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Bigger Than Life (1956)

95 min  -  Drama   -  2 August 1956 (USA)
7.5
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Ratings: 7.5/10 from 2,312 users  
Reviews: 45 user | 50 critic

A seriously ill schoolteacher becomes dependent on a "miracle" drug that begins to affect his sanity.

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

Cyril Hume (story), Richard Maibaum (story), and 7 more credits »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Mason ...
Ed Avery
Barbara Rush ...
Lou Avery
Walter Matthau ...
Wally Gibbs
Robert F. Simon Robert F. Simon ...
Dr. Norton (as Robert Simon)
Christopher Olsen Christopher Olsen ...
Richie Avery
Roland Winters Roland Winters ...
Dr. Ruric
Rusty Lane Rusty Lane ...
Bob LaPorte
Rachel Stephens Rachel Stephens ...
Nurse
Kipp Hamilton Kipp Hamilton ...
Pat Wade
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Storyline

Schoolteacher and family man Ed Avery, who's been suffering bouts of severe pain and even blackouts, is hospitalized with what's diagnosed as a rare inflammation of the arteries. Told by doctors that he probably has only months to live, Ed agrees to an experimental treatment: doses of the hormone cortisone. Ed makes a remarkable recovery, and returns home to his wife, Lou, and their son, Richie. He must keep taking cortisone tablets regularly to prevent a recurrence of his illness. But the "miracle" cure turns into its own nightmare as Ed starts to abuse the tablets, causing him to experience increasingly wild mood swings. Written by Eugene Kim <genekim@concentric.net>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Cortisone | Schoolteacher | Illness | Miracle Drug | Drug  | See more »

Taglines:

The Motion Picture You've Been Hearing About ... Reading About ... And Talking About! See more »

Genres:

Drama

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Mensch oder Teufel See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

 | (FMC Library Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (optical prints) (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Though only Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum are credited for the screenplay, the shooting script was entirely re-worked by director Nicholas Ray and actor/producer James Mason, who added the first 20 minutes of the film depicting Ed Avery's daily life before being hospitalized. Re-writes by Ray, his friend Gavin Lambert (who at that time was living together with Ray, recently confessing that they were actually lovers) and Clifford Odets went on all through the shooting process. See more »

Goofs

Crew or equipment visible: 37 minutes into the movie, Ed is at the bathroom sink and has just replaced the pill bottle in the medicine cabinet. As he closes the cabinet door, the director and the camera are reflected in the mirror. See more »

Quotes

Ed Avery: Childhood is a congenital disease - and the purpose of education is to cure it. We're breeding a race of moral midgets.
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Connections

Featured in Edge of Outside (2006) See more »