His Double Life (1933)

Priam Farrel is a celebrated artist but a social recluse. When his valet dies of a sudden illness, a mix-up leads to the body being identified as Farrel's. The timid artist then assumes the... See full summary »

Director:

Arthur Hopkins

Writers:

Arnold Bennett (novel), Clara Beranger (adaptation)

Stars:

Roland Young, Lillian Gish, Montagu Love

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Roland Young	...	Priam Farrel
Lillian Gish	...	Alice Chalice
Montagu Love	...	Duncan Farrel
Lumsden Hare	...	Oxford
Lucy Beaumont	...	Mrs. Leek
Charles Richman	...	Witt
Oliver Smith	...	Leek Twin - John
Philip Tonge	...	Leek Twin - Henry
Audrey Ridgewell	...	Lady Helen
Regina DeValet	...	Mary

Storyline

Priam Farrel is a celebrated artist but a social recluse. When his valet dies of a sudden illness, a mix-up leads to the body being identified as Farrel's. The timid artist then assumes the identity of his former servant, but finds himself faced with constant dilemmas as a result.

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Plot Keywords:

westminster abbey london | london england | abbey | mistaken identity | based on play | 

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Taglines:

HE'S NOT HIMSELF! ...Even his bride thinks he's two other fellows...!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie opened in New York on December 16 1933 at the Paramount theaters in Times Square and Brooklyn. The Times Square Paramount featured live entertainment between movie screenings. The week 'His Double Life' played, Ben Bernie, composer of 'Sweet Georgia Brown,' and his band performed. The band played hits like 'The Last Round Up' and 'Have You Ever Seen a Dream Walking?'

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Connections

Version of The Great Adventure (1916)

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Soundtracks

Someday, Sometime, Somewhere
(uncredited)
Written by James F. Hanley and Karl Stark

User Reviews

Good Performance By Young Holds Together a Far-Fetched Story

Roland Young gives a good performance in "His Double Life" that helps out an otherwise rather silly story of confusion and dual identity. It is a quite watchable if not especially memorable movie.

Priam Farrel (Young) is a brilliant artist, but is totally incapable of dealing with the most basic social situations. When his devoted valet becomes ill and dies suddenly, and everyone mistakenly assumes that the dead man is the artist, Farrel finds himself at the mercy of events. He starts to assume his valet's identity, but longs for his own. The resulting situations are sometimes funny and sometimes thoughtful. They work alright mainly because Young is good at portraying the painfully shy and rather befuddled personality of his character, and is also good at communicating the dilemmas he faces.

There's not much more to it than that, but it moves quickly and is pretty good light entertainment for anyone who likes comedies of the era.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

Itt állok eltemetve

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eddie Dowling Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Wide Range System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1