KU Med Center - Cookoo's Nest Connection

I was watching One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest this past weekend and I was intriqued by the scene where McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is interviewed by the head of the asylum, Dr. Spivey (Dean Brooks) upon arriving. Dr. Spivey's reactions and interview technique reminded me of my father. Dad worked as a resident psychologist and prof. at the KU Med Center from 1969 until his retirement a few years ago.

Surprisingly, the actor who play Dr. Spivey in the film is no actor at all. He's Dr. Dean Brooks, head of the Oregon State Hospital where the movie was filmed. According to the IMDB, the scene with Nicholson was mostly improvised. No wonder his reactions seemed genuine. In a final coincidence, Dr. Brooks graduated from the University of Kansas Medical School in 1942!