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Of Human Bondage (1934)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
20 July 1934 (USA)
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Tagline:
The Love That Lifted a Man to Paradise......and Hurled Him Back to Earth Again
Plot:
Abandoning artistic ambitions, sensitive and club-footed Philip Carey enrolls in medical school and...
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Plot Keywords:
Baby
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Waitress
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Inheritance
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Medical Student
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Betrayal
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Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
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NewsDesk:
Trivia: Can The Dark Knight Win the Best Picture Oscar as a Write-In Candidate?
(From Slash Film. 24 January 2009, 7:35 PM, PST)
(From Slash Film. 24 January 2009, 7:35 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Contempt
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Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Leslie Howard | ... | Philip Carey |
 | Bette Davis | ... | Mildred Rogers |
| Frances Dee | ... | Sally Athelny |
| Kay Johnson | ... | Norah |
| Reginald Denny | ... | Harry Griffiths |
| Alan Hale | ... | Emil Miller |
| Reginald Sheffield | ... | Cyril Dunsford |
| Reginald Owen | ... | Thorpe Athelny |
| Desmond Roberts | ... | Dr. Jacobs |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Charles Coleman | ... | (scenes deleted) |
| Frank Mills | ... | Chimneysweep (scenes deleted) |
| Pat Somerset | ... | (scenes deleted) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
83 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Victor System)
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Bette Davis wanted the role of Mildred Rodgers because she thought it would be her breakout role after years of starring in films that were getting her nowhere. She begged Warner Brothers studio chief Jack L. Warner to let her out of her contract so she could make the film. He relented because he was sure she would fail, but when her performance sparked talk of an Oscar, Warner began a spite campaign by encouraging academy members not to vote for her. At the time, the voting campaigns and the tabulation of the results were handled by the heads of the academy (of which Warner had a membership) and it worked in his favor when Davis was left out of the Best Actress competition. Supporters of Davis, shocked by her omission, petitioned the academy for a write-in vote. She was added to the nominees as a write-in but she lost to Claudette Colbert for her performance in It Happened One Night (1934). As a result of this incident, write-in votes were henceforth disallowed. Also, as a result of Warner's coup, the academy decided to change it's voting practices and hand over the counting of the results to the independent accounting firm of PriceWaterhouse who still does the official counting to this day.
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Quotes:
Thorpe Athelny:
I was married to a lady once. Good heavens! Never marry a lady, my boy.
Philip Carey: Oh really? Why?
Thorpe Athelny: Because a lady has a point of view, a personality and an individuality, all to double you with!
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Philip Carey: Oh really? Why?
Thorpe Athelny: Because a lady has a point of view, a personality and an individuality, all to double you with!
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.96)" (2006)
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Soundtrack:
Hesitation Blues
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (61 total)
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Of the three remakes on W. Somerset Maughan's novel, this one is the best one, and not particularly because what John Cromwell brought to the film. The film is worth a look because of the break through performance by Bette Davis, who as Mildred Rogers, showed the film industry she was a star. Finally, her struggles with Jack Warner and his studio paid off royally.
The film is dominated by Mildred from the start. We realize from the beginning that Mildred doesn't care for Philip and never will. She doesn't hide her contempt for this kind soul that has fallen in love with the wrong woman. He will be humiliated by Mildred again, and again, as she makes no bones about what she really is.
Poor Philip Carey, besides of being handicap, is a man who is weak. When he tries to cling onto Mildred, she rejects him. It is when Mildred returns to him, when she is frail and defeated, that he rises to the occasion, overcoming his own dependency on this terrible woman who has stolen his will and his manhood.
Bette Davis gives a fantastic portrayal of Mildred. This was one of her best roles and she ran away with it. Her disgust toward the kind Philip is clear from the onset of their relationship. When she tells him she washes her mouth after he kisses her is one of the most powerful moment in the movie. Leslie Howard underplayed Philip and makes him appear even weaker than he is. Frances Dee, Reginald Denny, Alan Hale and Reginald Owen, are seen in minor roles.
This is Bette Davis show, and don't you forget it!