IMDb > Experiment Perilous (1944)

Experiment Perilous (1944) More at IMDbPro »

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   326 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jacques Tourneur
Writers:
Warren Duff (screenplay)
Margaret Carpenter (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for Experiment Perilous on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 December 1944 (USA) more
Genre:
Romance | Thriller more
Plot:
In 1903, a doctor suspects murder in the gothic Bederaux family. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. more
User Comments:
dark society drama more (16 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Hedy Lamarr ... Allida Bederaux
George Brent ... Dr. Huntington Bailey
Paul Lukas ... Nick Bederaux
Albert Dekker ... 'Clag' Claghorn
Carl Esmond ... John Maitland
Olive Blakeney ... Clarissa 'Cissie' Bederaux
George N. Neise ... Alec / Gregory
Margaret Wycherly ... Maggie, the Maid
Stephanie Bachelor ... Elaine
Mary Servoss ... Miss Wilson
Julia Dean ... Deria
William Post Jr. ... District Attorney
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
91 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15
Company:
RKO Radio Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The title is a common variation of a line from Hippocrates, the Greek Father of Medicine: "Life is short, art is long, decision difficult, and experiment perilous." The line is recited by Nick Bederaux in the film. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Towards the end of the film, when Dr. Bailey attacks Nick and the two briefly fight, it's very obvious that the people seen fighting are stunt doubles. Nick's stunt double doesn't even have the same hair color. more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
dark society drama, 11 May 2006
8/10
Author: mgrindberg from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

Atmospheric account of a chance meeting on a train that leads a doctor (George Brent) into the strange world of a young woman (Hedy Lamar) and her much older husband (Paul Lukas) . The opening takes place on a night time train ride to New York through cascading rainfall, and the inclement weather conditions continue on into a snowy and cloudy New York of the early 1900's. A story of a rich and jealous older husband with a lovely young wife, whom he had groomed in Parisian salons to enter society, and now feels insecure when she's enjoying the very society that he paid thousands of dollars to educate her to be in, who grew up in Austria and became laden with guilt and who now is so damaged that he can't see clearly enough to recognize his own good circumstances, and thus ruins everything. Director Jacques Tourneur dissects this pathological family (they have a son whom they keep in a bedroom which is up a spiral staircase) with great attention, creating some believable menace in true psychological suspense style. The need for a hero figure (Brent) to rescue the pretty Lamar and her innocent young son and provide a suitable conclusion, and Lamar's rather distracted and distant acting style are legitimate quibbles, but the overall tone is intelligently dark and serious.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (16 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Experiment Perilous (1944)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Strangers on a Train Gone with the Wind Kings Row Leave Her to Heaven Eyes Wide Shut
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Romance section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.