IMDb > Of Human Bondage (1934)
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Of Human Bondage (1934) More at IMDbPro »

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Of Human Bondage (1934) -- Abandoning artistic ambitions, sensitive and club-footed Philip Carey enrolls in medical school and falls in love with illiterate waitress Mildred Rogers...

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Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   1,853 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 24% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
W. Somerset Maugham (novel)
Lester Cohen (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Of Human Bondage on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 July 1934 (USA) more
Genre:
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... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. more
User Comments:
Contempt more (61 total)

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)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
83 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Victor System)
Certification:
Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #53)
Filming Locations:

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. more
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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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.96)" (2006) more
Soundtrack:
Hesitation Blues more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
15 out of 20 people found the following comment useful.
Contempt, 13 May 2006
8/10
Author: jotix100 from New York

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!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Of Human Bondage (1934)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The Money thats_tacky
Confused about time line kerrytrout
Mildred was based on a man GCJake
Just opinion, but: I don't think Davis was that fantastic. cakeandtea
Where's the baby? sharedg
1935 best actress oscar race: opinions please wobber1012
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