A Double Life (1947)

A celebrated actor struggles to distinguish his own life from that of his most recent stage role, Othello.

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Ruth Gordon, Garson Kanin

Stars:

Ronald Colman, Edmond O'Brien, Signe Hasso

Won 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ronald Colman	...	Anthony John
Signe Hasso	...	Brita
Edmond O'Brien	...	Bill Friend
Shelley Winters	...	Pat Kroll
Ray Collins	...	Victor Donlan
Philip Loeb	...	Max Lasker
Millard Mitchell	...	Al Cooley
Joe Sawyer	...	Pete Bonner
Charles La Torre	...	Stellini
Whit Bissell	...	Dr. Stauffer
John Drew Colt	...	Stage Manager
Peter M. Thompson	...	Asst. Stage Manager (as Peter Thompson)
Elizabeth Dunne	...	Gladys
Alan Edmiston	...	Rex
Art Smith	...	Wigmaker

Storyline

Anthony John is an actor whose life is strongly influenced by the characters he plays. When he's playing comedy, he's the most enjoyable person in the world, but when he's playing drama, it's terrible to be around him. That's the reason why his wife Brita divorced him; although she still loves him and works with him, she couldn't stand living with him anymore. So when Anthony accepts to play Othello, he devotes himself entirely to the part, but it soon overwhelms him and with each day his mind gets filled more and more with Othello's murderous jealousy.

---

Plot Keywords:

actor | character says you're hurting me | character says you keep out of this | have cake and eat it too idiom | othello | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

---

Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Drew Colt, the son of renowned actress Ethel Barrymore, made his screen debut in the film.

---

Goofs

From all appearances during the opening sequence, Anthony John's new comedy is just opening on Broadway - deliverymen carry a fresh sign into the lobby covered with blurbs from rave reviews, leading lady is asked to look at new publicity photos and theater is packed during scene from play. But suddenly, it's revealed that this play has been running a year and is actually about to close. In reality, virtually all plays close due to dwindling attendance (and don't have SRO audiences in last days, as does this one) nor do producers waste money on advertising and publicity on productions that have already posted closing notices, as appears to be the case here since actors are already discussing their next jobs.

---

Quotes

Pat Kroll: I like you, you know.
Anthony John: Now I do.
Pat Kroll: You gonna say you like me?
Anthony John: Later.
Pat Kroll: Oh thanks. You gonna tell me your name?
Anthony John: As soon as I know it myself, yes.
Pat Kroll: Oh don't give me that. I've handled lines all my life.
Anthony John: [amused] So have I!
Pat Kroll: Say, what's so funny?
Anthony John: It's nothing. It's a private joke between me and me

---

Crazy Credits

Opening credits appear against a theatre image with stage curtain.

---

Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Trouble with the Curve (2012)

---

Soundtracks

Opus 10 No. 3 in E Major
(1829-32) (uncredited)
Written by Frédéric Chopin
Played a bit on piano by Brita

User Reviews

Imagination and Reality

The successful middle-aged Broadway actor Anthony "Tony" John (Ronald Colman) is a dedicated lonely professional that still loves his former wife Brita (Signe Hasso). They are playing Othello for almost two years and Tony has a breakdown, beginning to lose his mind and sense of reality, confusing his identity with his characters. One night, he meets the waitress Pat Kroll (Shelley Winters) in a distant bar and he spends the night with the easy woman. Then he proposes Brita, who is his best friend, but she refuses to marry him again triggering a jealousy process against their friend Bill (Edmond O'Brien). Tony decides to visit Pat late night and in an insanity process, he lives the situation of Othello killing Desdemona. The police arrest a suspect but Bill wants to prove that Tony is responsible for the murder.

Despite the great performance of Ronald Colman, "A Double Life" is an overrated movie with a boring story. First, the situation of a successful actor that loses his identity and blends imagination with reality is hard to believe. Second, Tony's personality and character are very confused and not well-developed; last but not the least, Bill trying to prove that Tony is responsible for the murder is despicable and silly. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Fatalidade" ("Fatality")

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Swedish

Release Date:

1948 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

The Art of Murder

Filming Locations:

Republic Studios - 4024 Radford Avenue, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kanin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1