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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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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) 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. May 26, 2022 Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television Involving mix of thriller and personal drama, with vivid photography and color. Sep 30, 2014 Full Review Brandon Judell CultureCatch 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. Rated: 6/10 Aug 14, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member 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. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member how could the train still able passed safely?! Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Bottom of the Bottle

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The Bottom of the Bottle

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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