Film Snail

6.3

A Double Life

NR·1947·104m

Drama

Thriller

Drama

Thriller

Summary

A Shakespearian actor starring as Othello opposite his wife finds the character's jealous rage taking over his mind off-stage.

Cast

Ronald Colman

Anthony John

Signe Hasso

Brita

Edmond O'Brien

Bill Friend

Shelley Winters

Pat Kroll

Ray Collins

Victor Donlan

Philip Loeb

Max Lasker

Millard Mitchell

Al Cooley

Joe Sawyer

Pete Bonner

Charles La Torre

Stellini

Whit Bissell

Dr. Stauffer

John Drew Colt

Stage Manager

Peter M. Thompson

Asst. Stage Manager

Elizabeth Dunne

Gladys

Alan Edmiston

Rex

Art Smith

Wigmaker

Sid Tomack

Wigmaker

Wilton Graff

Dr. Mervin

Harlan Briggs

Oscar Bernard

Claire Carleton

Waitress

Betsy Blair

Girl in Wig Shop

Janet Warren

Girl in Wig Shop

Marjorie Woodworth

Girl in Wig Shop

Guy Bates Post

Actor in "Othello"

Fay Kanin

Actress in "Othello"

David Bond

Actor in "Othello"

Arthur Gould-Porter

Actor in "Othello"

Leslie Denison

Actor in "Othello"

Frederick Worlock

Actor in "Othello"

Virginia Patton

Actress in "Othello"

Boyd Irwin

Actor in "Othello"

Thayer Roberts

Actor in "Othello"

Percival Vivian

Actor in "Othello" and "A Gentleman's Gentleman"

Elliott Reid

Actor in "A Gentleman's Gentleman"

Mary Young

Actress in "A Gentleman's Gentleman"

Georgia Caine

Actress in "A Gentleman's Gentleman"

William Bailey

Detective (uncredited)

Harry Bannister

Second Actor (uncredited)

Joseph E. Bernard

Joe (Landlady's Husband) (uncredited)

Reginald Billado

Reporter (uncredited)

Laura K. Brooks

Dowager at Party (uncredited)

Paddy Chayefsky

Photographer (uncredited)

Alexander Clark

Barry (uncredited)

Angela Clarke

Lucy (uncredited)

Heinie Conklin

Second Bartender (uncredited)

Curt Conway

Reporter (uncredited)

Russ Conway

Reporter (uncredited)

Leander De Cordova

Audience Member (uncredited)

Nick Dennis

Stagehand (uncredited)

John Derek

Police Stenographer (uncredited)

Joann Dolan

Ellen (uncredited)

George Douglas

Audience Member (uncredited)

Watson Downs

Bootmaker (uncredited)

Fernanda Eliscu

Landlady (uncredited)

Franklyn Farnum

Party Guest (uncredited)

Maude Fealy

Minor Role (uncredited)

Bess Flowers

Theater Patron (uncredited)

Nina Gilbert

Minor Role (uncredited)

Thomas Gomez

Cassio (voice) (uncredited)

Dick Gordon

Party Guest (uncredited)

Beatrice Gray

Ethyl May Halls

Fred Hoose

Doretta Johnson

Charles Jordan

Robert Emmett Keane

Hazel Keener

James Khan

Kay Lavelle

Elmo Lincoln

James Linn

Phil MacKenzie

Barry Macollum

Janet Manson

Kathy Marlowe

Thomas Martin

Joyce Mathews

Don McGill

Walter McGrail

Hal Melone

Carl Milletaire

Howard M. Mitchell

Harry Hays Morgan

Jack Perrin

Albert Pollet

Joey Ray

Boyer (uncredited)

Yvette Reynard

Frank Richards

Bruce Riley

Buddy Roosevelt

Sarah Selby

Jamesson Shade

George Sherwood

Pietro Sosso

Michael Stark

Cedric Stevens

Diane Stewart

Mike Stokey

Wayne C. Treadway

John Valentine

Mary Worth

John Morgan

Crew

Director

George Cukor

Screenplay

Ruth Gordon

Screenplay

Garson Kanin

Reviews

Geronimo1967

July 7, 2022

Ronald Coleman always did like playing either two parts, or one with a dual-personality - and he does the latter very well indeed here. If you've a basic knowledge of Shakespeare's "Othello" the that helps a bit as he portrays an actor "Tony" who, after many year playing the title role with ex-wife "Brita" (Signe Hasso) - who is also his wife "Desdemona" in the play - is really beginning to become delusional about which existence is real... His distress isn't helped by meeting Shelley Winters "Pat" in a bar, they hook up but it isn't what he really wants. That is happiness with "Trina". When he asks her to re-marry him, she declines sending him into spiral of depression that has tragic consequences as he again descends in to his character - only it is "Pat" who suffers. There is an intensity about Colman here - his eyes, menacing; his almost schizophrenic character genuinely quite scary at times, and his Shakespearian on-stage effort decent - if not exactly Olivier - when required. All of this, coupled with strong contributions from Hasso and his friend "Bill" (Edmond O'Brien), who ends up perilously close to getting of the blame for the worst of his Colman's excesses, make for a compelling, expertly shot, story of split-personality gone, quite literally, mad! George Cukor keeps this tense and focussed, and Miklós Ròsza again provides a score that aides wonderfully with the atmosphere of the piece.