Peter Ibbetson

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Peter Ibbetson

Released Nov 7, 1935

1h 28m

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

When his mother dies, young Peter Ibbetson leaves Paris and his best friend, Mary, behind to live with a severe uncle in England. Years later, Peter (Gary Cooper) is an architect with little time for women, until he begins a project with the Duke (John Halliday) and Duchess of Towers (Ann Harding). When Peter and the duchess become great friends, she reveals that she is Mary -- but the duke soon suspects his wife of infidelity and challenges Peter to a duel, threatening the pair's second chance.

Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack)

The film is floridly romantic in a way that might invite snickers if it weren’t so downright weird and if the players in front of and behind the camera weren’t absolutely on their game.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 12, 2022

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Zita Short

InSession Film

Peter Ibbetson is primarily distinguished by Charles Lang’s cinematography, which perfectly conjures up the dreamy, hallucinatory atmosphere that leaves audience members on edge.

Feb 1, 2023

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Frank J. Avella

Edge Media Network

Peter Ibbetson is definitely worth a look for film lovers and Cooper fans. Expect the unexpected.

Rated: B

Aug 19, 2021

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Meyer Levin (Patterson Murphy)

Esquire Magazine

Awfully dated and sentimentally sappy but finely acted by Ann Harding and Gary Cooper...

Apr 20, 2020

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Ann Ross

Maclean's Magazine

Romantic, though rather tearful.

Jul 22, 2019

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Incredibly peculiar.

Rated: B-

Oct 21, 2011

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S R

1001 movies to see before you die (added later). An interesting melodrama focused on a powerful love affair from childhood to death. Fascinating side of Cooper I hadn't seen and some interesting dream sequences. Saw on YouTube.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/12/24

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Steve D

Insane amounts of melodrama sinks it for me.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

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William L

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but what I got wasn't it, and you have to give Peter Ibbetson credit for at least being different in its approach to the romantic melodrama. A very predictable initial romance (pair of young playmates grow fond of one another are separated, realizing as time goes on that they are in love despite having not seen in each other since the age of four or so, and who are eventually brought back together by chance to test their love against adversity) gives way to a strange, surrealist final half hour or so, as circumstances have forced the two apart physically but they reconnect in dreams. While the premise seems interesting, it just doesn't pan out; their romance is never really justified or established well, so seeing it endure so resolutely in highly dramatized sequences feels insincere. The acting is spotty, even with a young Gary Cooper, and so much of the romance feels like a daytime soap opera in the first hour. Points for trying to be creative, though. (2.5/5)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/21

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Audience Member

The best movie I've evern

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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laurent b

This film was regarded as a masterpiece by the french "surrealists". It's moving, deep, and much more...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

The best romance movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

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Henry Hathaway

Director

Gary Cooper

Peter Ibbetson

Ann Harding

Mary, Duchess of Towers

John Halliday

The Duke of Towers

Ida Lupino

Agnes

Douglas Dumbrille

Colonel Forsythe

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Synopsis

When his mother dies, young Peter Ibbetson leaves Paris and his best friend, Mary, behind to live with a severe uncle in England. Years later, Peter (Gary Cooper) is an architect with little time for women, until he begins a project with the Duke (John Halliday) and Duchess of Towers (Ann Harding). When Peter and the duchess become great friends, she reveals that she is Mary -- but the duke soon suspects his wife of infidelity and challenges Peter to a duel, threatening the pair's second chance.

Director: Henry Hathaway
Producer: Louis D. Lighton
Screenwriter: Vincent Lawrence, Waldemar Young
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 7, 1935, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 11, 2017
Runtime: 1h 28m