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A Double Life

  • 1947
  • Approved
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
4.1K
YOUR RATING
Shelley Winters, Ronald Colman, and Signe Hasso in A Double Life (1947)
A celebrated actor struggles to distinguish his own life from that of his most recent stage role, Othello.
Play trailer1:34
1 Video
99+ Photos
Film NoirCrimeDrama

A celebrated actor struggles to distinguish his own life from that of his most recent stage role, Othello.A celebrated actor struggles to distinguish his own life from that of his most recent stage role, Othello.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
    • William Shakespeare
  • Stars
    • Ronald Colman
    • Edmond O'Brien
    • Signe Hasso
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    4.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • George Cukor
    • Writers
      • Ruth Gordon
      • Garson Kanin
      • William Shakespeare
    • Stars
      • Ronald Colman
      • Edmond O'Brien
      • Signe Hasso
    • 69User reviews
    • 41Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 3 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:34
    Trailer

    Photos503

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    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Ronald Colman
    Ronald Colman
    • Anthony John
    Edmond O'Brien
    Edmond O'Brien
    • Bill Friend
    Signe Hasso
    Signe Hasso
    • Brita
    Shelley Winters
    Shelley Winters
    • Pat Kroll
    Ray Collins
    Ray Collins
    • Victor Donlan
    Philip Loeb
    Philip Loeb
    • Max Lasker
    Millard Mitchell
    Millard Mitchell
    • Al Cooley
    Joe Sawyer
    Joe Sawyer
    • Pete Bonner
    Charles La Torre
    • Stellini
    Whit Bissell
    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
    Art Smith
    • Wigmaker
    Sid Tomack
    Sid Tomack
    • Wigmaker
    Wilton Graff
    Wilton Graff
    • Dr. Mervin
    Harlan Briggs
    Harlan Briggs
    • Oscar Bernard
    • Director
      • George Cukor
    • Writers
      • Ruth Gordon
      • Garson Kanin
      • William Shakespeare
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The role of Anthony John was originally written for Laurence Olivier, who was unavailable when the film finally went into production.
    • 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

      Ray Bonner: Everybody wants to be a detective - I think it's all these radio serials.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits appear against a theatre image with stage curtain.
    • Connections
      Featured in Vampira Returns: A Double Life 1947 (1956)
    • Soundtracks
      Opus 10 No. 3 in E Major
      (1829-32) (uncredited)
      Written by Frédéric Chopin
      Played a bit on piano by Brita

    User reviews69

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10

    playing one's life

    While COVID-isolated, I binge-watched Ryan Murphy's "Hollywood", a hypothetical look at what US entertainment could've been had people stood up to racism and homophobia in the 1940s. A couple of episodes depict George Cukor, and one episode mentions "A Double Life". A few days after watching that episode I saw the movie in question. It's an intense one, with Ronald Colman (in an Oscar-winning role) as a thespian who lets his performance gain too much control of his existence. It's impressive how, in these movies focusing on stage performances, the play can sometimes come across as more intense than the person's life, as happens in this movie.

    It's not a masterpiece, but Colman puts on one of the most haunting performances of all. I definitely recommend it
    • lee_eisenberg
    • May 14, 2020
    • Permalink

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    FAQ16

    • How long is A Double Life?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 1, 1948 (Mexico)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Streaming on "Isabella Mars" YouTube Channel
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
      • Swedish
    • Also known as
      • Inspiration
    • Filming locations
      • 1430 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(Empire Theatre, demolished)
    • Production company
      • Kanin Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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