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Bigger Than Life (1956)
7.5
A seriously ill schoolteacher becomes dependent on a "miracle" drug that begins to affect his sanity. Director:Nicholas Ray |
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1 nomination
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| James Mason | ... |
Ed Avery
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| Barbara Rush | ... |
Lou Avery
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| Walter Matthau | ... |
Wally Gibbs
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Robert F. Simon | ... |
Dr. Norton
(as Robert Simon)
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Christopher Olsen | ... |
Richie Avery
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Roland Winters | ... |
Dr. Ruric
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Rusty Lane | ... |
Bob LaPorte
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Rachel Stephens | ... |
Nurse
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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 SynopsisTaglines:
The Motion Picture You've Been Hearing About ... Reading About ... And Talking About! See more »Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
(USA) See more »Also Known As:
Mensch oder Teufel See more »Filming Locations:
Beverly Hilton Hotel - 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, USA See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (FMC Library Print)Sound Mix:
Mono (optical prints) (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System)Color:
ColorAspect 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.See more »
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