Bert Freed, born in 1919 in The Bronx, New York, made his mark as a character actor in the 1950s and 1960s. He appeared in The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) as well as Invaders from Mars (1953), showcasing his versatility in both drama and science fiction. Freed's role in Shock Treatment (1964) further solidified his presence in cult cinema, where his unique approach to character work added depth to the often outrageous narratives. With a career that began on Broadway, Freed's transition to film allowed him to explore the eccentricities of genre cinema, making him a notable figure in the SassyFlix catalog.
Shock Treatment
Former psychiatric patient Martin Ashley is declared sane and released from an insane asylum. He works as gardener and chauffeur for a wealthy woman in Beverly Hills. Tired of being verbally abused, he kills her and surrenders to police. During the court proceedings, it is revealed that Ashley burned one million dollars of his employer's money because he considered money to be the source of all evils. The court deems him insane and returns him to his old insane asylum into the care of his old psychiatrist, Doctor Edwina Beighley. The estate's executor, Harley Manning, believes that Ashley is faking insanity and has murdered the old lady for her money. Manning believes the money wasn't burned but stashed away somewhere. He hires an actor, Dale Nelson, to feign insanity in order to be sent for psychiatric evaluation at the same institution where Martin Ashley is. For a fee, Dale Nelson agrees. He commits a misdemeanor and the court sends him for a 30 day evaluation at the psychiatric institution. Once inside, he is to befriend Martin Ashley and find out where the million dollars is stashed. However, Dale Nelson and his employer, executor Harley Manning, aren't the only ones interested in finding the money. Starved of research grants and funds, unscrupulous psychiatrist Dr. Edwina Beighley also wants to find out whether her patient, Martin Ashley, has really burned the million dollars or has stashed away someplace. She figures she can use hypnosis on Ashley to wrest the information out of him. Doctor Beighley and amateur sleuth Dale Nelson are on a colliding course but Beighley has a syringe full of nasty experimental drugs in her hand and Nelson is strapped to a bed in the electroshock therapy room. He needs a fast miracle to help him get out of the mess he got himself into.
