IMDb RATING
6.8/10
4.7K
YOUR RATING
A man secretly married to two women feels the pressure of his deceit.A man secretly married to two women feels the pressure of his deceit.A man secretly married to two women feels the pressure of his deceit.
Walter Bacon
- Attorney
- (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks
- Courtroom Spectator
- (uncredited)
John Brown
- Dr. Wallace
- (uncredited)
Jack Chefe
- Waiter
- (uncredited)
Matt Dennis
- Matt Dennis
- (uncredited)
Kem Dibbs
- Tour Bus Driver
- (uncredited)
Ken Drake
- Court Clerk
- (uncredited)
Bess Flowers
- Bus Passenger
- (uncredited)
Lilian Fontaine
- Miss Higgins
- (uncredited)
Jerry Hausner
- Roy Esterly
- (uncredited)
Donald Kerr
- Hollywood Tour Bus Pitchman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaNot the first instance of a female star directing herself; earlier examples include Grace Cunard and Mabel Normand. It is, however, believed to be the first sound film directed by its female star.
- GoofsThe movie is about a couple in San Francisco with establishing shots at 1:13 (city landscape) and 1:22 (a city street with a characteristic steep hill). Mr Jordan (Edmund Gwenn) has to travel to LA to do a background check on Harry Graham (Edmond O'Brien). But when he arrives in LA to visit business offices there, the buildings are all on SF style steep streets (see 10:40 and 11:22). They apparently used SF locations for LA locations, and to those who know both cities, it sticks out quite noticeably.
- Quotes
Tour Bus Driver: Behind that big hedge over there, there's a little man who was Santa Claus to the whole world: Edmund Gwenn.
- Crazy creditsThe opening includes the following over two cards, the first presenting the actor name leading into the second, the opening title card: "Edmond O'Brien as The Bigamist"
- ConnectionsFeatured in IMDb Originals: A Salute to Women Directors (2020)
- SoundtracksIt Wasn't the Stars That Thrilled Me
Written by Matt Dennis and Dave Gillam
Performed by Matt Dennis (uncredited)
Featured review
Interesting Drama With Some Thoughtful Moments
An interesting drama with some thoughtful moments, "The Bigamist" succeeds in offering a sympathetic look at everyone involved in an emotionally trying situation, and in maintaining drama and tension for the entire running time. Ida Lupino does a good job both in acting and in directing, playing one of the key characters while telling the story in a careful fashion that does not oversimplify the issues involved.
As the three main characters, Lupino, Edmond O'Brien, and Joan Fontaine all give believable and effective performances. All of them make their share of mistakes, and yet all three characters are worth caring for, and their mistakes are understandable ones. The double-life situation and its consequences for all concerned is set up so as to go against some of the usual preconceptions. O'Brien's character is lonely, but by no means ill-intentioned, and the situation is sad, never sordid.
The tone is somber almost from the beginning, and except for a couple of amusing references to Edmund Gwenn's earlier role in "Miracle on 34th Street", there are few or no moments of humor to break the tension. Thus you can feel the unending sense of foreboding that O'Brien's character feels in regard to the complications he has caused.
Lupino and the script also manage to provide an honest look at the situation with few hindrances from the strict production code of the era. Only at a couple of odd moments can you tell that they had to shift gears slightly so as to placate the censors. Although the movie is low-key and straightforward, it's a commendable effort, and it makes for good drama.
As the three main characters, Lupino, Edmond O'Brien, and Joan Fontaine all give believable and effective performances. All of them make their share of mistakes, and yet all three characters are worth caring for, and their mistakes are understandable ones. The double-life situation and its consequences for all concerned is set up so as to go against some of the usual preconceptions. O'Brien's character is lonely, but by no means ill-intentioned, and the situation is sad, never sordid.
The tone is somber almost from the beginning, and except for a couple of amusing references to Edmund Gwenn's earlier role in "Miracle on 34th Street", there are few or no moments of humor to break the tension. Thus you can feel the unending sense of foreboding that O'Brien's character feels in regard to the complications he has caused.
Lupino and the script also manage to provide an honest look at the situation with few hindrances from the strict production code of the era. Only at a couple of odd moments can you tell that they had to shift gears slightly so as to placate the censors. Although the movie is low-key and straightforward, it's a commendable effort, and it makes for good drama.
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- Snow Leopard
- Dec 7, 2005
- How long is The Bigamist?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Der Mann mit zwei Frauen
- Filming locations
- MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, California, USA(meeting place)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $175,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 20 minutes
- Color
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