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Bewitched (1945)
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Overview
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Director:
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Release Date:
4 July 1945 (USA)
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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. full summary | add synopsis
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There Are Compensations
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Cast
(Complete credited 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 |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Alter Ego (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:
65 min
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Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
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This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (7 total)
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Bewitched (1945)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| didya ever see the movie trailer for this baby ??? | dewey42001 |
| Could Henry H. Daniels, Jr. BE a Worse Actor? | Niro |
| Twillight zone | MrSpocksCat |
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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 imaginationhis 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.