Villain(s)  Disembodied, pulsating brain

Actor(s):  Vera Ralston, Richard Arlen, Erich von Stroheim, Helen Vinson

Brief Description  The Lady and the Monster (1944) is an American science fiction horror film directed by George Sherman and produced by Republic Pictures. It is highly significant as the very first cinematic adaptation of Curt Siodmak’s famous 1942 sci-fi novel, Donovan's Brain. The movie blends the "mad scientist" tropes of classic 1940s horror with elements of a psychological crime thriller.

Plot:
The story takes place in a remote Arizona desert castle converted into a laboratory. The brilliant but obsessive Professor Franz Mueller is experimenting with keeping surgically removed animal brains alive in nutrient tanks. When a nearby plane crash results in a dying survivor, Mueller secretly extracts the man's brain before he passes away.

The brain belongs to William H. Donovan, an unscrupulous and incredibly wealthy multimillionaire. Instead of just keeping the tissue alive, Mueller's electric treatments cause the disembodied brain to grow massively in power. Donovan's brain begins emitting strong telepathic waves, eventually seizing control of the mind of Mueller's young assistant, Dr. Patrick Cory.

Under the brain’s malevolent influence, Cory alters his personality and travels to Los Angeles to access Donovan's hidden bank accounts, settle old scores, and manipulate a legal trial to free a convicted murderer. The "lady" of the title, Janice Farrell—who is also an assistant and Cory's love interest—must find a way to break the brain’s telepathic hold over him before his identity is erased entirely.