DOUBLE LIFE (DVD) DVD

A Double Life
Ronald Colman won an Academy Award for his portrayal of an off-the-beam actor in A Double Life. A beloved stage star, Anthony John (Colman), has problems with his private life due to his unpredictable outbursts of temper. This trait has already cost him his wife, Brita (Signe Hasso), and threatens to sabotage his career. Nonetheless, Anthony makes his peace with Brita, and the two actors star in a new Broadway staging of Othello. The play is a hit, running over 300 performances, but the pressures of portraying a man moved to murder by jealousy takes its toll on Anthony. In a fit of delirium, he strangles his casual mistress, Pat (Shelley Winters), but retains no memory of the awful crime. Press agent Bill Friend (Edmond O'Brien), unaware that Anthony is the killer, uses Pat's murder as publicity for Othello. Anthony becomes enraged at this cheap ploy, and attacks Friend. At this point, Anthony realizes that he has been living "a double life" and is in fact Pat's murderer. A Double Life was written for the screen by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, who occasionally digress from the melodramatic plotline to include a few backstage inside jokes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Ronald Colman as Anthony John Whit Bissell as Dr. Stauffer Betsy Blair as Girl in Wig Shop Signe Hasso as Brita Edmond O'Brien as Bill Friend David Bond as ["othello" Sequence] Shelley Winters as Pat Kroll Harlan Briggs as Oscar Bemard Georgia Caine as [A Gentleman's Gentleman Sequence] Ray Collins as Victor Donlan Philip Loeb as Max Lasker Claire Carleton as Waitress John Drew Colt as Stage Manager Leslie Denison as ["othello" Sequence] Elizabeth Dunne as Gladys Alan Edmiston as Rex Arthur E. Gould-Porter as David Bond ["othello" Sequence] Wilton Graff as Dr. Mervin Boyd Irwin as Virginia Patton ["othello" Sequence] Fay Kanin as Guy Bates Post ["othello" Sequence] Charles La Torre as Stellini Millard Mitchell as Al Cooley Virginia Patton as ["othello" Sequence] Guy Bates Post as ["othello" Sequence] Elliott Reid as [A Gentleman's Gentleman Sequence] Thayer Roberts as ["othello" Sequence] Joe Sawyer as Pete Bonner Art Smith as Wigmaker Peter Thompson as Assistant Stage Manager Sid Tomack as Wigmaker Percival Vivian as Thayer Roberts/Georgia Caine ["othello" Sequence] Janet Warren as Girl in Wigshop Marjorie Woodworth as Girls in Wig Shop Frederic Worlock as Leslie Denison ["othello" sequence] Mary Young as Elliott Teid [A Gentleman's Gentleman Sequence]

Crew Harvey T. Gillett - Art Director Bernard Herzbrun - Art Director Yvonne Wood - Costume Designer Travis Banton - Costume Designer George Cukor - Director Robert Parrish - Editor Miklos Rozsa - Composer (Music Score) Bud Westmore - Makeup Harry Horner - Production Designer Milton Krasner - Cinematographer Michael Kanin - Producer John P. Austin - Set Designer Russell A. Gausman - Set Designer David S. Horsley - Special Effects Ruth Gordon - Screenwriter Garson Kanin - Screenwriter William Shakespeare - Play Author

A Double Life
Originally written for Laurence Olivier, A Double Life ultimately served as the vehicle which brought Ronald Colman his only Oscar. It's certainly a worthy performance, although some might carp that Colman goes for "showy" effects when subtler choices might prove more effective. Nonetheless, he does take hold of the screen and never let it go, delivering an energetic and enthralling performance that is essential to making the film work. The encroaching madness, the frenzy, the fight for sanity are all portrayed in an electrifying manner; Colman makes this man both monstrous and appealing. Of course, he's working from a well-structured script by Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon that is filled with the kind of scenes and dialogue that an actor kills for. And director George Cukor provides invaluable support, showcasing his star in the most favorable manner. Cukor also makes extensive use of mirrors throughout, an appropriate metaphor, and his visual flair really comes into play as Colman sinks further into madness. His evocative use of sound and music throughout also helps to intensify the race away from sanity. In addition, the director pulls an affecting and vulnerable performance from Shelley Winters, who plays very well off of Colman. If A Double Life's melodramatic heights are a little artificial for modern audiences, it still packs a sizable wallop. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

Garson Kanin: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Screenplay (nominated) George Cukor: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Director (nominated) Miklos Rozsa: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Score - Drama or Comedy (winner) Ronald Colman: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Actor (winner) Ronald Colman: Golden Globe, Best Actor (winner) Ruth Gordon: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Screenplay (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: DS: Dolby Surround (4.0) Additional Features: cc Digitally mastered from the original film negative Full screen version 2.0 Dolby Stereo Surround Scene selects English closed captioning DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 103 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Main Title [1:58] 2. Introducing Anthony John [2:37] 3. The Othello Thing [5:29] 4. A Gentleman's Gentleman [2:43] 5. Better Be a Comedy [1:05] 6. Bad Old Habits [4:33] 7. A Few Connections [4:18] 8. His Real Name [3:30] 9. A Terrifying Process [10:35] 10. Last Scene - Bravo! [6:20] 11. A Double Reality [3:51] 12. Overdoing It a Bit [5:15] 13. Sick... With Jealousy [8:19] 14. "Out, Strumpet!" [6:41] 15. The Kiss of Death [3:01] 16. Daylight Terrors and Dignity [5:27] 17. "Get Out of Here, You Maniac!" [2:13] 18. Just a Hunch [5:27] 19. The Girl for the Trap [4:09] 20. Casting the Bait [2:18] 21. Othello Falls Apart [2:54] 22. The Final Curtain [6:35] 23. "Die Again!" [4:27] 24. End Credits [:45]