I saw this one as part of the recently released "Gorehouse Greats" collection of public domain movies. I have to confess that the presence of this movie was my main reason for buying the package (admittedly, it was only $5 for 12 movies). I had always wondered what kind of goofy insanity could lay behind a title like that (at the time, I didn't understand the history of the film, so thanks to the intrepid posters here at IMDb.) I got my answer: "Madmen/Hitler" is a dopey, low budget B&W action and intrigue caper with a McGuffin Hitler head and a plot to devastate the world with "C-Gas". It appears to have been written by a committee of "Mens Adventure Magazine" hacks (think of the old "Argosy" covers) who were then censored and bowdlerized by the Better Homes and Garden Editorial Board, who took what should have been a juicy thriller and turned it into "Hugh Beaumont and Donna Reed Fight the Nazis on a bunch of sound stages in Mexico-land".Well, the cast goes through the motions, and there are a couple of decent character bits from some of the minor players, and there's at least one attempt at a Hitchcock style black-humor trope that sort of works. And Hitler's head does melt down real good at the end.This isn't the kind of film that makes you want to wash your eyes with broken glass...it's just kind of trite and misconceived. I suppose it was worth the price of purchase just to satisfy my long-standing curiosity about it, but don't you bother.

In 1964, several of us missed the last city bus out of downtown L.A. back to our West-side dorm, so we found an all-night theater and paid 75 cents to sit in an uncomfortable, unpadded wooden seat. "Gypsy" was the first film, in Technicolor. A Jeffrey Hunter vehicle was next; I think it was "Key Witness" in black and white, filmed on the streets of L.A. The three of us were the only people in the theater awake for the first two films because we couldn't figure out how get anywhere near comfortable. Then, onto the screen came "The Madmen of Mandoras." By now -- probably 4 a.m., I'd figured out how to sleep in the seat, but the denizens of downtown L.A., for whom this was the cheapest bed available, woke up and got into the movie. (Spoiler alert.) By the time the flames engulfed Hitler's head, which was in some sort of electrified vat of sustaining clear fluid, there were cheers. I'm sure plenty of World War II vets were in the audience, glad to know that Hitler had finally melted. (Oh, no, I gave away the ending.) The moment that "The End" appeared on screen, the beadles were at the back of the theater, banging on seats with bats to wake any remaining sleepers and to roust us out of the theater. The program was timed to the minute to end just as the first rays of the sun brought another day to L.A. "All night" and not a minute more. It was a perfect triple bill: an almost-first-run Hollywood A film, a forgettable B picture, and "Madmen of Mandoras," too awful to be a camp, cult classic, but memorable nonetheless.

Scientist working a new nerve gas is kidnapped and taken to the title location where he is forced to help a bunch of Nazi's with Hitler's head under glass in their plans to take over the world. This is the shorter original version of the film with the infamous title They Saved Hitler's Brain. Running some 75 minutes the film was deemed too short for TV sale and an additional 20 minutes shot in the early 1970's was added. As it stands in its original version the film isn't quite as horrendous as the legend makes it out to be. The film certainly is enjoyable in a good bad movie sort of way, I mean how can you not enjoy the five foot tall ham bone playing Hitler prancing around and over acting in his sequences before he ends up as a head under glass? A perfect late night film, the film is better than its reputation, especially when freed of the almost unwatchable added opening. I think the reason the film has the poor reputation, and rightly so, is the concept of Hitler's head under glass is so incredibly stupid that it ruins any chance the film might otherwise have had. I kind of like the film in a twisted sort of way. Worth a look in this watchable form (The longer "They Saved…" is not).Between 6 and 7 out of 10 depending upon ones mood.

Brilliant. Acted with passion, I was incredibly moved by this production. You can feel the sorrow and remorse from the Madmen. One does feel sorry for them. Mandoras didn't deserve what happened to it, but you just knew that no blame could have been placed on these poor wretched Madmen. Buy this on Video right now and enjoy!