Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Search for Bridey Murphy

  • 19561956
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
208
YOUR RATING
The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956)
Drama
After being shown what hypnotism can do, a doctor starts to study it in depth. When he experiments on a friend's wife, she regresses into an early life--that of Bridey Murphy. Several hypnot... Read allAfter being shown what hypnotism can do, a doctor starts to study it in depth. When he experiments on a friend's wife, she regresses into an early life--that of Bridey Murphy. Several hypnotic sessions explore the life and death of this 19th-century Irishwoman who lived in Cork a... Read allAfter being shown what hypnotism can do, a doctor starts to study it in depth. When he experiments on a friend's wife, she regresses into an early life--that of Bridey Murphy. Several hypnotic sessions explore the life and death of this 19th-century Irishwoman who lived in Cork and Belfast from 1778 until 1864, and the doctor attempts to verify that Bridey Murphy actu... Read all
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
208
YOUR RATING
    • Noel Langley
    • Morey Bernstein(book)
    • Noel Langley
  • Stars
    • Teresa Wright
    • Louis Hayward
    • Nancy Gates
    • Noel Langley
    • Morey Bernstein(book)
    • Noel Langley
  • Stars
    • Teresa Wright
    • Louis Hayward
    • Nancy Gates
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 10User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos6

    The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956)
    Shirley Heart in The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956)
    Shirley Heart in The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956)
    Shirley Heart in The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956)
    Shirley Heart in The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Teresa Wright
    Teresa Wright
    • Ruth Simmons
    Louis Hayward
    Louis Hayward
    • Morey Bernstein
    Nancy Gates
    Nancy Gates
    • Hazel Bernstein
    Kenneth Tobey
    Kenneth Tobey
    • Rex Simmons
    Richard Anderson
    Richard Anderson
    • Dr. Deering
    Tom McKee
    • Catlett
    Janet Riley
    • Lois Morgan
    Charles Boaz
    • Jerry Thomas
    Lawrence Fletcher
    Lawrence Fletcher
    • Cranmer
    Charles Maxwell
    Charles Maxwell
    • Father Bernard
    Walter Kingsford
    Walter Kingsford
    • Professor
    Noel Leslie
    • Edgar Cayce
    William Joseph Barker
    • Self
    • (as William J. Barker)
    Eilene Janssen
    Eilene Janssen
    • Bridey Murphy at Age 15
    Bradford Jackson
    Bradford Jackson
    • Brian MacCarthy at Age 17
    James Kirkwood
    James Kirkwood
    • Brian MacCarthy at Age 68
    Hallene Hill
    Hallene Hill
    • Bridey Murphy at Age 66
    Denise Freeborn
    • Bridey Murphy at Age 8
      • Noel Langley
      • Morey Bernstein(book)
      • Noel Langley
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Restless Years
    6.3
    The Restless Years
    Enchantment
    7.2
    Enchantment
    Creator
    6.1
    Creator
    A Cry in the Night
    6.0
    A Cry in the Night
    The Capture
    5.9
    The Capture
    The Miracle Worker
    8.1
    The Miracle Worker
    The Andromeda Strain
    7.2
    The Andromeda Strain
    Rear Window
    8.5
    Rear Window

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Most people in Ireland would pronounce Bridey, as Bride with a y.
    • Connections
      Referenced in The She-Creature (1956)

    User reviews10

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Particular attachment
    The Search For Bridey Murphy was a best selling book and sparked a lot of interest in reincarnation when it came out in the middle 50s of the last century. As for Bridey Murphy herself whether she was real or something out of the mind of Ruth Simmons the questions still remain.

    Louis Hayward plays Morry Bernstein and narrates the film as well. I'm having a bit of trouble believing that one could teach one self the art of hypnosis. Still Hayward becomes interested in the art and devours all he could on the subject.

    His neighbor Kenneth Tobey's wife Teresa Wright seems to be an apt pupil for hypnosis. As Ruth Simmons regresses she goes beyond her childhood back into the lives of others. But the one she constantly refers to is that of Bridey Murphy whom she says lived on earth from 1798 to 1864 in a few places in Ireland.

    In real life a lot of investigation is done and some parts of the Bridey Murphy for which Ruth Simmons seem to have a particular attachment for that life. Some things were proved, some were not, her case remains open to speculation. Bernstein made a fortune off the book, Simmons wanted to fade into obscurity, she didn't like celebrity focus and eventually she got it.

    The characters here are your average middle Americans of the Eisenhower era and besides those mentioned Nancy Gates does well as Mrs. Bernstein.

    Watch the film and read up on Bridey Murphy and come to your own conclusions.
    helpful•4
    1
    • bkoganbing
    • Sep 14, 2014

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 1, 1956 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 24 minutes
      • Black and White

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956)
    Top Gap
    What is the English language plot outline for The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.