Spellbound (1945)
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A psychoanalyst falls in love with a man who has replaced a doctor and is suffering from amnesia.
The story
Dr. Constance Petersen, a psychoanalyst at Green Manors mental hospital in Vermont, is struck by an immediate attraction to the hospital's new director, Dr. Anthony Edwardes. However, she soon discovers that Edwardes is an impostor who has murdered the real doctor and is suffering from amnesia. After he disappears, Petersen tracks him to a New York City hotel under the pseudonym 'John Brown.' She convinces him to undergo psychoanalysis to recover his memories. The two travel to Rochester, New York, to stay with Petersen's former mentor, beginning a journey to uncover the truth behind the impostor's identity and his mysterious past.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Dr. Constance Petersen, a psychoanalyst at Green Manors mental hospital in Vermont, falls for the new director, Dr. Anthony Edwardes. She soon realizes he is an impostor who murdered the real Edwardes and is suffering from amnesia. After he vanishes, she finds him in New York City living as 'John Brown.' They travel to Rochester to meet Petersen's mentor, Dr. Alexander Brulov, to interpret 'Brown's' dreams. They deduce his phobias relate to a skiing accident where the real Edwardes died. They travel to Gabriel Valley ski lodge to recreate the scene. During the trip, 'Brown' remembers his real name is John Ballantyne and recalls a childhood accident where he killed his brother. They find Edwardes' body, but it has a bullet wound. Ballantyne is arrested and convicted. However, Petersen realizes the dream's masked proprietor is actually the former director, Dr. Murchison. She confronts Murchison, who admits he killed Edwardes. When Murchison draws a gun on her, Petersen tricks him into shooting himself. Petersen and Ballantyne eventually marry and depart on their honeymoon.
- First release year
- 1945
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Writers
- Ben Hecht · screenplay; Angus MacPhail · adaptation
- Cast and characters
- Ingrid Bergman · Dr. Constance Petersen; Gregory Peck · John Ballantyne; Michael Chekhov · Dr. Murchison; Leo G. Carroll · Dr. Anthony Edwardes
- Genres
- psychological thriller; mystery; romance
- Themes
- amnesia; guilt; psychoanalysis; identity
- Tone and mood
- suspenseful; melodramatic; psychological
- Setting
- Vermont, New York City, and Rochester, New York during the 1940s.
- Premise and plot tags
- mystery; thriller; romance; psychological drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- The House of Dr. Edwardes by Hilary Saint George Saunders and John Palmer (1927)
- Content notes
- suicide
- Reception
- The film was a major box-office success, received positive reviews from critics, and broke box office records in London. It was nominated for six Academy Awards.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 86% · review count: 44
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Original Score · won
- Production trivia
- The film was shot in black and white, except for two frames of bright red at the conclusion.; Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman had a brief affair during the filming of the movie.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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