''Santo contra el cerebro del mal'' (marketed as ''Santo vs. the Evil Brain'' and ''Brain of Evil'' outside of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

) is a 1961 Cuban-Mexican

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

film directed by Joselito Rodríguez and starring Joaquín Cordero, Norma Suárez, Enrique Zambrano and Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (who plays the

title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...

, Santo). It is the first ''Santo'' film chronologically. Released in 1961, it was filmed in Cuba in 1958, shortly before

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...

entered Havana.

Plot

The film opens with three

gangsters A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level ...

cornering Santo ( Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta) in a deserted alley and knock him out. He is taken to the laboratory of a crazed Doctor Campos (Joaquín Cordero) and turned into a docile servant of the mad doctor through a series of injections and electric shocks. Campos is apparently a respected scientist, the friend of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

Zambrano. Zambrano warns him to beware: other scientists have recently been kidnapped. Almost as they speak, the gangsters and the brainwashed Santo assault the

bodyguards A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public officials, wealthy business ...

of a Doctor Lowel and carry off the scientist. He is later given the brainwashing treatment at Campos' lab. The bodyguards tell Zambrano that Santo, an undercover agent for the police force, was one of the kidnappers. Meanwhile, another undercover agent, El Incógnito (Fernando Osés) uses a special device to locate the hideout of Doctor Campos. Elisa (Norma Suárez), Campos' secretary, meets Gerardo (Alberto Inzúa), her boyfriend and the assistant of Campos (in relation to his good scientific work only) outside a bank. Elisa tries to speak to the bank manager, but gets an empty response; he has actually been brainwashed by Campos. The brainwashed manager then proceeds to rob the bank, as Campos monitors the happenings. It later unfolds that Campos has a liking for Elisa; he then asks his henchmen to kidnap her. The crime is reported by Gerardo. Zambrano deduces that the reason for Elisa's kidnapping was that she was a key witness to the bank robbery. Meanwhile, Doctor Campos hands an agent a few classified papers, promising to sell him a formula for a "cell disintegrator" the following day. Incógnito returns to the laboratory and overcomes Santo after a tough and hard-won fight. The black-masked Incógnito injects Santo with the

antidote An antidote is a substance that can counteract a form of poisoning. The term ultimately derives from the Greek term φάρμακον ἀντίδοτον ''(pharmakon antidoton)'', "(medicine) given as a remedy". An older term in English which is ...

to the brainwashing serum, but tells Santo to pretend that he is still brainwashed. Doctor Campos hands Gerardo a drugged drink and flees to his lab via a secret passageway. He arrives at the hideout; the foreign agent arrives with another man to check the plans for the cell disintegrator. However, Zambrano, having been tipped off by El Incógnito, orders a raid on the lab. Santo and Incógnito battle Campos' henchmen as the police arrive, but Campos manages to escape with Elisa. Returning to his house, Campos holds Elisa hostage. Incógnito distracts him while Santo climbs up over the roof to sneak in through the back way; Campos shoots El Incógnito, but Gerardo wakes up from his drugged stupor and struggles with him. Santo bursts in and fights with Campos, who seizes a knife and is ready to kill the masked wrestler until Zambrano shoots him in the nick of time. With his dying breath, Campos apologizes to Elisa.

Cast

* Joaquín Cordero as Doctor Campos * Norma Suárez as Elisa * Enrique Zambrano as

Zambrano * Alberto Inzúa as Gerardo * Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta as Santo (known as El Enmascarado within the film) * Fernando Osés as El Incognito

Notes

References

External links

* * {{rotten-tomatoes, id=santo_contra_el_cerebro_del_mal, title=Santo contra cerebro del mal 1961 horror films 1961 films Cuban speculative fiction films Mexican horror films Films shot in Cuba Cultural depictions of El Santo 1960s Mexican films

Plot

Cast

See also

Notes

References

External links