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Encyclopedia > Spellbound (1945 film)
Spellbound

original film poster
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Produced by David O. Selznick
Written by Hilary Saint George Saunders (novel)
Angus MacPhail (adaptation)
Ben Hecht (screenplay)
John Palmer (novel - uncredited)
Starring Ingrid Bergman
Gregory Peck
Michael Chekhov
Leo G. Carroll
Rhonda Fleming
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Cinematography George Barnes
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) October 31, 1945 (NYC)
28 December 1945 (USA wide)
Running time 111 min.
Language English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Spellbound is a 1945 psychological thriller and mystery film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It tells the story of the new head of a mental asylum who turns out not to be what he claims. The film stars Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov and Leo G. Carroll. The film is an adaptation by Angus MacPhail and Ben Hecht of the novel The House of Dr. Edwardes by Francis Beeding. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... David O. Selznick David Oliver Selznick (May 10, 1902–June 22, 1965), was one of the icon Hollywood producers of the Golden Age. ... Hilary Aidan Saint George Saunders (1898 - 1951) was a British author. ... Angus MacPhail (born 8 April 1903 in London - 22 April 1962) was an English screenwriter active from the late 1920s who is known for his work with Alfred Hitchcock. ... Ben Hecht (February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was a prolific Hollywood screenwriter, even though he professed disdain for the motion picture industry. ... John Palmer is the name of several notable individuals, including: John McAuley Palmer (1817-1900), U.S. Civil War general and governor of Illinois; John McAuley Palmer (1870-1955), American First World War general and military theorist, the grandson of the first John McCauley Palmer; John Palmer (1785-1840), U...   (pronounced in Swedish, but usually in English, IPA notation) (August 29, 1915 – August 29, 1982) was a three-time Academy Award-winning and two-time Emmy Award-winning Swedish actress. ... Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an Oscar-winning American film actor. ... Mikhail Aleksandrovich Chekhov (Russian: Михаил Александрович Чехов, August 29, 1891 in Moscow – September 30, 1955 in Beverly Hills, California) was an Academy Award-nominated Russian-American actor, director, author, and developer of his own acting technique used by actors such as Clint Eastwood, Marilyn Monroe, Yul Brynner, and Robert Stack. ... Leo G. Carroll (October 25, 1892–October 16, 1972) was an British character actor, best known for his roles in several Hitchcock films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. He was born in Weedon, Buckinghamshire to a wealthy Catholic family, who named him after the reigning pope... Rhonda Fleming Rhonda Fleming (born August 10, 1923), nicknamed the Queen of Technicolor, is an American actress. ... Miklós Rózsa (IPA: ) or Miklos Rozsa (April 18, 1907 - July 27, 1995) was a Hungarian-American composer, best known for his film scores // Miklós Rózsa was born in Budapest and exposed to classical and folk music through his mother, a classical pianist who had studied with... George S. Barnes (October 16, 1892 - May 30, 1953) was an American cinematographer from the era of silent films to the early 1950s. ... The current United Artists logo (a variant was used during the 1980s). ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... New York, New York redirects here. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the wide-ranging thriller genre. ... Mystery fiction is a distinct subgenre of detective fiction that entails the occurrence of an unknown event which requires the protagonist to make known (or solve). ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... A psychiatric hospital (also called a mental hospital or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ...   (pronounced in Swedish, but usually in English, IPA notation) (August 29, 1915 – August 29, 1982) was a three-time Academy Award-winning and two-time Emmy Award-winning Swedish actress. ... Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an Oscar-winning American film actor. ... Mikhail Aleksandrovich Chekhov (Russian: Михаил Александрович Чехов, August 29, 1891 in Moscow – September 30, 1955 in Beverly Hills, California) was an Academy Award-nominated Russian-American actor, director, author, and developer of his own acting technique used by actors such as Clint Eastwood, Marilyn Monroe, Yul Brynner, and Robert Stack. ... Leo G. Carroll (October 25, 1892–October 16, 1972) was an British character actor, best known for his roles in several Hitchcock films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. He was born in Weedon, Buckinghamshire to a wealthy Catholic family, who named him after the reigning pope... Angus MacPhail (born 8 April 1903 in London - 22 April 1962) was an English screenwriter active from the late 1920s who is known for his work with Alfred Hitchcock. ... Ben Hecht (February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was a prolific Hollywood screenwriter, even though he professed disdain for the motion picture industry. ... The House Of Dr. Edwardes is a psychological thriller novel written by John Palmer and Hilary A. Saunders, under the pseudonym Francis Beeding. The plot concerns a psychiatrist at an asylum which is about to get a new director. ...

Contents

Production

Spellbound caused major contention between Alfred Hitchcock and producer David O. Selznick. Hitchcock was contracted to make films for Selznick, who ordered him to make a movie based upon Selznick's own experiences in psychoanalysis. Selznick even brought his own therapist on board as a technical advisor. She and Hitchcock clashed frequently. David O. Selznick David Oliver Selznick (May 10, 1902–June 22, 1965), was one of the icon Hollywood producers of the Golden Age. ... Psychoanalysis is a family of psychological theories and methods based on the work of Sigmund Freud. ... Therapy (in Greek: θεραπεία) or treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a diagnosis. ...


Hitchcock caused further contention by bringing in surrealist artist Salvador Dalí to conceive certain scenes of mental delusion. Selznick hated Dalí's ideas, and although much of his work was used, one dream sequence depicting Bergman turning into a statue of the Greek goddess Diana was cut. The footage apparently no longer exists (although some production stills of the sequence have survived). Max Ernst. ... Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí y Domènech, Marquis of Pubol (May 11, 1904 – January 23, 1989), was a Spanish (Catalan) surrealist painter. ... Diana was the equivalent in Roman mythology of the Greek Artemis (see Roman/Greek equivalency in mythology for more details). ...


The film boasts an orchestral score by Miklós Rózsa notable for its pioneering use of the theremin. Spellbound was filmed in black and white, except for one or two frames of bright red at the conclusion when a gun is turned into the camera. This red detail was deleted in 16mm and video formats and was restored only for the film's DVD release. Miklós Rózsa (IPA: ) or Miklos Rozsa (April 18, 1907 - July 27, 1995) was a Hungarian-American composer, best known for his film scores // Miklós Rózsa was born in Budapest and exposed to classical and folk music through his mother, a classical pianist who had studied with... Léon Theremin playing an early theremin The theremin (originally pronounced but often anglicized as [1]), or thereminvox, is one of the earliest fully electronic musical instruments. ...


Awards

Spellbound won the Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, and was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Michael Chekhov), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Director, Best Effects, Special Effects and Best Picture. Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... The Academy Award for Original Music Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer. ... The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is one of the awards given to male actors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is awarded each year to a cinematographer for his work in one particular motion picture. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... The Academy Award for Visual Effects is an Oscar given to one film each year that shows highest achievement in visual effects. ... // The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Academy Awards, awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which are voted on by others within the industry. ...


Criticism

Although popular in its day, Spellbound has generally been sidelined in recent years in favour of Hitchcock's other great films.[citation needed] Critics argue that the central psychological premise of the film is outdated and even childish.[citation needed] François Truffaut, in his series of interviews with Hitchcock, said that he was disappointed in the film despite being fascinated by the legendary dream sequence and the "doors-within-doors" kissing scene between Bergman and Peck[1]. Hitchcock himself dismissed it later on as "Well, it's just another manhunt story wrapped in pseudo-psychology"[2]. François Roland Truffaut (French IPA: ) (February 6, 1932 – October 21, 1984) was one of the founders of the French New Wave in filmmaking, and remains an icon of the French film industry. ...


Cameo

Hitchcock's cameo appearance is a signature occurrence in almost all of his films. In Spellbound, he can be seen coming out of an elevator at the Empire Hotel, carrying a violin case and smoking a cigarette, about 37 minutes into the film. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with List of Alfred Hitchcock cameo appearances. ...


External links

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Bros. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

References

  1. ^ Truffaut, F: "Hitchcock" page 234-235. Paladin Grafton Books, 1984
  2. ^ Truffaut, F: "Hitchcock" page 234. Paladin Grafton Books, 1984
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Spellbound (1945 film)


 

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