A Double Life

film by Cukor [1947]

Written by

Lee Pfeiffer

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

A Double Life, American drama film, released in 1947, that is notable for Ronald Colman’s Academy Award-winning portrayal of an unstable stage actor.

Colman played Anthony John, an acclaimed star of the theatre who takes on the persona of the role he is currently playing. Thus, he can be alternately disarming and charming as well as ill-tempered and threatening. When John takes on the role of Shakespeare’s Othello, his devotion to the part results in the murder of a young waitress (played by Shelley Winters).

The film was originally titled The Art of Murder and was developed for Laurence Olivier, though Olivier was ultimately unavailable to play the lead role. Colman’s performance was widely hailed, as he expressed the full gamut of human emotions. Director George Cukor also received praise for his direction of the suspenseful film. A Double Life proved a major break for Winters, whose previous film appearances had largely been uncredited.