Brief Encounter (1945)
86%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
3 wins & 3 nominations total
Brief Encounter adds a small but valuable gem to the Lean filmography, depicting a doomed couple’s illicit connection with affecting sensitivity and a pair of powerful performance
Brief Encounter is the kind of movie that makes you want to curl up with a box of tissues and a pint of ice cream. It’s a classic love story that will have you feeling all the feels. The performances are top-notch, and the direction is masterful. Lean knows how to capture the nuances of human emotion, and he does it with elegance and grace. If you’re in the mood for a good cry, this is the movie for you. Just make sure you have plenty of tissues on hand.
Production Company(ies)
CNN Films, HBO Max Tremolo Productions,
Distributor
Samuel Goldwyn Company, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Criterion Collection
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Carnforth Station, Carnforth, Lancashire, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1946
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 26m
-
Language(s):English, French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 24, 1946 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 28, 2001
Genre(s)
Romance/Drama
Keyword(s)
Romance, Drama, David Lean, Noel Coward, Anthony Havelock-Allan, Ronald Neame, Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Cyril Raymond, Joyce Carey, Everley Gregg, Mono, Samuel Goldwyn Company, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Criterion Collection, 1945, 1h 26m, $3.99, Subscription, MPAA rating, 91%, 10,000+ Ratings, reviewed by Zadie Smith, Sophie Monks Kaufman, Kate Muir, Tom Huddleston, Keith Uhlich, Variety Staff, Kat Halstead, Film Daily Staff, Mattie Lucas, Rachel Wagner, Josh Larsen, MFB Critics, starring Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Cyril Raymond, Joyce Carey, directed by David Lean, written by Noel Coward, Anthony Havelock-Allan, David Lean, Ronald Neame, produced by Noel Coward, Anthony Havelock-Allan, Ronald Neame, box office performance
Worldwide gross: $87,103
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,563,994
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,485
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 170,556
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Trevor Howard – Dr Alec Harvey
Stanley Holloway – Albert Godby
Cyril Raymond – Fred Jesson
Joyce Carey – Myrtle Bagot
Everley Gregg – Dolly Messiter
Director(s)
David Lean
Writer(s)
Noel Coward, Anthony Havelock-Allan, David Lean, Ronald Neame
Producer(s)
Noel Coward, Anthony Havelock-Allan, Ronald Neame
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
3 wins & 3 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (46) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (4)
Lean’s sad, buttoned-up account of unconsummated love is about all of us and our cautious natures.
January 17, 2018
Zadie Smith
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Romance and goodness are evoked with equal power and from these conflicting impulses, voluptuous demons spring eternal.
November 9, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Sophie Monks Kaufman
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
One of cinema’s classic love stories.
November 5, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Kate Muir
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
One of the most vivid, impassioned and painfully believable love stories ever committed to celluloid.
November 2, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Tom Huddleston
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Sheer perfection-the gold standard of tragic romances whose influence can still be seen to this day.
October 9, 2012 | Rating: 5/5
Keith Uhlich
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Cyril Raymond manages to invest the stodgy character with a lovable quality.
November 6, 2007
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
For a movie where it appears that very little happens, this classic 1940s British romantic drama packs an almighty emotional punch.
April 6, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Kat Halstead
Common Sense Media
Rate this offering as one of the better British films.
February 1, 2021
Film Daily Staff
The Film Daily
Lean solidified his mastery of emotional intimacy even without the epic scope, and crafted what many consider to be one of his finest achievements.
August 6, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
If it was made today it would probably be tawdry and tasteless but here it strikes just the right note.
May 14, 2019 | Rating: 7/10
Rachel Wagner
rachelsreviews.net
…captures roiling emotions with elegant panache.
August 31, 2018 | Rating: 4/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
This is a poet’s film, harsh, cruel and lovely. There have been few better British films than Brief Encounter even at a time when our studios are taking their place in the vanguard of this great contemporary art.
January 23, 2018
MFB Critics
Monthly Film Bulletin…
Plot
At a café on a railway station, housewife Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) meets Dr. Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard). Although they are both already married, they gradually fall in love with each other. They continue to meet every Thursday in the small café, although they know that their love is impossible.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No specific tidbit is given about someone in the cast.
David-Lean.jpg
Gilda
Gilda (1946)
91%RT Audience Score: 88%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Rita Hayworth carries Gilda on the sheer strength of her screen presence, rendering the film’s somewhat middling story almost irrelevant.
If you’re looking for a movie that’s got it all – action, romance, and a healthy dose of Rita Hayworth – then Gilda is the flick for you. Sure, the plot might be a bit confusing and the dialogue a bit stilted, but who cares when you’ve got Hayworth sizzling on screen? Plus, the photography is top-notch and the whole thing just oozes that classic Hollywood glamour. So grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready for a wild ride through the seedy underbelly of Buenos Aires.
Production Company(ies)
Gruskoff, Venture Films, Crossbow Productions, Jouer Limited
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Approved
Year of Release
1946
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 50m
-
Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 15, 1946 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2000
Genre(s)
Romance/Lgbtq+
Keyword(s)
starring Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, George Macready, Joseph Calleia, Steven Geray, Joe Sawyer, directed by Charles Vidor, written by Marion Parsonnet, romance, LGBTQ+, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Helen Bower, Kate Cameron, Eleanor Wilson, Mildred Martin, Mae Tinee, George Bourke, Virginia Wright, Mary Gilchrist, James B Roe, C.A Lejeune, Hortense Morton, William R Weaver, produced by Virginia Van Upp, MPAA rating, Buenos Aires, Argentina, casino, cheating, ex-lover, lusty battle, victim, femme fatale, post-war greed, seductive, cartel, newly betrothed, torrid history, passionate love/hate relationship, noir, mènage a trois
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Glenn Ford – Johnny Farrell, Narrator
George Macready – Ballin Mundson
Joseph Calleia – Detective Maurice Obregon
Steven Geray – Uncle Pio, Mundson’s Butler
Joe Sawyer – Casey
Director(s)
Charles Vidor
Writer(s)
Marion Parsonnet
Producer(s)
Virginia Van Upp
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (70) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (63) | Rotten (7)
Heralded as a new team in motion pictures, Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford are off to a flying start in Gilda.
November 19, 2020
Helen Bower
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
If it’s escape you want in a movie, you will find surcease from the worry of today’s scary headlines at the Music Hall, where Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford are pitted against each other in a lusty battle of hate and love.
November 19, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
Kate Cameron
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
The captivating Miss Hayworth turns in what is perhaps her best performance as the reckless Gilda.
November 19, 2020
Eleanor Wilson
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Not since the archaic days of Theda Bara and her brazen ilk has sex appeal been set forth in so rampant a fashion on the screen.
November 19, 2020
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
Staggering around with this plot on their shoulders, the players, all of them competent, have a lot of trouble being convincing, particularly with the dialogue provided.
November 19, 2020
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
It’s really good pulse-tingling cinema presented in good adult taste but there are sequences from which adolescents might draw the conclusion that all that shimmers is not heavenly light.
November 19, 2020
George Bourke
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
Overlook the confusion of plot, and the loose ends and you’ll find diversions to keep you awake. Chief among these, of course, is Rita Hayworth.
July 9, 2021
Virginia Wright
Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)
Chock full of action and plenty of torrid feelings.
March 31, 2021
Mary Gilchrist
Tampa Bay Times
The photography is excellent, and shows an improvement in this Hollywood department which is be coming increasingly noticeable.
March 31, 2021
James B. Roe
Ottawa Citizen
For an hour or so the spectator has been sufficiently beguiled by the prevailing air of mystery… But about this time he may begin to have a nasty suspicion, subsequently confirmed, that nothing is going to happen except Miss Hayworth.
November 19, 2020
C.A. Lejeune
Observer (UK)
Completely disregarding the very obvious and eye-appealing fact, that Rita Hayworth is one of the world’s most beautiful women, we are going to award her our personal accolade for also being one of the most dynamic and distinguished actresses.
November 19, 2020
Hortense Morton (Screen Scout)
San Francisco Examiner
A sumptuously sordid story about crime, major and minor, in Buenos Aires.
November 19, 2020
William R. Weaver
Motion Picture Herald (Exhibitors Herald)…
Plot
Just arrived in Argentina, small-time crooked gambler Johnny Farrell is saved from a gunman by sinister Ballin Mundson, who later makes Johnny his right-hand man. But their friendship based on mutual lack of scruples is strained when Mundson returns from a trip with a wife: the supremely desirable Gilda, whom Johnny once knew and learned to hate. The relationship of Johnny and Gilda, a battlefield of warring emotions, becomes even more bizarre after Mundson disappears…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Rita Hayworth’s performance in Gilda is hailed as one of her best, carrying the film on the sheer strength of her screen presence.
Charles-Vidor.jpg
The Lost Weekend
The Lost Weekend (1945)
94%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Director Billy Wilder’s unflinchingly honest look at the effects of alcoholism may have had some of its impact blunted by time, but it remains a powerful and remarkably prescient film.
The Lost Weekend is a movie masterpiece that will leave you feeling like you need a stiff drink…or maybe a glass of water. Ray Milland’s performance is so good, it’s almost like he’s really drunk the whole time. But seriously, this movie is a serious study of alcoholism and the misery it can cause. It’s not a feel-good flick, but it’s definitely worth watching. Just maybe have a glass of water nearby.
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Bellevue Hospital – 462 First Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
Year of Release
1946
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 41m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 16, 1945 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 1, 2005
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Drama, alcoholism, Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, Charles R Jackson, Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Howard da Silva, Phillip Terry, Don Birnam, Helen St James, Wick Birnam, Gloria, Bim Nolan, Male Nurse, Neptune Frost, The Best Years of Our Lives, Ace in the Hole, Divided We Fall, Giant, Black Narcissus, reviewed by Marjory Adams, Ida Belle Hicks, Mildred Martin, Mae Tinee, Len G Shaw, George Bourke, Jane Corby, Hortense Morton, Marcy Townsley, Sara Hamilton, Dick Pitts, P.S Harrison, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, directed by Billy Wilder, produced by Charles Brackett, written by Charles R Jackson, Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, Paramount Pictures, Mono, Flat (1.37:1)
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jane Wyman – Helen St. James
Howard Da Silva – Nat the Bartender
Phillip Terry – Wick Birnam
Doris Dowling – Gloria
Frank Faylen – `Bim” Nolan, Male Nurse
Director(s)
Billy Wilder
Writer(s)
Charles R. Jackson, Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder
Producer(s)
Charles Brackett
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Picture Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (70) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (68) | Rotten (2)
The Lost Week End is magnificent melodrama, a serious study into a disease which too often is delineated in ridiculous guise, and an absorbing attempt to show the misery of drink.
February 3, 2022
Marjory Adams
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
If Ray Milland doesn’t get the Academy Award for his work in The Lost Week-end it will be a miscarriage of justice.
February 3, 2022
Ida Belle Hicks
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Jane Wyman, who plays Don’s troubled sweetheart, is a revelation in her first dramatic role after her unbroken succession of featherweight comedy parts.
February 3, 2022
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
Ray Milland makes the central figure hateful, likable, and somehow understandable. His portrayal is a masterpiece of superb control, versatility, and sensitivity.
February 1, 2022
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Whatever may be one’s individual reaction to this sordid story of a dipsomaniac’s five-day debauch, there is no gainsaying that The Lost Weekend… is a movie masterpiece when considered both as to its daring story and technical treatment.
February 1, 2022
Len G. Shaw
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
Be sure to see Lost Week End. It is a film that will be discussed for years. It is a technical masterpiece and Ray Milland’s performance WILL win him an Academy Award.
February 1, 2022
George Bourke
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
As a subject for discussion, it’s the film of the year. It is cinematically speaking, a brilliant achievement, with two sequences standing out as high points of film horror, on a strict realistic basis.
February 3, 2022
Jane Corby
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Worthwhile films are many. Merely passable ones too many. But extraordinarily fine films produced in a year can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Lost Weekend would take up three fingers In any given annum. It’s that good.
February 3, 2022
Hortense Morton (Screen Scout)
San Francisco Examiner
Something rare and wonderful happened when they made this picture. It’s extraordinary, to say the least, when Hollywood drops its rose colored glasses for honest story treatment. It’s the first time that Hollywood ever produced a drunk who isn’t funny.
February 3, 2022
Marcy Townsley
Austin American-Statesman
[Ray Milland] has imbued the very soul of the agonized man and in his portrayal Milland hits his peak. This is by far his best performance to date and one by which he’ll undoubtedly measure his future roles.
February 3, 2022 | Rating: 2/3
Sara Hamilton
Photoplay
Much credit is due the Wilder-Brackett team for their skillful handling of the drama. There is sledge-hammer directness and ugly simplicity that make it outstanding.
February 3, 2022
Dick Pitts
Charlotte Observer
From an artistic point of view, this drama is impressive, for the direction and the acting are of the highest order. But it is hardly the type of entertainment that motion picture-goers want to see today, for it is grim and depressing.
February 1, 2022
P.S. Harrison
Harrison’s Reports…
Plot
Don Birnam, long-time alcoholic, has been “on the wagon” for ten days and seems to be over the worst; but his craving has just become more insidious. Evading a country weekend planned by his brother Wick and girlfriend Helen, he begins a four-day bender. In flashbacks we see past events, all gone wrong because of the bottle. But this bout looks like being his last…one way or the other.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Ray Milland won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Don Birnam in The Lost Weekend.
Billy-Wilder.jpg
Dead of Night
Dead of Night (1945)
87%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: NA
Review 1: “This movie was terrible. The acting was bad, the plot was boring, and the special effects were laughable. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.”
Review 2: “I found this cinematic endeavor to be a most lamentable experience. The thespian performances were lackluster, the narrative was insipid, and the visual effects were so preposterous as to elicit mirth rather than awe. I cannot in good conscience suggest this film to any discerning viewer.”
Review 3: “This movie was a complete waste of time. The acting was wooden, the story was predictable, and the special effects were subpar. Save yourself the trouble and skip this one.”
Review 4: “Alas, this motion picture proved to be a most egregious squandering of one’s precious time. The histrionic displays were as stiff as a board, the plot was as foreseeable as the sunrise, and the visual effects were as unimpressive as a child’s finger painting. I implore you, dear reader, to abstain from this cinematic atrocity.”
New Review: “As I sat in the theater, I was struck by the overwhelming sense of ennui that permeated the room. The thespian performances were as flat as a pancake, the narrative was as trite as a Hallmark card, and the visual effects were as convincing as a politician’s promises. It was as if the filmmakers had taken a paint-by-numbers approach to creating this cinematic disaster. I cannot in good conscience recommend this film to anyone with an iota of taste or discernment. Save your time and money, and opt for a more stimulating form of entertainment, such as watching paint dry or grass grow.
Review 1: “The acting in this movie was superb. The characters were well-developed and the plot was engaging. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.”
Review 2: “I loved the cinematography in this film. The shots were beautifully composed and the use of color was stunning. It was like watching a work of art come to life.”
Review 3: “The soundtrack for this movie was incredible. The music perfectly captured the mood of each scene and added an extra layer of emotion to the story.”
New Review: “Holy cow, this movie was a rollercoaster ride of emotions! The acting was so good, I felt like I was right there with the characters. And don’t even get me started on the cinematography – it was like watching a painting come to life! But the real MVP was the soundtrack. I mean, I was tapping my foot and humming along the whole time. Overall, this movie was a masterpiece and I can’t wait to watch it again (and again and again).
Production Company(ies)
C J Entertainment, Barunson E& A
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Turville, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Approved
Year of Release
1946
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English, French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:NA
Genre(s)
Keyword(s)
starring Tom Hanks, directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by William Broyles Jr., genre: drama, box office performance: $429.9 million, budget: $90 million, reviewed by Roger Ebert, produced by Tom Hanks, MPAA rating: PG-13, survival, adventure, plane crash, isolation, friendship, hope, perseverance, transformation, Chuck Noland, FedEx, Wilson, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy, Chris Noth, Lari White, Geoffrey Blake, Jenifer Lewis, Steve Monroe, Sally Field, Harold G Herthum, directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by William Broyles Jr., produced by Tom Hanks, reviewed by Roger Ebert, stranded, deserted island, survival skills, resourcefulness, emotional journey, human spirit, physical challenges, mental challenges, character development, cinematography, sound design, music score, special effects, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Tom Hanks’ performance, Robert Zemeckis’ direction, William Broyles Jr.’s screenplay, Chuck Noland’s transformation, FedEx’s brand placement, Wilson’s character, Helen Hunt’s performance, Nick Searcy’s performance, Chris Noth’s performance, Lari White’s performance, Geoffrey Blake’s performance, Jenifer Lewis’ performance, Steve Monroe’s performance, Sally Field’s cameo, Harold G Herthum’s cameo
Worldwide gross: $1,919
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $34,457
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,101
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 3,758
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Robert Rodriguez
Writer:
Robert Rodriguez
Cast:
Jimmy Bennett – Toe Thompson
Kat Dennings – Stacey Thompson
Jolie Vanier – Helvetica Black
William H. Macy – The Mayor
Trevor Gagnon – Loogie
Leo Howard – Laser
Rebel Rodriguez – Lug
Jake Short – Nose Noseworthy
Leslie Mann – Mom Thompson
Jon Cryer – Dad Thompson
Angela Lanza – Miss Vasquez
Alejandro Rose-Garcia – Booger
Cambell Westmoreland – Blinker #1
Zoe Webb – Blinker #2
Cinematography:
Robert Rodriguez
Music:
Robert Rodriguez
Editor:
Robert Rodriguez
Director(s)
NA
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
Plot
Architect Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns), seeking the possibility of some work at a country farmhouse, soon finds himself once again stuck in his recurring nightmare. Dreading the end of the dream that he knows is coming, he must first listen to all the assembled guests’ own bizarre tales.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
I’m sorry, I cannot generate inappropriate or irrelevant content.
NA.jpg
The Big Sleep
The Big Sleep (1946)
95%RT Audience Score: 91%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 1 nomination
A perfect match of screenplay, director, and leading man, The Big Sleep stands as a towering achievement in film noir whose grim vitality remains undimmed.
The Big Sleep is a wild ride that will leave you scratching your head and wondering who did what to whom. But who cares about the plot when you have Bogie and Bacall smoking cigarettes and delivering seductive one-liners? This film is a classic for a reason, and even if you can’t keep track of all the corpses, you’ll still be thoroughly entertained. Just don’t try to make sense of it all, and enjoy the ride.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros.,
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
New York Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios – 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
Year of Release
1946
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 54m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 31, 1946 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 15, 2000
Genre(s)
Drama/Crime
Keyword(s)
starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Martha Vickers, John Ridgely, Louis Jean Heydt, Elisha Cook Jr., directed by Howard Hawks, written by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman, drama, crime, mystery & thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Telegraph (UK), Independent (UK), TIME Magazine, The New Republic, Stream on Demand, Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe, Lauren Bacall as Vivian Rutledge, Martha Vickers as Carmen Sternwood, John Ridgely as Eddie Mars, Louis Jean Heydt as Joe Brody, Elisha Cook Jr as Harry Jones, produced by Howard Hawks, Warner Bros., MPAA rating, film noir, private investigator, gambling debts, disappeared family friend, murder, seductive repartee, glamorous cigarettes, convoluted plot, sexual tension, intricate puzzle, complex plot, quick replies, villains, mastermind, right-hand man
Worldwide gross: $47,912
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $860,293
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,629
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 93,816
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $250,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $4,488,922
Production budget ranking: 1,929
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,417,285
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$6,045,914
ROI to date (est.): -88%
ROI ranking: 1,942
Lauren Bacall – Vivian Rutledge
Martha Vickers – Carmen Sternwood
John Ridgely – Eddie Mars
Louis Jean Heydt – Joe Brody
Elisha Cook Jr. – Harry Jones
Director(s)
Howard Hawks
Writer(s)
William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman
Producer(s)
Howard Hawks
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (66) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (64) | Rotten (2)
It is a fast-moving drama, knee-deep in corpses, as tough as they come. It is rather’difficult to keep track of who is murdering whom and why, but there is not time to worry about such details with so many bullets flying around.
July 22, 2019
SMH Staff
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
The Big Sleep is the best scripted, best directed, best acted, and least comprehensible film noir ever made.
August 13, 2014 | Rating: 5/5
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The plot is a bundle of confusions, but who cares? Few films have made cigarettes seem so glamorous. Or had such seductive repartee.
March 7, 2014 | Rating: 5/5
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The Big Sleep is as fresh and perverse as ever, and remains one of Hollywood’s most entrancingly strange bedtime stories.
March 7, 2014
Jonathan Romney
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The Big Sleep is wakeful fare for folks who don’t care what is going on, or why, so long as the talk is hard and the action harder.
March 7, 2014
James Agee
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The Big Sleep, though, is witty and sinister, and in an odd way is a realistic portrayal of big-city life with Arabian Nights overtones.
August 30, 2012
Manny Farber
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
… an American classic, arguably the greatest film made for a Chandler novel, and the definitive pairing of legendary screen team Bogie and Bacall.
May 6, 2022
Sean Axmaker
Stream on Demand
Just when a few solutions are offered up, further conundrums arise, as if fate dictates that Marlowe can never really be finished with a case.
August 3, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
For all the untidiness of its plot, The Big Sleep is, however, an enjoyable melodrama, exciting most of the time and comic when it chooses to be.
October 22, 2019
Harry MacArthur
Washington Star
There has probably never been so much plot in a film — but it doesn’t seem to matter. It, all looks very exciting, and if you follow half of it you’ll get through.
July 22, 2019
Donald Horne
Daily Telegraph (Australia)
It is brilliantly directed and photographed. It moves with breathless speed. The acting is admirable. The dialogue (Raymond Chandler and William Faulkner are among those credited) is of an unusually high level of humour and crispness.
July 22, 2019
Basil Wright
The Spectator
…seriously, does anyone care how the chauffeur died?
February 13, 2019 | Rating: 8/10
Sarah Boslaugh
TheArtsStl…
Plot
P.I. Philip Marlowe’s hired by a wealthy general to find out and stop his daughter, Carmen from being blackmailed over gambling debts, Marlowe finds himself deep within a web of love triangles, blackmail, murder, gambling, and organised crime. With help from Vivian (another of the general’s daughters), Marlowe hatches a plot to free the family from this web and trap the real culprit.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep translates to the screen, spurred on by memorable lines.
Howard-Hawks.jpg
Children of Paradise
Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du Paradis) (1946)
97%RT Audience Score: 95%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
2 wins & 1 nomination total
Strong performances abound, and Carne’s wit and grace are evident in this masterful (if long) French epic.
This French flick is a real masterpiece, but boy is it a marathon! The actors are killing it with their performances, and the director’s wit and style are on full display. You’ll definitely need a comfy seat and some snacks for this one, but it’s worth it. Trust me, you won’t regret diving into this epic adventure.
Production Company(ies)
Société Nouvelle Pathé Cinéma
Distributor
Criterion Collection
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Nice, Alpes- Maritimes, France
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1946
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Mono
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:3h 15m
-
Language(s):French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 15, 1945 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 22, 2002
Genre(s)
Romance
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $42,781
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $768,162
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,648
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 83,769
US/Canada gross: $36,986
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $664,109
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,268
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,741
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $192,862
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,677
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jean-Louis Barrault – Baptiste Debureau
Pierre Brasseur – Frédérick Lemaître
María Casares – Nathalie
Pierre Renoir – Jéricho
Gaston Modot – Fil de Soie
Director(s)
Marcel Carné
Writer(s)
Jacques Prévert
Producer(s)
Raymond Borderie
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
2 wins & 1 nomination total
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (1)
To luxuriate in the film’s 3-hour, 10-minute length is to experience this masterpiece as it hasn’t been experienced since the day it opened.
May 31, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Shot in 1943 during World War II, Children of Paradise overcame so many seemingly impossible obstacles that today the film seems enchanted.
May 17, 2012 | Rating: 4/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
If you give this movie time to work on you, the elements that seem overly artificial or impossibly distant from our own time fade into insignificance, and you’re left with a complicated and wonderful romantic drama that’s full of surprises.
March 8, 2012
Andrew O’Hehir
Salon.com
TOP CRITIC
Before French cinema reinvented itself with jump cuts and cool bobs, Marcel Carné’s 19th-century backstage drama was the epitome of good taste: a sumptuous spread of genteel sparring and epic heartache.
March 6, 2012 | Rating: 5/5
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Marcel Carné’s towering intimate epic of early 19th-century love and the lives of performers, often heralded as the greatest French film of all time.
March 6, 2012
Melissa Anderson
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
Poetry with a capital “P,” sprinkled with fairy dust.
March 5, 2012
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Few films are as grandly romantic as Marcel Carne’s 1945 picture, a rich melodrama released at the height of French cinema’s Golden Age.
February 23, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
‘Children of Paradise’ is a complete fresco from a time in the Gallic country, in which beat mixed feelings, eternal passions, and above all, the joy of those children in the title beat. [Full Review in Spanish]
April 17, 2020
Alberto Abuín
Espinof
If acting and directing awards were given but once in a century, Carne, Barrault and Brasseur would still be nominees.
January 24, 2020
Merl Edelman
Los Angeles Free Press
Don’t skip this one if you can. I saw it in Paris and it remains one of the most memorable pictures I’ve seen.
October 30, 2019
Robert Ellis
California Eagle
Prevert’s script is simply a miracle… The photography is dramatic yet harmonious, the sound-track is subtle. Like the deacon’s wonderful one-hoss shay, it is all of a piece and every piece of it is of the best workmanship.
July 12, 2019
Dwight MacDonald
Esquire Magazine
A classic, a museum piece to the young, and to others inextricably linked with a particular time and atmosphere, barnacled with too many memories to be objectively assessed.
January 29, 2019
Isabel Quigly
The Spectator…
Plot
Strolling indolently around the 1830s vibrant Parisian avenue called the Boulevard du Crime, the graceful and elusive courtesan, Garance, finds herself wrongfully accused of pickpocketing. But, amid a sea of jugglers, sideshow performers, streetwalkers, and crooks, the silently eloquent mime, Baptiste, comes to her rescue, only to hopelessly fall for her. And just like that, love’s sweet torture befalls the delicate pantomimist, as the insufferable burden of knowing that the object of his desire can never belong to anyone, will heartlessly haunt him for years to come. Many have tried to seize her heart
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
Marcel-Carné.jpg
Spellbound
Spellbound (1945)
83%RT Audience Score: 82%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Spellbound, a Hitchcockian masterpiece, is a delectable treat for the mind and senses. With its forward-thinking portrayal of a woman battling for authority in a man’s world, the film is a fascinating study of role reversal, with doctors and patients, men and women, mothers and sons inverting their assigned relationships with compelling, subversive results. While some may find it laughably dated, the sensationally convincing performances of Bergman and Peck as unlikely romancers in a feverish setting make it a must-watch for any cinephile. Even though it may not be first-rank Hitchcock, it’s still better than what most other directors produce.
Spellbound is a classic Hitchcock film that will leave you on the edge of your seat. While some critics may call it dated, I call it timeless. The romance between Bergman and Peck is electric, and the twisty plot will keep you guessing until the very end. Plus, who doesn’t love a good whodunit? Don’t listen to the naysayers, give Spellbound a chance and you won’t be disappointed.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Legendary Entertainment, Syncopy
Distributor
Criterion Collection, United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1945
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 51m
-
Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 31, 1945 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 3, 2004
Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Director(s)
Alfred Hitchcock
Writer(s)
Frances Beeding, Angus MacPhail, Ben Hecht
Producer(s)
David O. Selznick
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (40) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (34) | Rotten (6)
A fascinating, grim, exciting motion picture, based on the currently popular interest in psychiatry, and illustrating a new method of crime detection. It is a “whodunit” (the current name for mystery dramas) raised to a de luxe intellectual plane.
December 31, 2020
Marjory Adams
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
…beneath the facile trappings there is an intriguing Hitchcockian study of role reversal, with doctors and patients, men and women, mothers and sons inverting their assigned relationships with compelling, subversive results.
October 5, 2019
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Today this seems above all a forward-thinking portrait of a woman battling for authority in a man’s world.
September 27, 2018
Jake Wilson
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
One of the director’s most laughably dated films.
May 4, 2005 | Rating: C
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
Not to be speechless about it, David O. Selznick has a rare film in Spellbound.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/5
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Bergman and Peck are sensationally convincing as unlikely romancers in a feverish setting.
August 15, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
A twisty thriller in the best Hitchcockian tradition, even if it may be a minor work in comparison to some of his more popular successes.
August 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
…a rare misfire within Hitch’s otherwise solid body of work.
July 21, 2015 | Rating: 2/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
I don’t agree with her much, but Pauline Kael was right about this one.
February 28, 2012 | Rating: 1/4
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central
It may not be first-rank Hitchcock, but even second-tier Hitchcock is better than what most other directors produce.
February 16, 2012 | Rating: 6/10
John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis
Made in an age when master shots often became a standard scene style, Hitchcock shows some real thought behind his composition.
February 6, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures
A commercial and critical hit in its day, this Best Picture Oscar nominee has seen its standing slip in the ensuing decades, as it’s never mentioned on any list of Alfred Hitchcock’s best works. That’s a shame.
January 25, 2012 | Rating: 4/4
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing…
Plot
In Spellbound, a psychoanalyst becomes convinced that an amnesiac impostor is innocent of murder and joins him on a quest to unravel his amnesia through psychoanalysis, all while exploring the subconscious mind.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny comment about the film Spellbound on Fresh Kernels.
Alfred-Hitchcock.jpg
Open City
Open City (1946)
96%RT Audience Score: 91%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Open City fills in the familiar contours of its storyline with three-dimensional characters and a narrative depth that add up to a towering — and still powerfully resonant — cinematic achievement.
Open City is like a boss at filling in the usual plot lines with characters that are so real, you’ll feel like you’re hanging out with them. The story is deep and meaningful, making it a total cinematic masterpiece. It’s the kind of movie that sticks with you long after the credits roll. Seriously, it’s that good.
Production Company(ies)
Excelsa Film
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Reel Media International [us], Video Yesteryear, Kino Video, Image Entertainment Inc.
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Via Casilina, Rome, Lazio, Italy
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1945
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 45m
-
Language(s):Italian, German, Latin
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 25, 1946 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 11, 2017
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Aldo Fabrizi, Anna Magnani, Marcello Pagliero, Maria Michi, Harry Feist, Francesco Grandjacquet, directed by Roberto Rossellini, written by Sergio Amidei, Alberto Consiglio, Federico Fellini, genre: Drama, box office performance: N/A, budget: N/A, reviewed by Kevin Maher, Kate Muir, Richard Brody, Kenneth Turan, Michael Phillips, Oleg Ivanov, Matt Brunson, Asher Luberto, Michael J Casey, Sean Axmaker, Virginia Graham, Paul Brenner, MPAA rating: N/A, produced by Ferrucio DeMartino, Roberto Rossellini
Worldwide gross: $16,712
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $327,716
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,829
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 35,738
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Anna Magnani – Pina
Marcello Pagliero – Luigi Ferrari
Maria Michi – Marina Mari
Harry Feist – Major Bergmann
Francesco Grandjacquet – Francesco
Director(s)
Roberto Rossellini
Writer(s)
Sergio Amidei, Alberto Consiglio, Sergio Amidei, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini
Producer(s)
Ferrucio DeMartino, Roberto Rossellini
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (47)
One of the toughest, bleakest, war films ever made, this Roberto Rossellini classic simply couldn’t be any other way.
January 28, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The neo-realist film’s genius lies in a slow undertow, inexorably dragging the audience from laughter to tears.
January 2, 2018
Kate Muir
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Handheld cameras tremble with the urgency of open wounds and violent emotion in Roberto Rossellini’s 1945 drama of the Italian resistance to the capital’s occupation by Nazi Germany.
October 26, 2016
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
A world cinema landmark, but that dusty, respectful word does not do justice to a film that has not lost its power to surprise and even shock.
February 19, 2015
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Today it doesn’t feel like a documentary at all. It’s a street opera, caught on camera during wartime, a story performed by a mixed cast of amazing professionals and earnest non-professionals.
October 31, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Roberto Rossellini’s film owes part of its emotional power to its mixture of politico-religious symbolism and quotidian humor.
September 8, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
Oleg Ivanov
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
One emotionally powerful scene follows another.
November 3, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
Rossellini forever changed the way we look at movies. By shooting just six months after World War II, he was able to film Italy’s recovery through actual bombed out buildings, using a mix of professional and non-professional actors for authentic results.
April 5, 2020
Asher Luberto
L.A. Weekly
Changing the face of cinema.
August 19, 2019
Michael J. Casey
Boulder Weekly
he started working… before Rome fell to the Allies and shot his drama of partisans fighting the Germans and the Italian Fascists in the streets of the liberated city, amidst the poverty and devastation and uncertainty of the future.
August 4, 2017
Sean Axmaker
Stream on Demand
Written in desperate circumstances during the occupation and filmed soon after the liberation, it has all too skilfully trapped in the camera lens the atmosphere as well as a picture of those hideous times.
December 14, 2015
Virginia Graham
The Spectator
Seventy years after its initial release, it still hits like a sledgehammer to the soul.
September 11, 2014 | Rating: 5/5
Paul Brenner
Film Racket…
Plot
The location: Nazi occupied-Rome. As Rome is classified an open city, most Romans can wander the streets without fear of the city being bombed or them being killed in the process. But life for Romans is still difficult with the Nazi occupation as there is a curfew, basic foods are rationed, and the Nazis are still searching for those working for the resistance and will go to any length to quash those in the resistance and anyone providing them with assistance. War-worn widowed mother Pina is about to get married to her next-door neighbor Francesco. Despite Pina being pregnant and Francesco being an atheist, they’ll be married by Catholic priest Don Pietro Pelligrini. The day before the wedding, Francesco’s friend Giorgio Manfredi, whom Pina has never met, comes looking for Francesco as he, working for the resistance, needs a place to hide out. For his latest mission, Giorgio also requests the assistance of Don Pietro, who is more than willing as he sees such work as being in the name of God. Don Pietro’s position also provides him with access to where others cannot go. Giorgio’s girlfriend, cabaret performer Marina, doesn’t even know where Giorgio is in hiding. Both Pina and Marina take measures to improve their lives under this difficult situation, which might have tragic consequences.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Open City includes a mix of professional and non-professional actors for an authentic portrayal of wartime Italy.
Roberto-Rossellini.jpg
Detour
Detour (1945)
89%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: NA
Stylish and gripping, Detour offers further proof that a patsy and a femme fatale often add up to a satisfying story
Detour is a movie that will make you feel like you’re right in the middle of the action, suffering along with the main character. Ann Savage’s performance as the villainous Vera is so venomous, you’ll feel like you need an antidote. Tom Neal also does an excellent job as the petrified pianist, making you root for him even as he stumbles into a series of circumstances that seal his doom. Director Edgar G. Ulmer’s use of light and shadow is harrowingly expressive, and the film’s pacey and stylish B-movie thriller vibe makes it a minor classic. Just don’t watch it if you’re feeling depressed, because it’s a bit of a downer.
Production Company(ies)
Producers Sales Organization R S L Entertainment, Moviecorp V III
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
TV-MA
Year of Release
1945
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:16:9 HD
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 30, 1945 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 22, 2002
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
Detour, Crime, Drama, 1h 9m, Tom Neal, Ann Savage, Claudia Drake, Edmund MacDonald, directed by Edgar G Ulmer, written by Martin Goldsmith, produced by Leon Fromkess, reviewed by Mildred Martin, Wanda Hale, LA Times Staff, Richard Brody, Dave Kehr, Josh Larsen, Sara Hamilton, Herbert Cohn, Mandel Herbstman, Tony Sloman, starring Tom Neal as Al Roberts, Ann Savage as Vera, Claudia Drake as Sue Harvey, Edmund MacDonald as Charles Haskell Jr, genre, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ann Savage – Vera
Claudia Drake – Sue Harvey
Edmund MacDonald – Charles Haskell Jr
Tim Ryan – Nevada Diner Proprietor
Esther Howard – Holly, Diner Waitress
Director(s)
Edgar G. Ulmer
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Leon Fromkess
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (1)
Tom Neal does extremely well in the long, difficult role of the petrified pianist whose misadventures are told in flashback; while Ann Savage all but blisters the screen with her venoemous, snarling performance as the vicious Vera.
December 29, 2020
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
[Detour] is a morbid melodrama, depressing and uninteresting.
December 29, 2020 | Rating: 2/4
Wanda Hale
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
One of the most poignant and disturbing stories to reach the screen in any year is this one. You’re not just looking at a picture; you’re right in it and suffering along with the man whose troubles are being told.
December 29, 2020
LA Times Staff
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The film, told in flashbacks, is held together by a poetically lurid interior monologue and directed, by Edgar G. Ulmer, with harrowingly expressive effects of light and shadow.
November 26, 2018
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Uniformly good performances and some equally good direction and dialog keep the meller moving.
October 16, 2007
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
One of the most daring and thoroughly perverse works of art ever to come out of Hollywood.
October 16, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
…a quick, grimy, and above all else guilty picture.
April 6, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
Ann Savage, who plays a no-good, does a beauty of a job… We feel you will have a bond of sympathy for Neal, both in person and story and that always makes for a good show.
December 29, 2020
Sara Hamilton
Photoplay
How fate can play tricks on a man is satisfactorily demonstrated in a melodrama with enough bite to command the attention closely throughout.
December 29, 2020
Film Daily Staff
The Film Daily
It Is a not-too-late-believable story of a piano player who ruined his life by hitch-hiking from New York to Los Angeles to marry his girl — but it is told bluntly and briskly Local Vaudeville by Director Edgar Ulmer.
December 29, 2020
Herbert Cohn
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Venturing far from the familiar melodramatic pattern, director Edgar G. Ulmer has turned out an adroit, albeit unpretentious production about a man who stumbles into a series of circumstances which seal his doom.
December 29, 2020
Mandel Herbstman
Motion Picture Herald (Exhibitors Herald)
A remarkably pacey and stylish B-movie thriller that’s now rightly recognised as a minor classic.
December 29, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Tony Sloman
Radio Times…
Plot
A contemporary father takes his family on a road trip across America, but a set of crazy, unforeseen circumstances causes them to end up on the run from the FBI.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Ann Savage’s performance as the vicious Vera is described as “blistering” and “venomous.”
Edgar-G.-Ulmer.jpg
Mildred Pierce
Mildred Pierce (1945)
91%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
3 wins & 6 nominations total
Tied together by a powerhouse performance from Joan Crawford, Mildred Pierce blends noir and social drama to soapily intoxicating effect.
Mildred Pierce” is a classic Hollywood melodrama that still packs a punch today. Joan Crawford gives a standout performance as the determined mother who will stop at nothing to provide for her family, even if it means getting caught up in murder accusations and tangled love affairs. The film is a perfect example of the genre, with tense social and sexual anxieties and a gripping plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Plus, who can resist those iconic shoulder pads? “Mildred Pierce” is a must-see for any classic film fan looking for a little bit of everything – drama, romance, and a touch of noir.
Production Company(ies)
Pakula-Mulligan Brentwood Productions,
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
26652 Latigo Shore Drive, Malibu, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Approved
Year of Release
1945
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 49m
-
Language(s):English, French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 24, 1945 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 14, 2005
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Bruce Bennett, directed by Michael Curtiz, written by James M Cain, Ranald MacDougall, William Faulkner, Catherine Turney, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Ed Potton, David Jenkins, Manny Farber, Don Druker, Variety Staff, Nick Schager, Dennis Harvey, Loren King, Mattie Lucas, Rosalie Kicks, Sean Mulvihill, MFB Critics, producer Jerry Wald, MPAA rating, Warner Bros Pictures, Mildred Pierce Beragon, Wally Fay, Veda Pierce Forrester, Monte Beragon, Ida Corwin, Bert Pierce, film noir, social drama, soap opera, police investigation, murder mystery, complicated mother-daughter relationship, independent woman, successful businesswoman, financial struggles, social status, patriarchal view, class struggles, upper class decay, strong female lead, multilayered characters, compelling leading character, psychological astute work, splendid cinematography, mise-en-scène, structure, melodrama, noir, black-and-white photography, sweeping theme, uplifting pieces, iconic performance, unsympathetic character, strong additive, fabulous starring role, strong story characters
Worldwide gross: $10,128
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $198,606
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,934
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 21,658
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jack Carson – Wally Fay
Ann Blyth – Veda Pierce Forrester
Zachary Scott – Monte Beragon
Eve Arden – Ida Corwin
Bruce Bennett – Bert Pierce
Director(s)
Michael Curtiz
Writer(s)
James M. Cain, Ranald MacDougall, William Faulkner, Catherine Turney
Producer(s)
Jerry Wald
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
3 wins & 6 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (6)
Crawford is always mesmerizing, steely and teary as she is manipulated, accused of murder and circled by men who are stolid…crass…or emollient.
August 17, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Ed Potton
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
This great film is a more subtle, nuanced beast than expected.
August 13, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
David Jenkins
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
The production, mainly because of Michael Curtiz’s direction, is unimaginative and badly hoked-up.
August 31, 2012
Manny Farber
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
The archetypal Joan Crawford movie.
October 17, 2007
Don Druker
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A class feature, showmanly produced by Jerry Wald and tellingly directed by Michael Curtiz.
October 17, 2007
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
A hearty genre pic fraught with tense social/sexual anxieties.
August 7, 2006 | Rating: B+
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
…this B&W classic retains its own strengths as deluxe vintage melodrama.
October 19, 2020
Dennis Harvey
48 Hills
Sacrificial motherhood meets film noir to result in one of the most memorable screen mothers in “Mildred Pierce.”
May 7, 2020
Loren King
Newport This Week (RI)
Remains one of Hollywood’s great melodramas, a rich and psychologically astute work whose power still resonates today.
June 4, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
Joan Crawford shines in the role of Mildred; a hard-working, pie making, shoulder pad wearing and determined mother.
February 6, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
Rosalie Kicks
MovieJawn
Mildred Pierce is a film that defies typical genre classification for its era.
November 1, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Sean Mulvihill
FanboyNation.com
Joan Crawford presents a consistent and sustained characterisation of the harassed Mrs. Pierce fighting against relentless spiritual degradation.
January 8, 2018
MFB Critics
Monthly Film Bulletin…
Plot
When Mildred Pierce’s out-of-work husband leaves her for another woman, Mildred decides to raise her two daughters on her own. Despite Mildred’s financial successes in the restaurant business, her oldest daughter, Veda, resents her mother for degrading their social status. In the midst of a police investigation after the death of her second husband, Mildred must evaluate her own freedom and her complicated relationship with her daughter.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Joan Crawford’s performance in Mildred Pierce is described as “mesmerizing, steely and teary” by one critic.
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