Edith "Edie" Phillips (Bette Davis) has never forgiven her twin sister Margaret "Maggie" de Lorca (also played by Bette Davis) from stealing her boyfriend by claiming to be pregnant with his child. When the well-to-do Francesco "Frank" de Lorca dies 18 years later of a heart attack and Edie learns that there never was a baby, something in her snaps. She murders Maggie and assumes her identity, and "Edie" is pronounced a suicide. However, things become complicated by Maggie's golf pro boyfriend Tony Collins (Peter Lawford), who is the first to figure out the switch, and by Los Angeles detective Jim Hobbson (Karl Malden), who was in love with the "dead" Edie.
Dead Ringer was based on the story "La Otra" ["The Other"] by American screenwriter Rian James. The story had previously been made into a Mexican film in 1946 as La otra (1946) and was adapted for Dead Ringer by Albert Beich and Oscar Millard. Dead Ringer was remade in 1986 as the made-for-TV movie Killer in the Mirror (1986).
She wrote: Forgive me Maggie. Thanks for offering to help, but somehow it's not worth the effort anymore. Edie
When arsenic is found in Frank's body, "Maggie" is accused of poisoning him, stands trial, is convicted, and is sentenced to die in the gas chamber. As she is being transferred to San Quentin, Jim asks whether she was telling the truth when she told him that she was really Edie. She replies, "I'm Margaret de Lorca, Sergeant. As you said, Edie would never have hurt a fly." In the final scene, she gets in the police car, and Sergeant Hobbson watches as "Maggie" is driven away.
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- How long is Dead Ringer?1 hour and 56 minutes
- When was Dead Ringer released?February 19, 1964
- What is the IMDb rating of Dead Ringer?7.3 out of 10
- Who stars in Dead Ringer?
- Who wrote Dead Ringer?
- Who directed Dead Ringer?
- Who was the composer for Dead Ringer?
- Who was the producer of Dead Ringer?
- Who was the cinematographer for Dead Ringer?
- Who was the editor of Dead Ringer?
- Who are the characters in Dead Ringer?Margaret DeLorca and Edith Phillips
- What is the plot of Dead Ringer?The working-class twin sister of a callous, wealthy woman impulsively murders her out of revenge and assumes her identity. But impersonating her dead twin is more complicated and risky than she anticipated.
- What was the budget for Dead Ringer?$1.2 million
- What is Dead Ringer rated?Approved
- What genre is Dead Ringer?Crime Drama, Crime, Drama, and Thriller
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