Director Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological suspense thriller Spellbound (1945) stars Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov and Leo G. Carroll. Bergman plays a psychoanalyst who helps her new boss, played by Peck, figure out what’s bothering him. While Bergman battles the stereotype of the female working professional as cold, she begins to warm up to Peck as they discover that his amnesia and dreams may be evidence of murder. One dream sequence was designed by the Surrealist Salvador Dali and cut down to two minutes from a reported twenty. Some additional sequences which were designed by Dali were not used in the film; however, from what I’ve seen they might have made the film even better as they would have introduced the (potentially) interesting psychological aspect of Peck’s developing relationship with Bergman. I am fairly certain that Hitchcock wanted to keep the focus on the central mystery of the film, which is what actually happened to Dr. Edwardes. [It has recently been brought to my attention that the Producer, David O. Selznick, appears to have been the motivating figure behind Hitchcock directing a film about psychoanalysis in the first place and Hitchcock frequently feuded with Selznick’s personal therapist who was an advisor on the film. It is not clear to me if Selznick or Hitchcock was more troubled by Dali; however, as Hitchcock was very meticulous about editing, etc. I give all the credit or blame to Hitchcock.]
This film is in my top ten primarily because of interplay of the suspense, the psychological themes and the romance. I refer you to my review of Notorious (1946) on this website where I mention the romantic relationship and dialogue between Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant which is more deftly played. I could speculate that Peck was naturally less of a warmer character than Grant anyway or that Hitchcock was not interested in the male-female dynamic from a psychological point of view. (Was he Psycho?] Other Hitchcock movies which display Grant’s warmth and also the snappier dialogue are To Catch A Thief (1955) with Grace Kelly and North by Northwest (1959) with Eva Marie Saint. Spellbound was inspired by the novel The House of Dr. Edwardes (1927) by Hilary Saint George Saunders and John Palmer (as ‘Francis Beeding’). It was adapted by Angus MacPhail and Ben Hecht. Ben Hecht wrote the screenplay for Notorious aswell as many other Oscar-nominated films, some of which he did not receive credit on the final productions for having made contributions. I repeat my advice to use the awesome www.imdb.comwebsite to find all the Wonderful andHot writing he has done for The Picturesfrom 1926 to 1964, except to say how much I enjoy His Girl Friday (1940, starring Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell and Ralph Bellamy and adapted by Hecht from the play The Front Page).
Other Hitchcock movies which I highly recommend for various and sundry reasons: The 39 Steps (1935, starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll);The Lady Vanishes (1938, starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave and Paul Lukas); Jamaica Inn (1939, starring Maureen O’Hara, Robert Newton and Charles Laughton);Rebecca (1940, starring Laurence Olivier; Joan Fontaine and George Sanders and also produced by Selznick); Lifeboat (1944, starring Tallulah Bankhead, John Hodiak and Charles Slezak); The Paradine Case(1947, starring Gregory Peck, Ann Todd and Charles Laughton and also produced by Selznick); Rear Window(1954, James Stewart and Grace Kelly);The Trouble with Harry (1955, starring John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine and Edmund Gwenn); The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956, starring James Stewart and Doris Day).
You may realize if you are big fan of Hitchcock that there are certain Hitchcock movies which I have left off the above list (not counting the films I already reviewed). This is because I am not particularly enamored of them; however, I will state for the record that I generally recommend any of Hitchcock’s films and would consider it beneficial to see any of them at least once. (One of my standards for a highly recommended work is that it is worth multiple viewings.) I may be forgiven for repeating my suggestion to check out the awesome www.imdb.com website as well as my recommendation forHitchcock (2012, starring Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren) for those who want more insight into him but more particularly on the making of Psycho (1960).]
Ingrid Bergman has already been recommended for Notorious and I here repeat myself to mention some other most worthy works: Gaslight (1940, starring Charles Boyer and has Ms. Bergman in her first Best Actress Oscar-winning performance); Anastasia (1956, which has Ms. Bergman in her second Best Actress Oscar-winning performance); Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958); Indiscreet (1958, starring Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant); Cactus Flower (1970, starring Walther Matthau and Goldie Hawn in her Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winning performance); Murder on the Orient Express (1974, starring Albert Finney and in which Ms. Bergman won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar); Autumn Sonata (1978, Ingmar Bergman directed this feature starring Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann); and A Woman Called Golda (1982 made-for-television movie).
I refer you to my review of The Big Country (1958) on this website so you know how much I like Gregory Peck and herewith highly recommend some other pictures of his: Captain Horatio Hornblower R. N. (1951, starring Gregory Peck, Virginia Mayo and Robert Beatty); Roman Holiday (1953, starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, winner of the Best Academy Award);Moby Dick (1956, starring Gregory Peck and Richard Basehart); Guns of Navarone (1961, starring David Niven, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn); To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, starring Gregory Peck in his Oscar-winning role):Cape Fear (1962, starring Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Polly Bergen); Captain Newman, M.D. (1963, starring Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis and Angie Dickinson); The Omen (1976, starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick); The Boys from Brazil (1978, starring Gregory Peck); and The Sea Wolves (1980, Starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven) and Cape Fear (1991, starring Robert DeNiro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis with cameos by Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam who were in the original 1962 version).
Genre: Psychological Suspense Thriller
Running Time: 111 Minutes
A Favorite Quote: “Women make the best psychoanalysts until the fall in love. After that they make the best patients. (Michael Chekhov as Dr. Alex Brulov)
Now you know my top ten favorite films of all time. My next review will be Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout (1971).
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