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The Snake Pit (1948) 7.5
Virginia Cunningham finds herself in a state insane asylum...and can't remember how she got there. In flashback, her husband Robert relates their courtship, marriage, and her developing ... See full summary » Director:Anatole Litvak |
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Title: The Snake Pit (1948)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Olivia de Havilland | ... | ||
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Mark Stevens | ... |
Robert Cunningham
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| Leo Genn | ... |
Dr. Mark Kik
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| Celeste Holm | ... |
Grace
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Glenn Langan | ... |
Dr. Terry
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Helen Craig | ... |
Nurse Davis
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| Leif Erickson | ... |
Gordon
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| Beulah Bondi | ... |
Mrs. Greer
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Lee Patrick | ... |
Asylum Inmate
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| Howard Freeman | ... |
Dr. Curtis
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| Natalie Schafer | ... |
Mrs. Stuart
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Ruth Donnelly | ... |
Ruth
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Katherine Locke | ... |
Margaret
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Frank Conroy | ... |
Dr. Jonathan Gifford
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Minna Gombell | ... |
Miss Hart
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
Virginia Cunningham finds herself in a state insane asylum...and can't remember how she got there. In flashback, her husband Robert relates their courtship, marriage, and her developing symptoms. The asylum staff are not demonized, but fear, ignorance and regimentation keep Virginia in a state of misery, as pipesmoking Dr. Mark Kik struggles through wheels within wheels to find the root of her problem. Then a relapse plunges Virginia back into the harrowing 'Snake Pit'... Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Taglines:
Married and in Love . . . with a Man She Didn't Know or Want!Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
13 November 1948 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Die Schlangengrube See more »Filming Locations:
Stage 2, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USACompany Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Doctor Mark Kik: What is it?
Virginia Stuart Cunningham: Everything you've said seems to make sense. I feel as though I know it,
[places hand on her heart]
Virginia Stuart Cunningham: here...
Doctor Mark Kik: But you don't quite understand it all, here?
[points, with his pipe, to his head]
Doctor Mark Kik: Don't worry, it doesn't matter. You may never know *why* everything happened, but now you do know *how* and *where* it started, and that *does* matter. Look, it's as though you were in a dark room, like this one...
[turns off light switch]
Doctor Mark Kik: ... now. And you wanted to turn on the ...
See more »
(1876) (uncredited)
Music by Johannes Brahms
Played at a concert
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The character of the gentle psychiatrist was based on the real-life career of Dr. Gerard Chrzanowski, who told his patients to call him simply "Dr. Kik." Dr. Chrzanowski died in November, 2000 at age 87. See more »Goofs
After the young Virginia smashes the head of the soldier doll (that reminds her of her father)into several pieces, she is later seen carrying the unbroken doll on the night of her father's death. The intact doll again appears in the apartment that she lives in as an adult. See more »Quotes
Virginia Stuart Cunningham: [sighs] It's funny.Doctor Mark Kik: What is it?
Virginia Stuart Cunningham: Everything you've said seems to make sense. I feel as though I know it,
[places hand on her heart]
Virginia Stuart Cunningham: here...
Doctor Mark Kik: But you don't quite understand it all, here?
[points, with his pipe, to his head]
Doctor Mark Kik: Don't worry, it doesn't matter. You may never know *why* everything happened, but now you do know *how* and *where* it started, and that *does* matter. Look, it's as though you were in a dark room, like this one...
[turns off light switch]
Doctor Mark Kik: ... now. And you wanted to turn on the ...
See more »
Soundtracks
"Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, 4th movement"(1876) (uncredited)
Music by Johannes Brahms
Played at a concert
See more »
"The Snake Pit" is based on a true story written by Mary Jane Ward in the hopes it would bring to the attention of the people, the horrors that a person faced in a mental institution at the time, pre-1948. The character, Virginia, was based on Miss Ward's own experience in a mental hospital. Even though the film was nominated for various Oscars, it only won for the musical score. I think that was probably because at the time mental illness was considered taboo. Olivia deHavilland acted the character of Virginia brilliantly as did everyone else in the film and Betsy Blair in her portrayal of Hester looked like she was completely and totally beyond help. Just look at her eyes. You will see what I mean. To this very day, I think it is the most haunting and most accurate of all films that have been released on the treatment of emotional disorders. I think all characters were portrayed as Mary Jane Ward wanted them to be portrayed, as I studied her book and watched the film while in high school in the early 1960's. Great book and a great film not afraid to show the abuse by certain medical personnel.