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Of Human Bondage

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Of Human Bondage

Released Sep 23, 1964

1h 38m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

50%

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6 Reviews

54%

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500+ Ratings

Adapted from W. Somerset Maugham's novel, this saga of unrequited love follows club-footed English art student Philip Carey (Laurence Harvey) in his quest to win the love of slatternly waitress Mildred Rogers (Kim Novak), a vulgar beauty who holds Philip's deformity in contempt. Giving up art for medicine and vowing to shake his unhealthy obsession with Mildred, Philip romances a supportive writer -- but when pregnant and abandoned Mildred appears, Philip's self-destructive feelings return.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Allowing for the fact that Bryan Forbes’ screenplay is light on humor, Harvey nevertheless plays the role in such a stiff, martyred manner as to forfeit any sympathy or liking in the audience.

Mar 26, 2009

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A.H. Weiler

New York Times

Time has not paled his incisive, brooding and anguished quasi-biography. But the current adaptation merely evolves as a surface, stoic old-fashioned tale...in which lip service substitutes for the truly poignant, self-revelatory story from which it stems.

May 9, 2005

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Elizabeth Hardwick

Vogue

[A] desperate [remake]... Old, vicious Bette Davis and weak, love-enslaved Leslie Howard hover, ghosts on the TV screen.

Jun 20, 2023

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Though Kim Novak is not Bette Davis, this third version of Maugham's popular book is more truthful to the literay source, maintaining its realistic tone and sordid ending.

Rated: B-

Feb 29, 2012

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Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Remake of Bette Davis classic is OK.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 8, 2005

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Brian Webster

Apollo Guide

Rated: 79/100

Jan 1, 2000

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Steve D

Probably the weakest version but still ok.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/26/24

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Deke P

I saw this on tv set, yars ... decades ago... & I remember I thot it was eggselent. & I was exceedingly smitten by Kim Novak. Hubba hubba.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/13/23

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Audience Member

costumes suck this is the worst version of this

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

Kim Novak is gorgeous, though miscast, and there is a beautiful score by Ron Goodwin, but the film is wooden and dull. This third film adaptation of the novel is cold and sterile, resulting in the the audience being forced to watch a doomed romance where you don't really care about the characters involved.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Audience Member

It's worth it for Kim Novak and Laurence Harvey. It really is melodramatic and at times hard to watch due to the content. The performances of the main leads are the best but it's played out without much substance. It isn't all bad and has it's moments but not worth it unless you really are fans of either of the main leads...

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Audience Member

My e-mail vassilijean@yahoo.fr , my address : Jean KHOURY 7 rue LEON BLUM 67000 STRASBOURG FRANCE I would like to see "OF HUMAN BONDAGE". I saw it, 40 years ago, in Alexandria (EGYPT). I am fond of NOVAK and HARVEY interpretation. Jean Khoury

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

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Bryan Forbes

Director

Ken Hughes

Director

Kim Novak

Mildred Rogers

Laurence Harvey

Philip Carey

Robert Morley

Dr. Jacobs

Siobhan McKenna

Nora Nesbitt

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Synopsis

Adapted from W. Somerset Maugham's novel, this saga of unrequited love follows club-footed English art student Philip Carey (Laurence Harvey) in his quest to win the love of slatternly waitress Mildred Rogers (Kim Novak), a vulgar beauty who holds Philip's deformity in contempt. Giving up art for medicine and vowing to shake his unhealthy obsession with Mildred, Philip romances a supportive writer -- but when pregnant and abandoned Mildred appears, Philip's self-destructive feelings return.

Director: Bryan Forbes, Ken Hughes
Producer: James Woolf
Screenwriter: Bryan Forbes
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 23, 1964, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Mono

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