Othello

Ronald Colman is actor Anthony John, who finds himself leading "A Double Life" in this 1947 film directed by George Cukor and written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin.

There are mutterings in the beginning of the film about some problem with "Tony" (Colman) the last time he took on a serious role, such a bad problem that his wife, fellow actress Brita (Signe Hasso), could no longer stay with him. When Tony is finally convinced to do the title role in "Othello," we begin to see what the problem is. He disappears into his role and acts it out offstage as well as on -- and pretty soon, his onstage performances become pretty terrifying.

The elegant Colman is terrific as Anthony, particularly the offstage Anthony, who believes he's Othello and searches for a Desdemona to murder. His actual Othello is good but slightly old-fashioned. The trend today is more naturalistic. Nevertheless, for the times, he had the speaking voice and the style.

Shelley Winters has an early role as a victim - she's very young and pretty.

Recommended -- see it for Colman's Oscar-winning performance.

If you like "Othello," you'll love this flick since half the movie revolves around the stage production of the play.

The film has a great cast with Signe Hasso and Shelley Winters as the women in Colman's life while Edmond O'Brien plays the enterprising press agent.

A couple of the supporting players I particularly liked were Millard Mitchell as the grizzled reporter who finds an angle and Joe Sawyer, the 1940's answer to Drew Carey, who plays the cop on the case.

Great raw moments in this one with noir realism throughout.

Just the mention of playing role of Othello makes Ronald Coleman's Anthony John start hallucinating. Triggered by this project suggestion, Anthony finds himself murmuring lines from Shakespeare's tragedy while walking down the street alone and sitting by himself in restaurants.

Anthony's total commitment to his craft of fantasy, unfortunately, takes a deadly toll on his private life. Signe Hasso's Brita understands this, and instantly fears for her ex-husband's--now co-star's--happiness.

Here's a modern tragedy, scripted by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, of an actor who just couldn't leave his role at the stage door.

"When the actor starts believing he's the character he's playing, that's the time to fire him," remains a wise theatre management adage.

It's a darned good principle, too.

When the actor fails to maintain an "invisible wall" between himself and his co-actors, that's the time for some concern. Although practioners of the Stanislavsky tradition may achieve great "truth" in their work, they may not realize that this achievement is more "relative" than "absolute" and can become a "double edged-sword."

Anthony John's "character-absorption" tendency, while earning him a "great performance," conversely yields a decidedly unconstructive home life. Unless the actor finds some kernels of project idealism to enhance his personal development, the entire enterprise may be negligible.

Milton Krasner's dark cinematography and Miklos Rozsa's dissonant score supports George Cukor's pessimistic direction. Likewise, Walter Hampden's advisement for the "Othello" sequences adds authenticity to the Shakespearian flavor.

In the end, we have a shattering drama, holding within its fold a grave thespian caution: "it's only a character being played, not real life."

For his fine work as Anthony John, Coleman received an Academy Award.

An awesome movie from the opening frames to closing credits. It deals with a successful stage player , Ronald Colman, but things start to look really bad when he is cast in the role of cursed Othello playing with actress Signe Hasso and whose despair when the character he plays start to seep into his personal life and take over . It leads him to fateful consequences : to commit a grisly crime . But Signe Hasso and Edmond O'Brien soon discover his propensity for violence.

This one was the first of Cukor's string of fruitful collaborations with screenwriters marriage Ruth Gordon, Garson Kanin about a Broadway matinee actor including a grand ending of on-stage retribution. Adding the theatre scenes that are richly and brilliantly observed. Over-the-top interpretations , as Ronald Colman is top-notch, giving a real recital as the the gifted stage actor whose unsettling personality and murderous moods come from performing the lead in Shakespeare's Othello . Colman acting is absolutely fascinating and deservedly won an Academy Award for this difficult character . Shelley Winters' first movie break after a hit on stage , it stars as a blonde buxom , a sultry waitress who is attracted to the married thespian. Along with Signe Hasso, Edmond O'Brien, and other secondaries as Ray Collins , Joe Sawyer, Whit Bissell, Philip Loeb , Millard Mitchell , all of them give excellent interpretations .

It contains an atmospheric and dark cinematography in black and white by great cameraman Milton Krasker . Furthermore, the moody soundtrack garnered aother Oscar for Miklos Rosza .The motion picture was compellingly directed by George Cukor , though it has some flaws . Cukor was one of the best Hollywood filmmakers , shooting a number of successful and classic movies with penchant for melodrama , comedy and musical , such as : David Copperfield , Margarita Gautier , Little Woman , Adam's Ríb , Born Yesterday , The Women , Philadelphia Story , Corn is Green, Dinner at Eight , Gaslight , A Star is Born, Les Girls , Holiday , Heller in Pink Tights , I Should Happen to you , What price Hollywood ? , Woman's Face and this A Double Life . Rating 7/10 . Worthwhile seeing . Essential and indispensable watching for Ronald Colman fans .

Ronald Colman gives an electrifying performance as Tony John, a Broadway actor who can't separate his offstage life from Shakespeare's Othello, the character he plays on stage....Two important scenes illustrate Tony's dilemma. The first one takes place in producer Max Lasker's office. Acting is a matter of talent for the practical-minded Lasker. But Donlan, Tony's friend, disagrees: "No, no. When you do it like Tony does it, it's much more. The way he has of becoming someone else every night...so completely. No, don't tell me his whole system isn't affected by it."....The other scene occurs in waitress Pat Kroll's apartment. Tony tells her his name is Martin. She thanks him. Then he says: "Or Paul. Hamlet. Joe. And maybe Othello."....When Tony begins rehearsing Othello, we learn that though he's trying to keep his real life separated from his stage life, "The part begins to seep into your life, and the battle begins. Reality against imagination." He can't keep the two separated: In his mind Pat is Desdemona and he's Othello, and he wrongly believes she has been unfaithful to him. He murders her....Colman's bravura performance, in a complex and difficult role, earned him 1947's Academy Award for Best Actor. Oscar nominations went to Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin for Best Original Screenplay. Not to be overlooked is Milton Krasner's atomspheric cinematography.