | [19] | |
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Cliff Robertson | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Stirling Silliphant | Won | ||
| Hugo Awards | Best Dramatic Presentation | Ralph Nelson, Stirling Silliphant, and Daniel Keyes | Nominated | [20] |
| Laurel Awards | Top Drama | Nominated | ||
| Top Male Dramatic Performance | Cliff Robertson | Nominated | ||
| National Board of Review Awards | Top Ten Films | 4th Place | [21] | |
| Best Actor | Cliff Robertson | Won | ||
Proposed sequel
In the late 1970s, following a period of extended unemployment after having alerted authorities to illegal activities committed by Columbia Pictures president David Begelman, Robertson wrote and attempted to produce Charly II, to no avail.[22]
Home media
Charly was released on Region 1 DVD by MGM Home Entertainment on March 31, 2005.[23]
See also
- Algernon Charles Swinburne
- List of American films of 1968
- Charlie and Algernon, a musical based upon the original story, Flowers for Algernon.
- Flowers for Algernon (film), a 2000 television film starring Matthew Modine as Charly.
References
- Charly at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- "Charly (1968): Original Print Information". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- "ABC's 5 Years of Film Production Profits & Losses", Variety, May 31, 1973, pg 3.
- "1969|Oscars.org". Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- "Charly (1968): Notes". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- Karen, Zraick (September 11, 2011). "Oscar-winner Cliff Robertson dies in US at 88". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
- Dennis Brown, Shoptalk, Newmarket Press, 1992 p 63
- William Goldman, Adventures in the Screen Trade, 1982 p 164-176
- Loynd, Ray (April 25, 1969). "No Flap Over Oscar Absence--Robertson". Los Angeles Times. p. i10.
- "Top Grossing Films of 1968". Listal.com.
- Vincent Canby (September 24, 1968). "The Screen: Cliff Robertson in Title Role of Charly". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- "Cinema: Medical Menace". Time. October 18, 1968. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- "Maurice Rapf". IMDb. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
- Maurice Rapf (November 1, 1968). "Is Charly Cuter Than Necessary?". Life. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- Roger Ebert (December 31, 1968). "Charly". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- "Charly". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- "25 Best Movie Tearjerkers Ever". Entertainment Weekly. June 26, 2009. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- "The 41st Academy Awards (1969) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 21, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
- "Charly". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- "1969 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. July 26, 2007. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- "1968 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- Michelle Green (December 5, 1983). "Hollywood's Mr. Clean Shot Down David Begelman; Now the Actor Has Pulled His Career Out of a Nose Dive". People. 20 (23). Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
Hoping to capitalize on his 1968 Oscar-winning role in Charly, playing a mentally retarded man who becomes, briefly, a genius, he wrote and began peddling Charly II, only to have the film's backers pull out.
- "Amazon.com". Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
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