Caught

Released Feb 17, 1949

1h 28m

Drama

List

100%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Wide-eyed and poor young Leonora (Barbara Bel Geddes) weds an obsessive millionaire named Ohlrig (Robert Ryan), but the marriage is loveless. Even worse, Ohlrig seems to have manic, violent tendencies. Eventually, young Leonora escapes her unhappy life and begins working with New York City doctor Larry Quinada (James Mason), who she soon falls for. Unfortunately, Ohlrig refuses to grant his wife a divorce, and things get even darker for Leonora when she realizes she's pregnant with his child.

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Vernon Young

The Hudson Review

It succeeds as a qualitatively rich lesson in the art of the film director: the art of making an unexceptional story count for more than, in its preliminary form, it would seem to suggest -- or even to deserve?

Jan 18, 2024

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Max Ophuls’ dark Cinderella melodrama belongs as much to the murky world of American film noir as to the polished European dramas of high society social appearances and power games.

Nov 13, 2022

Full Review

Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

Caught argues that the very rich are pathological, trapped in a society that destroys their spirit and compassion.

Feb 28, 2021

Full Review

Anton Bitel

Projected Figures

Amidst Ophüls' precise, at times deliberately oppressive mise-en-scène, these three characters play out the contradictions of the American dream itself.

May 27, 2019

Full Review

Geoffrey O'Brien

The New York Review of Books

Despite the hurried wrapup Caught is mesmerizing in its orchestration of nuances.

Aug 13, 2018

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Parallax View

... belongs as much to the murky world of American film noir as to the polished European dramas of high society social appearances and power games.

Feb 19, 2012

Full Review

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SICKS6SIX S

a great film that when released panned at the box-office but has grown in stature over the years, it is well written and well acted, with no car crashes, no shoot-outs, no explosions, just a good plot that leave you on the edge of your seat, its very Hitchcock'ish and is well worth watching R/T gave it 100% and the audience 70% I'm more with T/T on this one, classic cinema from the golden age of the silver screen,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/08/23

Full Review

Will D

The title carries a double, even triple meaning. The millionaire/psychotic Smith Ohlrig is first seen trying to escape one of his own stultifying yacht parties dressed as a common sailor. This is hopeless, as he's so enmeshed in his privileged, commandeering role in society. He even owns a private cinema - in the 40's! - in which he forces subordinates to watch coverage of his latest ventures. He is obsessive in his wish to defy psychological analysis, yet always traps himself and now also his wife Leonora, precisely as his shrink predicts. Leonora too is wedged into a severely restricted niche, dwelling in dank, even sub-level apartments, continually reminded that in order to obtain material wealth and fulfillment women need only make themselves as pleasingly available as possible. Independent-minded, she is utterly unsatisfied with her marriage to Ohlrig, who, once he's inseminated her, tries to trap her out of pure cold-hearted, uninterested and spiteful possessiveness. Lovingly filmed by the great Ophuls, and while not among his masterpieces, he completely captures our attention with excellent yet never superfluous cinematography and well etched performances. Way above the norm for 40's melodrama or noir.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/13/23

Full Review

william d

Not really sure why this movie was called "Caught." No one is really caught at anything. Still, it's a decent melodrama with believable dialogue and Barbara Bel Geddes gives an excellent performance.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Without Ophul's brilliant direction & mis-en-scene and formidable cast, what do we have? Rich is evil, poor is good. And loads of sill dialogue. And an implausible ending. Ohrig reminded me of El trumpo at first, but the resemblance fades, as Ohrig seems to run his not just ruthlessly but professionally.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

andrey k

The movie is elegant and exquisite as all Ophuls' productions are, but toward the end I felt like it was becoming more of a moralizing tale quality. To be sure, these were some women's actual issues at the time, but still I think the ending was done hastily and even offhandedly, with the child dying, Smith recovering from the stroke, she becoming a free woman.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

bill t

What an awkwardly strange movie this is. A woman who wants a rich man to marry gets one, but then he turns out to be scum. She runs away, gets a job at a doctors office, falls in love with the doctor, and then the rich guy comes to woo her away again. All the performers are great here, especially Ryan. But man, all these characters, and that ending, which seems to celebrate a rather morbid death, is a bit over the top.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Max Ophuls

Director

James Mason

Larry Quinada

Barbara Bel Geddes

Leonora Eames

Robert Ryan

Smith Ohlrig

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Synopsis

Wide-eyed and poor young Leonora (Barbara Bel Geddes) weds an obsessive millionaire named Ohlrig (Robert Ryan), but the marriage is loveless. Even worse, Ohlrig seems to have manic, violent tendencies. Eventually, young Leonora escapes her unhappy life and begins working with New York City doctor Larry Quinada (James Mason), who she soon falls for. Unfortunately, Ohlrig refuses to grant his wife a divorce, and things get even darker for Leonora when she realizes she's pregnant with his child.

Director: Max Ophuls
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Enterprises Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 17, 1949, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 7, 2021
Runtime: 1h 28m

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