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Secret Ceremony

  • 1968
  • R
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
2.8K
YOUR RATING
Robert Mitchum, Elizabeth Taylor, and Mia Farrow in Secret Ceremony (1968)
Erotic ThrillerPsychological DramaPsychological ThrillerDramaThriller

A penniless woman meets a strange girl who insists she is her long-lost mother, and becomes enmeshed in a web of deception, and perhaps madness.A penniless woman meets a strange girl who insists she is her long-lost mother, and becomes enmeshed in a web of deception, and perhaps madness.A penniless woman meets a strange girl who insists she is her long-lost mother, and becomes enmeshed in a web of deception, and perhaps madness.

  • Director
    • Joseph Losey
  • Writers
    • Marco Denevi
    • George Tabori
  • Stars
    • Elizabeth Taylor
    • Robert Mitchum
    • Mia Farrow
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    2.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Joseph Losey
    • Writers
      • Marco Denevi
      • George Tabori
    • Stars
      • Elizabeth Taylor
      • Robert Mitchum
      • Mia Farrow
    • 54User reviews
    • 45Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
      • 3 nominations total

    Photos41

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    Top cast11

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    Elizabeth Taylor
    Elizabeth Taylor
    • Leonora
    Robert Mitchum
    Robert Mitchum
    • Albert
    Mia Farrow
    Mia Farrow
    • Cenci
    Peggy Ashcroft
    Peggy Ashcroft
    • Hannah
    Pamela Brown
    Pamela Brown
    • Hilda
    Robert Douglas
    Robert Douglas
    • Sir Alex Gordon
    • (uncredited)
    George Howell
    • First Cleaner
    • (uncredited)
    Penelope Keith
    Penelope Keith
    • Hotel Assistant
    • (uncredited)
    Roger Lloyd Pack
    Roger Lloyd Pack
    • Cleaner
    • (uncredited)
    Angus MacKay
    Angus MacKay
    • Vicar
    • (uncredited)
    Michael Strong
    Michael Strong
    • Dr. Walter Stevens
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Joseph Losey
    • Writers
      • Marco Denevi
      • George Tabori
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews54

    6.32.8K
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    Featured reviews

    8duffjerroldorg

    A Gothic Triangle

    What an unexpected, odd, treat. Films that travel undetected, spotted by accident - as it was in my case. I was reading about this startling Argentinean writer, Marco Denevi, when I discovered that one of his short stories had been adapted for the screen, directed by Joseph Losey of "The Servant" fame and with a cast to die for. Elizabeth Taylor as a prostitute that takes advantage of a peculiar girl, played with real zest by Mia Farrow who mistakes her for her mother, and Robert Mitchum, as the disruptor. This classy if bizarre production also includes Pamela Brown and Peggy Ashcroft in the cast. I enjoyed the weirdness thoroughly. It unsettled me and made me wonder how this film had been received in 1968. Apparently not very well. The one thing that made people talk about Secret Ceremony at the time was an infamous still with Elizabeth Taylor and Mia Farrow in a bathtub together. For lovers of the odd and unique this is a real treat.
    8Putzberger

    Creepier than a horror film

    This movie is a tad pretentious and muddled, but it'll get under your skin. All the characters are either so deluded (crazy rich girl Mia Farrow), desperate (middle-aged hooker Liz Taylor) or demonic (scummy pedophile Robert Mitchum) that watching it is like spending two hours in a psych ward with no attendants on duty. Also gripping is the atmosphere created by director Joseph Losey, who was considered as a genius in the 60s and is pretty much forgotten today. With wide-angle shots and a minimum of noise, Losey reinforces his characters' isolation and solipsism by making London, one of the most crowded cities in the Western world, seem as empty and quiet as a tomb.

    The plot is a psychological inversion of the classic haunted house story -- Liz and Mia take shelter from an outside world that threatens their relationship. And that relationship is, to put it mildly, weird. Mia lures Liz into her huge, empty home because she resembles her late mother. Liz indulges Mia's fantasy because as a homeless prostitute she's in need of shelter, plus, she lost a daughter who looked a lot like Mia. This arrangement could be sweet to the point of treacly if these two grown women didn't enjoy doing things like bathing together and discussing ex-lovers. And Mia has a particularly repulsive ex-lover in Mitchum, her former stepfather who started molesting the girl in her early teens. Though the experience clearly ripped Mia to shreds, the creep still has some power over her and the film becomes a battle of wills between Taylor and Mitchum. Along the way there's a fake pregnancy, a nightmarish seaside holiday and a visit to Mia's two horrid old-maid aunts. The movie isn't particularly pleasant or coherent, but it does pull off the impressive feat of telling its story the way its characters are experiencing it, and that's pretty damn disturbing when you're dealing with a bunch of warped people. See it, then watch a romantic comedy or something so you're able to sleep that night.
    chad478

    Secret Ceremony: A First-Rate Psycho-Drama.

    Joseph Losey's brilliant psychological drama follows the strange relationship between a prostitute(Elizabeth Taylor) and a waif-like girl(Mia Farrow) who resembles her deceased daughter. Taylor also bears an incredible likeness to Farrow's deceased mother, enabling the two women to create a world of their own where they can live as mother and daughter. Their secret world is disrupted, however, when Farrow's lecherous stepfather(Robert Mitchum) enters the scene. "Secret Ceremony" features expert performances from all, but it is Elizabeth Taylor who walks away with the honors, delivering a truly moving portrayal of an emotionally broken woman searching for some stability in her life. It's one of her most daring roles, and Miss Taylor handles it like the consummate actress that she is. The screenplay is by George Tabori, based on the prize-winning short story by Marco Denevi. (Universal later cut footage from the film and added extra scenes to make the picture acceptable for a television audience. Luckily, the video version is the original, uncut theatrical release).
    7baker-9

    Interesting, much underrated film

    "Secret Ceremony" was critically lambasted on its release - undeservedly so. Having come on the heels of another Elizabeth Taylor/Joseph Losey collaboration - the truly awful "Boom" - I suppose the critics were sharpening their knives again.

    Admittedly, "Secret Ceremony" is probably an acquired taste. I first saw it on network TV in its mutilated form, with new non-Losey scenes filmed to supposed "explain" what was happening. Nevertheless, what remained of the original film was good enough that I sought out the uncut original.

    The story is bizarre but consistently intriguing, and the Taylor/Farrow combination works. Taylor is very good in this film; I think it's one of her best performances (her scene at the very end is excellent). I highly recommend this film for those with eclectic, adventurous tastes.
    6Progbear-4

    An odd film

    This is a somewhat weird psychological drama about a mentally troubled young woman (Mia Farrow) who mistakes Liz Taylor's character for her dead mother. The situation is complicated by the fact that Farrow's character also resembles Taylor's dead daughter. Though the premise is a bit contrived, it becomes a bit touching as Taylor eventually becomes protective and concerned about the girl, who is being victimized by her own family. The film does suffer from several major flaws, most notably the appearance of Robert Mitchum, painfully miscast as Farrow's lecherous stepfather. Probably one of Taylor's most daring and least embarrassing roles from this period, she also looks surprisingly good here.

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    Related interests

    Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct (1992)
    Erotic Thriller
    Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
    Psychological Drama
    Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl (2014)
    Psychological Thriller
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When this movie aired on NBC several years later, it was not only heavily edited to sanitize some of the seamier sexual suggestions, but also included newly shot footage (none involving any of the actors or actresses who appeared in the actual movie: Michael Tolan, Paul Rogers), including a prologue and epilogue in which a psychiatrist character discussed the characters' failings and attempted to explain away the truncated movie's many plot holes. Amongst other major changes was the profession of Leonora Grabowski (Dame Elizabeth Taylor), who somehow morphed from a prostitute in the theatrical release to a wig model in the television version.

      Of the TV version, director Losey said: "not one person connected artistically with the film was consulted or involved in those changes. They're absurd...completely destroyed the rhythm, intention and content of the film...absolutely reversing the meaning of the film."
    • Goofs
      Moving shadow of the camera on the door-frame as it moves from Lenora's room to Cenci's room at the hotel in the Netherlands.
    • Quotes

      Cenci: You let nanny and the cook go.

      Leonora: I did?

      Cenci: Fired them ruthlessly.

    • Alternate versions
      Network TV version is eight minutes shorter than the theatrical release, removing some scenes and featuring alternative footage for others.
    • Connections
      Referenced in The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

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    FAQ16

    • How long is Secret Ceremony?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 23, 1968 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Die Frau aus dem Nichts
    • Filming locations
      • Debenham House, Addison Road, Holland Park, London, England, UK(Lenora & Cenci go to this house at No. 8 after the cemetery - aka Peacock House)
    • Production company
      • World Film Services
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $3,200,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,133
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 49m(109 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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