All-time Highest Graded Films
Highest Graded Films of 1947
George Cukor's Graded Films
Ruth Gordon's Graded Films
Ronald Colman's Graded Films
Edmond O'Brien's Graded Films
Shelley Winters' Graded Films
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Since 06/09/00
Other than Gangsta rappers from the 1990s, Tony John (Ronald Colman) is the ultimate method actor. His own personality is so listlessly polite that he is a mere empty vessel, to be filled by the requirements of his current role. This causes problems when his character is a jealous strangler.
Tony gets the role of a lifetime when he snags the lead in "Othello" on Broadway. It is a smash, and the production grinds on for over 300 performances. Tony once again identitifes too strongly with his character, and assumes the characteristics of the humorless and temperamental Moor.
Playing Othello might be bad for Tony John, but it certainly wasn't bad for Colman. He finally landed an Oscar for Best Actor, in his fourth and final nomination. By 1947, Colman was well past 50, and his Academy Award may have been more for his career than his performance in A Double Life. Mostly he looks befuddled, which at least gains our sympathy.
The real standout isn't the female lead Signe Hasso, who is class all the way but without great depth. It certainly isn't Edmund O'Brien, the film's hero that plods about solving the rather obvious mystery. The best performance is from Shelley Winters, who even in an early role is less than glamorous. But she's both vulnerable and wary, even as her character's longing for love takes a wrong turn.
A Double Life also won an Oscar for Miklos Rozska's dramatic score. The film received nominations for Best Director (veteran George Cukor) and Best Original Screenplay (Ruth Gordon, Garson Kanin). Gordon was primarily known in the industry for her incisive screenplays long before she drew attention as an eldery character actress.
A Double Life is not as good as its reputation, and certainly not as good as "Othello", the play within a play. But it is at least worth the sit until Shelley Winters makes an infrequent appearance.