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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Silvia Richards (screenplay) and
Ranald MacDougall (screenplay) ...
more
Release Date:
26 July 1947 (USA) more
Plot:
A dazed woman walks the streets of Los Angeles looking for a man named David. After collapsing in a diner... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. more
NewsDesk:
How to Get Any Old Warner Bros Film on DVD
(From Worst Previews. 23 March 2009, 2:00 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Joan at Warner's - she ROCKS more (41 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Joan Crawford | ... | Louise Howell | |
| Van Heflin | ... | David Sutton | |
| Raymond Massey | ... | Dean Graham | |
| Geraldine Brooks | ... | Carol Graham | |
| Stanley Ridges | ... | Dr. Willard | |
| John Ridgely | ... | Chief investigator of drowning | |
| Moroni Olsen | ... | Dr. Ames - Mrs. Smith's psychiatrist | |
| Erskine Sanford | ... | Dr. Sherman - Graham's physician at inquest | |
| Peter Miles | ... | Wynn Graham (as Gerald Perreau) | |
| Jakob Gimpel | ... | Walter Sveldon - pianist (as Jacob Gimpel) | |
| Isabel Withers | ... | Nurse Rosen | |
| Lisa Golm | ... | Elsie - Graham's maid in DC | |
| Douglas Kennedy | ... | District Attorney at inquest | |
| Monte Blue | ... | Norris - lake house caretaker | |
| Don McGuire | ... | Dr. Craig - Dr. Willard's asst. |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
The Secret (USA) (working title)
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
108 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
UK:A (original rating) (1947) | UK:PG (video rating) (1994) | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #11828, Adult Audience)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Bette Davis was originally offered the role of Louise, but turned it down to go on maternity leave. more
Goofs:
Plot holes: When Louise is brought into the hospital, Dr Willard examines her and says to another doctor that she's "beautiful, intelligent, and frustrated". However, she's in a coma so he has no way of knowing if she's intelligent or frustrated. more
Quotes:
Carol Graham:
How many have you had?
David Sutton:
Oooh... easily!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Outrageous! (1977) more
Soundtrack:
Carnaval, Opus 9 more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (41 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Possessed (1947)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Possessed by 'Van Heflin'?????? | HoferPM-1 |
| Louise in Los Angeles? | Babo2 |
| Scary Moment | emmas_place2003 |
| Joan Crawford's shoes? | Western |
| help | Alexandrico |
| Massey part (Graham) | angelroom |
Recommendations
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| Magic | Spellbound | The Naked Kiss | Slaughterhouse-Five | Leave Her to Heaven |
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Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |

For the young Joan Crawford, MGM was the perfect studio. All that gloss, rags to riches, Gable, and gowns. But MGM had a hard time with actresses as they aged and the old formulas weren't working anymore - Shearer, Garbo, and Crawford being three such examples. The other two quit, but Joan went over to Warner Brothers and revived her career.
It was a good move. I love the Crawford films at Warner's. They were grand potboilers enlivened by her presence.
Possessed is post-war, and after the war, the new rage was psychology. This movie is full of it. I'm not sure the diagnosis and terminology is correct in the film, but in layman's term, Crawford plays a total whack job. As her story unfolds to a doctor, she's a nurse taking care of Raymond Massey's wife, and she's seeing Van Heflin on a casual basis. When she falls in love with him, Heflin announces he's restless because of the war and is taking off. And that's when Joan takes off - emotionally. She becomes completely obsessed with him, and this leads to hallucinations, hysteria, and finally a psychotic break. She has able assistance by Heflin, who pops in and out and gets involved with Crawford's stepdaughter (Crawford is now married to the widower Massey). When the movie begins, she's wandering the street saying "David," which is Heflin's name in the movie.
One of the posters suggested Tyrone Power for this role. I'm all for him in any movie, and it's true, the presence of a big star as David would have elevated the film to a grander status. As it is, it's an excellent vehicle for Crawford, who runs the gamut of emotions.
Raymond Massey is stoic and solid as Crawford's new husband, and the lovely Geraldine Brooks, who died too soon, plays the stepdaughter. Her youthful vivacity is in sharp contrast to Crawford's borderline insanity and makes for great watching. Heflin, as the object of all the possession obsession, is smooth and detached.
But make no mistake about it. This is Joan Crawford's show and she makes the most of it. The script will keep you interested, and you won't be able to take your eyes off of Joan descending into madness.