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The Bottom of the Bottle

Play trailer Poster for The Bottom of the Bottle 1956 1h 28m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 38% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Donald (Van Johnson), an escaped convict, seeks help from his brother, Pat (Joseph Cotten), who owns land in Arizona. Donald claims that his wife and son need him desperately just across the river in Mexico, but Pat refuses to help, going so far as to deny that the man is his brother to his friends and his wife, Nora (Ruth Roman). When word arrives that Donald's family is destitute, Donald hits the bottle, Pat comes clean, and Nora pleads with Pat to intervene and honor his blood ties.

Critics Reviews

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André Bazin L'Obs (France) 05/26/2022
Obviously, Hathaway has devoted all his efforts here to creating social realism at the expense of psychological truth, and one regrets this all the more because the dramatic particulars of the scenario did not in any way call for such a sacrifice. Go to Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television 09/30/2014
Involving mix of thriller and personal drama, with vivid photography and color. Go to Full Review Brandon Judell CultureCatch 08/14/2013
6/10
It's as if Joseph Cotton sent out his shirts to get starched and forgot to get out of them. Roman, though, is terrific. As for the ending, it's very schmaltzy Hollywood -- and very little Simenon. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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jimmy b May 14 You know where this one's going after the two brothers confront each other. For added excitement, Van Johnson takes off his shirt! Best to watch while drinking like the cast members are. See more 12/22/2016 Decent sibling rivalry drama hurt slightly by Cotton's stiff performance but Ruth Roman makes up for it. She's terrific and the location filming is gorgeous both outside and in the sumptuous homes the characters live in. See more 07/27/2014 how could the train still able passed safely?! See more Read all reviews
The Bottom of the Bottle

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Cast & Crew

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Henry Hathaway

Director

Van Johnson

Donald Martin

Joseph Cotten

Pat "P.M." Martin

Ruth Roman

Nora Martin

Jack Carson

Hal Breckinridge

Margaret Hayes

Lil Breckinridge
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The Bottom of the Bottle

The Bottom of the Bottle (1956) The Bottom of the Bottle (1956) The Bottom of the Bottle (1956) The Bottom of the Bottle (1956) The Bottom of the Bottle (1956) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Donald (Van Johnson), an escaped convict, seeks help from his brother, Pat (Joseph Cotten), who owns land in Arizona. Donald claims that his wife and son need him desperately just across the river in Mexico, but Pat refuses to help, going so far as to deny that the man is his brother to his friends and his wife, Nora (Ruth Roman). When word arrives that Donald's family is destitute, Donald hits the bottle, Pat comes clean, and Nora pleads with Pat to intervene and honor his blood ties.
Director
Henry Hathaway
Screenwriter
Sydney Boehm
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
May 20, 2014
Runtime
1h 28m