Spellbound (1945)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Palmer (novel) and
Hilary St. George Sanders (novel) ...

Release Date:

28 December 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Strange . . . Strange . . . Their Irresistible Love! Dark . . . Dark . . . Their Inescapable Fears !

Plot:

A female psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Amnesia | Impostor | Psychiatrist | Memory

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Ingrid Bergman	...	Dr. Constance Petersen
Gregory Peck	...	John Ballantine / Dr. Anthony Edwardes
Michael Chekhov	...	Dr. Alexander 'Alex' Brulov
Leo G. Carroll	...	Dr. Murchison
Rhonda Fleming	...	Mary Carmichael
John Emery	...	Dr. Fleurot
Norman Lloyd	...	Mr. Garmes
Bill Goodwin	...	House detective
Steven Geray	...	Dr. Graff
Donald Curtis	...	Harry
Wallace Ford	...	Stranger in Hotel Lobby
Art Baker	...	Det. Lt. Cooley
Regis Toomey	...	Det. Sgt. Gillespie
Paul Harvey	...	Dr. Hanish

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (USA) (promotional title)
The House of Dr. Edwardes (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

111 min | Canada:95 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Spain:18 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Germany:16 (f) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #10456)

Filming Locations:

Alta Lodge - 10230 E. Little Cottonwood Road, Alta, Utah, USA

Company:

Vanguard Films

Trivia:

One of the first Hollywood films to deal with psychoanalysis.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dr. Brulov wakes J.B. to ask about his dreams, J.B.'s hair is very messed up. However, when Dr. Peterson enters the room with coffee a couple of minutes later, J.B.'s hair is neat, even though he hasn't combed it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Nurse: [offscreen] Miss Carmichael, please. Dr. Petersen is ready for you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Full House: Spellbound (#5.17)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Spellbound Concerto

Quaint Hitchcock with some magical moments

I will remember "Spellbound" not for the story but for the use of cinematic tools to entertain the viewer. Hitchcock always had a yen for kissing scenes ("Notorious," "Torn Curtain," "Marnie", "Rear Window," etc.). Here instead of the close-up, he uses the camera to fade into a series of 7 doors opening as if the camera was rushing in through them to signify the adrenaline rush of the first kiss between the two lead characters. It was inventive for its time, though you could say the simile was overwrought.

The second startling scene was the accidental fall of the child on the sharp iron barriers of the house was graphic but few remember it. I thought that was great cinema, to show the gory end without any blood! The third scene if the film was attempted pick up of the leading lady by a stranger in the hotel lobby captured by a static camera and the interruption by the hotel detective. This was Ben Hecht and Hitchcock at work providing another magical interlude.

The fourth magical moment is the use of color to signify blood briefly after a gun shot in black and white movie.

The fifth magical moment was the envelop lying on the floor, seen by the leading lay but not others even s they step on it except for one gentleman.

Finally, there is the famous Dali painting sequence--which is remarkably close to Dali/Bunuel's work in "Un Chien Andalou." There is more of the typical Hitchcock in this film: wrong man chased by the police ("The 39 steps", "Saboteur," etc.) obsession with food and drinks (the meal scene where the leading lady draws an image with a fork, and the value of drinking milk at night eschewed by the foxy old psychiatrist). There is sexist humor too "Women make the best psycho-analysts until they fall in love, after which they become the best patients." This is true of men as well! The film is not the best of Hitchcock but his stamp is all over it. His master move was to cast Ingrid Bergman, who is simply a treat to watch and admire, in the lead role. Ms Bergman lifted up this movie. So also was the commendable casting of Michael Chekov as the old psycho-analyst. These factors negate the illogical emergency surgery conducted by a team of psycho-analysts and the awful staged ski sequences.