science

Mine Own Executioner

Mine Own Executioner is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mine Own Executioner rather than just read about it. In short: Mine Own Executioner is a 1947 British psychological thriller drama film starring Burgess Meredith and directed by Anthony Kimmins, and based on the novel of the same name by Nigel Balchin. It was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.

Key takeaways

Mine Own Executioner belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mine Own Executioner to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mine Own Executioner from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mine Own Executioner is a 1947 British psychological thriller drama film starring Burgess Meredith and directed by Anthony Kimmins, and based on the novel of the same name by Nigel Balchin. It was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival. The title is derived from a quotation of John Donne's "Devotions", which serves as an epigraph for the original book.

Plot Felix Milne (Meredith) is an overworked psychologist with psychological problems of his own. Molly Lucian seeks Milne's help in treating her husband Adam Lucian; a former fighter pilot, traumatised from his experiences in a Japanese POW camp (and escape from the prison camp). Peter and Barbara spend the evening with Felix and his wife, in a private moment between Felix and Peter, Peter speaks about Barabara desires and suggests Barabara needs help, and subsequently Barabara visits for a consultation. Barbara makes advances, but is rejected by Felix. Adam meets Felix for a consultation. [Age:28, father: barrister, mother: wife], Adam has a injured leg. Adam Lucian is about to become severely schizophrenic. Peter and Barabra have a party. Felix suggests Barbara they should meet again in the future. (Felix finds Barbara attractive). Adam has taken Felix walking stick as a metaphor for needing Felix's support. Adam steals a Gold cigarette case from Regent's Street for Felix. Adam admits to stealing lots of objects in an attempt to shock. Felix does not care or shocked about the stealing. Adam wants to strangle his wife, as he explains his dream in a session. Felix presses for information about the past prison camp experience, but Adam resists. Barbara and Felix meet by accident, and go shopping together, purchasing a fur coat for Felix's wife and go on to have a drink together. Felix presents the coat to his wife for her birthday, she exceptionally pleased. Barbara arrives with a present, and admits to the Advanced knowledge of the coat, having tried on the coat previously. Barbara leaves and a small disagreement ensues. To make matters worse, Felix finds his own home life deteriorating.

Cast Burgess Meredith as Felix Milne Kieron Moore as Adam Lucian Dulcie Gray as Patricia Milne Michael Shepley as Peter Edge Christine Norden as Barbara Edge Barbara White as Molly Lucian Walter Fitzgerald as Dr. Norris Pile Edgar Norfolk as Sir George Freethorne John Laurie as Dr. James Garsten Martin Miller as Dr. Hans Tautz Clive Morton as Robert Paston Joss Ambler as Julian Briant Jack Raine as Inspector Pierce Laurence Hanray as Dr. Lefage Helen Haye as Lady Maresfield John Stuart as Dr. John Hayling

Production The American actor Burgess Meredith was cast in the lead. At the same time, his wife Paulette Goddard was also hired by Alexander Korda to appear in An Ideal Husband (1947). Australian Frederic Hilton worked as technical adviser.

Reception The New York Times noted a "serious, adult and highly interesting film drama both in point of view and execution," singling out the work of writer Balchin, director Kimmins, and producer Korda, alongside stars Burgess Meredith and Kieron Moore. As of 30 June 1949, the film had earned £143,632 in the UK of which £101,963 went to the producer. The film was picketed on its US release by the Sons of Liberty, an anti-British group active at the time. The picketing was part of the group's call to boycott British films and products, and had little to do with Mine Own Executioner itself.

References

External links Mine Own Executioner at IMDb Review of film at Variety

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mine Own Executioner

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mine Own Executioner claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mine Own Executioner before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mine Own Executioner ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mine Own Executioner

In research: Mine Own Executioner appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mine Own Executioner in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mine Own Executioner is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1940s psychological thriller films, 1947 British films, 1947 English-language films, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mine Own Executioner outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mine Own Executioner in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mine Own Executioner means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mine Own Executioner out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mine Own Executioner in simple terms?

Why does Mine Own Executioner matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mine Own Executioner?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mine Own Executioner.