Peter Ibbetson (1935)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

George L. Du Maurier (novel)
John Nathaniel Raphael (play) ...

Release Date:

7 November 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Their love defied the world!

Plot:

Architect Peter Ibbetson is hired by the Duke of Towers to design a building for him. Ibbetson discovers that the Duchess of Towers...

Plot Keywords:

Architect | Shared Dream | Mysticism | Based On Novel | Based On Play

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Peter Ibbetson
Ann Harding	...	Mary, Duchess of Towers
John Halliday	...	The Duke of Towers
Ida Lupino	...	Agnes
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Col. Forsythe
Virginia Weidler	...	Mimsey (Mary, age 6)
Dickie Moore	...	Gogo (Peter, age 8)
Doris Lloyd	...	Mrs. Dorian
Gilbert Emery	...	Wilkins
Donald Meek	...	Mr. Slade
Christian Rub	...	Major Duquesnois
Elsa Buchanan	...	Madame Pasquier
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bodil Rosing	...	Undetermined Supporting Role (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Movie Connections:

Version of Forever (1921)

Great Film

Once again, like many other film's I've finally come to see, after reading so many about them and longing to have the opportunity of watching them (i.e. "Trouble in Paradise"), I was afraid this one was not going to meet my expectations, and I was wrong.

First of all, Gary Cooper really impressed me so favorably; so early in his career he was able to handle such a difficult role and give a complex and sensitive performance, conveying Peter Ibbetson's ethereal aspects. Gary Cooper was really a fine actor (not only a charming personality and huge star), good at Drama, Adventure, Western, Romance, Comedy et al.

Cooper portrays the idealistic Peter Ibbetson, a young man so deeply attached to his childhood memories, that he cannot feel fulfilled or happy, in spite that he's supposed to have everything a man would wish, to find happiness.

Ann Harding, on the other hand, of whose performance regarding this film I've read that she wasn't ethereal enough to play this part (Peter Ibbetson's childhood sweetheart, Mary), I must say that I found her well suited to it, as always giving a sincere, sensitive, natural and restrained performance, looking perfect in period clothes.

Both lead performers transmit truth into their characterizations, embodying the love that transcends all the obstacles or "L'amour fou" as French defined it, giving endearing performances. Beautiful Cinematography by the great Charles Lang and great sets by Hans Dreier.

John Halliday plays expertly the stern Duke of Towers; Ida Lupino looks pretty and shows her great talent in a supporting role as a vulgar English woman Peter Ibbetson befriends in Paris and Douglass Drumbille is the "menacing at first sight", uncle of the Title character.

Mention apart deserve lovely Virginia Weidler and Dickie Moore, who portray the leading stars as children, giving impressive, terrific performances. Their scenes together have been among the most heart-wrenching and sincere I've ever seen, featuring a couple of child actors (the 1949 film "The Secret Garden" featuring Dean Stockwell and Margaret O'Brien comes to my mind).

If you liked such pictures as "Smilin' Through", "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", "I'll Never Forget You", "Berkeley Square", "Somewhere in Time" or "Portrait of Jennie", you must see this one.

The DVD transfer (released by Universal as part of the "Gary Cooper Collection") is of very good quality.