Spellbound (1945)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

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

Release Date:

28 December 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | 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:

Psychological Drama | Posing As Married Couple | Falsely Accused | Narcotic Sleep | Police Detective

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Ingrid Bergman	...	Dr. Constance Petersen
Gregory Peck	...	John Ballantine aka 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

Color:

Color | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Germany:16 (f) | Spain:18 | Iceland:L | 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:

Writer Ben Hecht consulted many of the leading psychoanalysts of the day when he was penning the screenplay.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dr. Peterson enters the library at the mental hospital, The word "LIBRARY" is clearly visible on the door in large letters. When she exits, it is gone.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

References The Great Train Robbery (1903)

Soundtrack:

Spellbound Concerto

An Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece

"Spellbound" has become one of my favorite Hitchcock movies. I think Gregory Peck is excellent in this movie as John Ballantine, the amnesiac who receives help from Dr. Constance Peterson (Ingrid Bergman). But John has more problems than amnesia. He cannot stand to see dark lines on a white background. For example, a blanket, a robe, and a tablecloth. But he remembers what had happened to him thanks to Constance and her former teacher, another psychologist named Dr. Brulov.

There is also a wonderful performance by Leo G. Carroll, who plays Dr. Murchison. He has also been one of my favorite actors, and he's brilliant in this movie.

So the bottom line is, you should really see this movie, and not just for Gregory Peck's handsome face, or Ingrid Bergman's beauty. I think it's one of Hitch's best suspense movies. By the way, Gregory Peck does look very, very handsome in this movie, so for those girls out there who still think you might not want to see it, it's worth it!