The Misadventures of Merlin Jones

Midvale College student Merlin Jones designs a helmet that connects to an electroencephalographic tape to record mental activity. The device is intended to reveal thoughts by reading brain waves. This invention sets the stage for his later mind-reading experiments.

Merlin wears the helmet while driving and is brought before Judge Holmsby. The judge suspends his driver's license as punishment for using the device. The confrontation marks the first major clash between Merlin's experiments and the authorities.

Back at the lab, Merlin tests the device again and realizes it can read minds beyond his own expectations. He experiences direct mental insights into others' thoughts and intentions. The capability prompts him to consider practical uses of mind-reading.

Holmsby visits the diner where Merlin works part-time and Merlin, using the helmet, learns that the judge is planning a crime. He informs the police about what he knows, but they dismiss him as a crackpot. The encounter exposes the judge's double life as both a judge and a possible criminal.

Merlin and his girlfriend Jennifer break into Judge Holmsby's house in search of evidence of criminal intent. They are arrested by the police during the break-in. The incident deepens the conflict between Merlin and Holmsby and raises the stakes of the investigation.

While in custody, Holmsby confesses that he is the crime book author Lex Fortis and asks that this identity be kept confidential. The revelation adds a layer of deception to his public persona and its relevance to the case. Merlin's world becomes entangled with fiction and real crime.

Merlin's next experiment uses hypnotism on Midvale's lab chimp, Stanley, to make him stand up to Norman, the bully overseeing Stanley's care. The tactic triggers a confrontation with Norman and escalates tensions at the lab. The experiment demonstrates Merlin's growing ability to influence minds, both human and non-human.

After the fight with Norman, Merlin is brought before Judge Holmsby again. The judge, intrigued by Merlin's experiments, asks for help in constructing a mystery plot for his next book. This request shows how the boundary between science and storytelling begins to blur in their interactions.

Thinking no honest person can be compelled to commit a crime, Merlin hypnotizes Holmsby and instructs him to kidnap Stanley. To everyone's shock, the judge actually carries out the crime. Merlin and Jennifer realize the judge is the kidnapper and race to correct the situation.

Merlin and Jennifer manage to return Stanley to Midvale, but are themselves charged with the theft. The arrest complicates their lives and tests their loyalty to one another. The situation underscores the unintended consequences of Merlin's experiments.

In a courtroom twist, Holmsby sentences Merlin to jail, completely unaware that he himself orchestrated the crime. The irony highlights how justice can be blind to its own complicity. Merlin faces punishment despite his good intentions.

Jennifer persuades Holmsby of his own guilt, and the judge concedes that a little dishonesty may exist in everybody. The film closes on a note that truth and morality are more nuanced than legal definitions alone. The line between fiction and crime finally blurs into moral insight.