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The Bigamist

Play trailer Poster for The Bigamist Released Dec 3, 1953 1h 20m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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73% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
San Francisco businessman Harry Graham (Edmond O'Brien) and his wife and business partner, Eve (Joan Fontaine), are in the process of adopting a child. When private investigator Jordan (Edmund Gwenn) uncovers the fact that Graham has another wife, Phyllis (Ida Lupino), and a small child in Los Angeles, he confesses everything. In flashback, Graham tells of the strains in his marriage with Eve and how he found himself falling for the kind-hearted waitress Phyllis while on a business trip.

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The Bigamist

Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody The New Yorker [A] glossy yet granular melodrama about the stresses and deceptions of marriage, work, and romance. Apr 14, 2020 Full Review Carson Timar Filmotomy The Bigamist undoubtedly could have been cleaned up here and there, but overall is a worthwhile excursion into a layered and nuanced exploration of love. Feb 12, 2022 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia Lupino takes a down-to-earth look at the ethics of marriage and the moral dilemmas of bigamy, but while his melodrama has interesting moments, I have a feeling that it lacks dramatic punch. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 6/10 Nov 11, 2021 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...a lackadaisical drama... Rated: 2/4 Dec 17, 2020 Full Review Michael J. Casey Boulder Weekly Lupino's treatment of an adulterous husband is so even-handed, so sympathetic, you don't just feel for him; you understand him. Oct 24, 2019 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row While viewers' reactions will likely vary greatly, Lupino refuses to take sides, and the result is a film that exists in a surprising moral gray area rarely seen in 1953. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 9, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Leaburn O Man has an affair and ends up marrying woman he has affair with. Melodrama that has aged terribly. This is 1950s thinking but not relevant to modern times. Watched on Amazon Prime. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/13/24 Full Review nick s The production was fine, but the plot rather dull. As soon as the flashback started you were just waiting for it to get back to real time, and the wait was interminable. There is a certain expectation you have with the title "the bigamist" - racy, cheeky, indulgent. This movie wasn't that. It was one dry cracker. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/10/24 Full Review Ashley H The Bigamist is a decent film. It is about a man who is secretly married to two women feels the pressure of his deceit. Joan Fontaine and Ida Lupino give good performances. The script is a little slow in places. Ida Lupino also did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the drama. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/17/23 Full Review Red T A Hidden Gem Classic. Lupino's direction is excellent with great dynamic camera movement and well framed shots that capture the acting very well. It feels like Curtiz or Hitchcock is behind the camera at times. Everything else is really well done. The only complaints really is the first half of this is set up like a thriller and does a good job at it, but than turns into a character study melodrama. It defintely is unexpected but works well but kind of messes with the pacing somewhat as it does slow down somewhat in the second half. Also wish Fontaine had a bit more devlopment but she's still really good. O'Brein is excellent and the best thing in this. This does a great job at presenting its characters as people and not stereotypes. Anyone who is a fan of any actors in this, the director, or hidden gem dramas will like this a lot. Was very suprised how good this was. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/22/23 Full Review Audience Member A little slow and a little boring at times but I had a really good story to it watched all of it and I recommend you watching it to James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas, June 6, 2023 Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/08/23 Full Review Audience Member Unusual story, oddly sympathetic to all characters, even though their own self-interests don't always align. Moral ambiguity for any time - not just the 50s when it was filmed. I especially appreciated the inconclusive ending, inviting viewers to judge for themselves. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Bigamist

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Movie Info

Synopsis San Francisco businessman Harry Graham (Edmond O'Brien) and his wife and business partner, Eve (Joan Fontaine), are in the process of adopting a child. When private investigator Jordan (Edmund Gwenn) uncovers the fact that Graham has another wife, Phyllis (Ida Lupino), and a small child in Los Angeles, he confesses everything. In flashback, Graham tells of the strains in his marriage with Eve and how he found himself falling for the kind-hearted waitress Phyllis while on a business trip.
Director
Ida Lupino
Producer
Collier Young
Production Co
The Filmakers Group
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 3, 1953, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 11, 2016
Runtime
1h 20m
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