Third of a Man Reviews

Gaines is the illegitimate son of Drury and Shepard. Shepard will not marry the man because of his violent streak, and she is raising the boy. The family secret is Oakland, Drury's mute brother confined to an insane asylum. Oakland is terrified of water and escapes after a guard turns a hose on him. He meets Gaines, and the two develop a friendship. Oakland overcomes his fear of water when he saves Gaines from drowning. He carries the boy in his arms. But the posse looking for the escapee think he has harmed the child, and Oakland is returned to the hospital after a beating. Gaines runs away to join his uncle, and Drury follows. The boy locks Drury in a room with some patients, and Drury comes to realize that these people mean him no harm. He promises to visit his brother the next day, and Oakland says "tomorrow," the first word he has spoken in years. The drama tries to be meaningful but never goes beyond shallow emotions and characterizations. There are too many cliches and stereotypes for this story to be successful. Oakland's attempts to inject some sympathy into his character are undercut by seeming homages to FRANKENSTEIN, a wholly inappropriate idea.