Bewitched (1945)

Director:

Arch Oboler

Writers:

Arch Oboler (adaptation)
Arch Oboler (story)

Release Date:

4 July 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

SHE LIVED TWO AMAZING LIVES! Darling of Society... Cruel Love-Killer

Plot:

A young woman has two distinct personalities, one of whom is evil and constantly gets her in trouble.

Plot Keywords:

Schizophrenia

Cast

Phyllis Thaxter	...	Joan Alris Ellis
Edmund Gwenn	...	Dr. Bergson
Henry H. Daniels Jr.	...	Bob Arnold
Addison Richards	...	John Ellis
Kathleen Lockhart	...	Mrs. Ellis
Francis Pierlot	...	Dr. George Wilton
Sharon McManus	...	Small Girl
Gladys Blake	...	Glenda
Will Wright	...	Mr. Herkheimer
Stephen McNally	...	Eric Russell (as Horace McNally)
Oscar O'Shea	...	Capt. O'Malley
Minor Watson	...	Governor
Virginia Brissac	...	Martha--Governor's Wife

Also Known As:

Alter Ego (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Quotes:

[When Joan's fiancee comes to take her home, Joan's evil alter ego has other idea's]
Karen: The scissors. Pick them up. Kill him! Lift your arm. Higher... higher... higher. Now - strike!

There Are Compensations

No need to repeat the plot. The force behind the movie is Arch Oboler, an established radio heavyweight at the time. From his credits, it looks like he kept searching for a handle in Hollywood but never quite found it. Certainly, it wasn't from lack of imagination—his 1951 film "Five" dealt with nuclear post-apocalypse in a resourceful and compelling way at a time when no studio would touch the subject. That same bold imagination is evident in this movie as well. The professionals dismiss the film as "heavy-handed", which it is. However, there are compensations that are too easily overlooked.

Aside from Thaxter's fine performance, the movie contains several profoundly imaginative touches. Catch that moody dollying shot down the deserted city street that finally fixes on a cringing Thaxter hiding behind an open doorway. Not only is it great atmosphere, but it also sort of sums up Thaxter's predicament. She's afraid to come out into world for risk of immediate exposure, so she clings fearfully to a hidden world where only she exists. It's a well-conceived and artfully executed passage. Then there's that darn-near sublime set-up with Thaxter huddled in a concert hallway while we see a long-shot of a vocalist pinpointed by a thin beam of light. The woman intones a mournful version of My Old Kentucky Home, like the proverbial voice in the darkened wilderness. It may be the only glimpse we get of Thaxter's true inner self, summed up poetically.

But the overly literal side does unfortunately predominate, and I wish someone had more confidence in audience imagination. For one thing, that would have eliminated the two hokey doppelgangers in the exorcism scene. Also, the conventional happy ending is much too pat for the problem being dealt with, but is indicative of the time. And if I'm not mistaken, there's a quick reference from Gwenn to Thaxter's problem as being genetic, as if a multiple personality trait can be passed along in the genes. I'm no clinical psychologist, but I doubt seriously this is the prevailing view. Anyway, it's too bad Oboler couldn't get a better handle on Hollywood. I think his credits showed genuine promise. This movie may be unfortunately flawed (perhaps because of studio dictates), but the very real compensations should not be overlooked.