A Journey Through Guilt and Subconscious Shadows: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Spellbound”

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1945, Spellbound is a pioneering psychological thriller that explores the mysteries of the human subconscious. The film stars Ingrid Bergman as Dr. Constance Petersen, a dedicated psychiatrist at the Green Manors mental asylum, and Gregory Peck as the man who arrives to take over as the new head of the institution, Dr. Anthony Edwardes. However, Constance soon realizes that the man is not who he claims to be; he is an amnesiac suffering from a severe guilt complex and a deep-seated phobia of parallel lines against a white background, which he believes is linked to a murder he might have committed.

As the mysterious stranger flees from the police, Constance follows him, convinced that his illness is masking a repressed memory rather than a criminal nature. The narrative follows their journey to the home of her mentor, Dr. Brulov (played by Michael Chekhov), where they attempt to decode the man's fractured psyche. The film is famously remembered for its dream sequence designed by surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, featuring distorted landscapes, melting eyes, and giant scissors—all of which serve as Freudian clues that Constance must interpret to uncover the truth about the real Dr. Edwardes’s disappearance.

Upon its release, Spellbound was a massive commercial success and helped popularize psychoanalysis in American cinema. The film’s tension is heightened by Miklós Rózsa’s Academy Award-winning score, which prominently featured the eerie, wavering sound of the theremin to represent mental instability. While some of the psychological theories presented may feel dated today, the film remains a classic example of Hitchcock’s mastery of suspense, anchored by the intense chemistry between Bergman and Peck and its innovative visual storytelling.

 

Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) was a legendary English filmmaker known as the “Master of Suspense,” whose career spanned over fifty years and fundamentally shaped the thriller genre. Born on August 13, 1899, in London, he began his career in the silent era before moving to Hollywood in 1939, where he directed some of the most influential films in cinema history, including Rebecca (1940), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), and Psycho (1960). Hitchcock was a pioneer of technical innovation, famous for his use of “MacGuffins,” bird’s-eye view shots, and the “Dolly zoom,” as well as his iconic cameo appearances in nearly all of his films. A master of psychological manipulation and visual storytelling, he received the AFI Life Achievement Award and was knighted shortly before his death on April 29, 1980, leaving a legacy that continues to define modern cinematic language.

Ingrid Bergman (1915–1982) was a luminous Swedish actress whose natural beauty and profound talent made her one of the most celebrated figures in cinematic history. Born on August 29, 1915, in Stockholm, she rose to international stardom with her unforgettable performance as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca (1942) and went on to win three Academy Awards for her roles in Gaslight (1944), Anastasia (1956), and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Known for her versatility, she moved effortlessly between Hollywood blockbusters and European arthouse films, most notably during her highly publicized and creatively fruitful collaboration with director Roberto Rossellini. Remarkably, Bergman passed away on her 67th birthday, August 29, 1982, leaving behind a legacy of poise and emotional depth that remains a gold standard for actors worldwide.

Gregory Peck (1916–2003) was a cornerstone of American cinema, celebrated for his commanding presence, resonant voice, and the quiet moral authority he brought to the screen. Born Eldred Gregory Peck on April 5, 1916, in La Jolla, California, he became an immediate star in the 1940s with Academy Award-nominated performances in The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) and The Yearling (1946). He is most indelibly linked to his Oscar-winning role as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), a character that came to define the cinematic ideal of integrity and conscience. Beyond his dramatic work, Peck showcased his range in romantic comedies like Roman Holiday (1953) and intense Westerns such as The Big Country (1958). A dedicated humanitarian and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Peck remained a respected elder statesman of Hollywood until his death on June 12, 2003, leaving a legacy of grace and principled storytelling.

 

Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.

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Spellbound trivia

• One of the film's most famous elements is the surreal dream sequence designed by artist Salvador Dalí. While the final version in the film is roughly three minutes long, Dalí originally conceptualized a much more elaborate and disturbing twenty-minute sequence. This original vision included a scene where Ingrid Bergman would appear to turn into a statue, but it proved too technically difficult and expensive to film, leading Hitchcock to bring in artist Ingrid Bergman’s friend and mentor, actor Michael Chekhov, to help streamline the sequence.
• Spellbound was the first major Hollywood film to use the theremin, an electronic musical instrument played without physical contact. Composer Miklós Rózsa used its eerie, wavering sound to heighten the sense of Dr. Edwardes’s mental instability. The score was so effective that it won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and sparked a trend in 1940s and 50s psychological thrillers and sci-fi films using the instrument to signify “otherworldliness” or fractured psyches.
• In the film's climactic finale, Hitchcock used a unique practical effect to create a first-person perspective of a revolver being pointed at the camera. To keep both the gun in the foreground and the actor in the background in sharp focus, a giant wooden hand and a prop gun twice the normal size were built. This allowed the camera to capture the tension of the moment with a depth of field that was otherwise impossible with the lenses of 1945.
• To ensure the film’s depiction of psychoanalysis was as accurate as possible, producer David O. Selznick brought in his own therapist, Dr. May Romm, as a technical advisor. Her presence on set reportedly led to frequent clashes with Hitchcock, who was more interested in cinematic suspense than clinical accuracy. When Dr. Romm pointed out that certain scenes didn’t reflect real psychiatric practice, Hitchcock famously replied, “It’s only a movie.”

 

Discussion questions

1. Dr. Constance Petersen risks her professional reputation and her physical safety to help a man she barely knows, driven by a “hunch” that he is innocent. Do you view her actions as a triumph of intuition and love, or as a dangerous violation of professional boundaries? How does the film portray the conflict between her clinical, “frigid” persona at the start and her emotional vulnerability by the end?
2. The dream sequence, designed by Salvador Dalí, is filled with specific symbols: melting eyes, blank playing cards, and a man without a face. Hitchcock uses these as a literal map to the protagonist’s trauma. In the context of modern psychology, does this puzzle-piece approach to memory feel like an effective storytelling device, or does it oversimplify the complexities of the human mind?
3. The film uses a recurring visual motif of parallel lines—on a bedspread, a robe, or even in the snow—to trigger the protagonist's guilt complex. How does Hitchcock use cinematography and production design to make the audience share in this sense of unease? Discuss how these visual triggers serve as a bridge between the character’s internal mental state and the external world.
4. In 1945, psychoanalysis was a relatively new and fascinating concept for general audiences. In Spellbound, “The Science” is essentially the hero who solves the mystery. How does the film’s portrayal of therapy compare to other Hitchcock films (like Psycho or Marnie)? Does the film suggest that we are all "prisoners" of our childhood memories until they are brought to light?

 

Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman star in “Gaslight”

Gaslight (1944) is an American psychological thriller set in 19th-century London. The film was directed by George Cukor and stars Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, and Joseph Cotten. The film features Dame May Whitty, and Angela Lansbury in her feature film debut.

Alice Alquist, a world-famous opera singer is murdered in her home in Victorian London. Her niece Paula (Bergman) is sent to Italy to study opera like her aunt, but unfortunately, she doesn’t have her aunt’s talent. When she reaches adulthood, she falls in love with her accompanist Gregory Anton (Boyer). They marry after a two-week romance and settle in her late aunt’s townhouse. Paula has a hard time living in the home where everything reminds her of that terrible murder. While moving her aunt’s furnishings into the attic, Paula discovers a letter from a man named Sergis Bauer. When Gregory sees the letter he becomes enraged, but then apologizes.

Is Gregory hiding something from Paula? If so, what does it mean?

 

Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer

George Cukor (1899 – 1983) was an American director. He was famous for directing comedies and literary adaptations of classics like Little Women (1933) and David Copperfield (1935). He was famously fired from directing Gone with the Wind (1939), but that incident didn’t mar an impressive directorial career that included The Philadelphia Story (1940), Gaslight (1944), and Born Yesterday (1950). Cukor won an Academy Award as Best Director for My Fair Lady (1964).

Charles Boyer (1899 - 1978) was a French-American stage and film actor. Boyer was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award four times. He became a major movie star in the late 1930s in films like The Garden of Allah (1936), Algiers (1938), and Love Affair (1939). He starred as the evil husband of Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight (1944). Boyer starred opposite most of the top female stars of the period including Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich, Irene Dunne, Jean Arthur, Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, Joan Fontaine, Katharine Hepburn, and Olivia de Havilland. As he grew older, Boyer played supporting roles in film and also starred on Broadway in Kind Sir (1953 - 1954) and The Marriage-Go-Round (1958 - 1960).

Ingrid Bergman (1915 – 1982) was a Swedish actress who became an international star upon her Hollywood debut in Intermezzo (1939). Few actresses were as popular as Bergman during the 1940s. In fact, she was the number two box office draw (after Bing Crosby) in 1946. She starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) opposite Gary Cooper, and Gaslight (1944) for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award. She starred opposite newcomer Gregory Peck in Spellbound (1945) which was her first collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock. Bergman would win another Best Actress Academy Award for Anastasia (1956) and a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

Joseph Cotten (1905 - 1994) was an American film, stage, radio, and television actor. Cotten achieved fame on Broadway in the original stage productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair.  He became famous worldwide after appearing in Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). As one of the most popular leading men of the 1940s, Cotten starred in Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Gaslight (1943), Duel in the Sun (1946), and The Third Man (1949). Cotten alternated between work on stage and film into the late-1950s. Cotten also appeared on television guest starring in The Name of the Game, Cimarron Strip, and Ironside. Cotten’s last film role was in 1981.

 

Angela Lansbury and Ingrid Bergman

Gaslight trivia

• M-G-M tried to get the film negatives of the 1940 British version destroyed.
• Ingrid Bergman studied mental patients to help with her characterization of Paula.
• Angela Lansbury turned 18 during the production of the film. The cast and crew held a birthday party for her.
• Bergman was initially concerned that she wouldn’t be able to portray a fragile character like Paula.
• Boyer’s son and only child was born during production.
• In her autobiography, Bergman said that Boyer was the most intelligent actor she ever worked with and one of the nicest.

 

Click HERE to watch the film on the Internet Archive

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Discussion questions

1. The film is described today as a psychological thriller. Does that description work for you? Would you categorize it differently?
2. What did you think of Bergman’s performance?
3. Charles Boyer was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in this film (he lost to Bing Crosby). What did you think of his performance?
4. Angela Lansbury had never acted before her role as the maid, Nancy. What did you think of her performance?
5. Joseph Cotten is hardly ever mentioned when this film is discussed. Is his a thankless role?

 

 

Rick's Cafe and the Moral Maze: Love, War, and Choices in “Casablanca”

Guest blog post written by Stephen Galen Estevan

We all know the lines, we've probably seen the tearful goodbye a hundred times, but what truly sets this 1942 classic apart? It's not just the trench coat drama or the Bogie-Berman magic. Casablanca's secret sauce is its unique ability to cook up a storm of moral complexity in a wartime setting. Buckle up, cinephiles, because we're diving into the heart of what makes this movie so darn special.

Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart

First off, Casablanca throws you right into the grimy underbelly of a war-torn Europe. Rick's Cafe Americain, our Casablanca hotspot, isn't some swanky Hollywood hangout. It's a pressure cooker of refugees, gamblers, and desperation. Everyone's got a story, everyone's running from something. This backdrop instantly throws out a challenge: how do you define "good" and "bad" in a world gone sideways?

Here's where Rick Blaine, the cynical nightclub owner with a heart of gold (or maybe tarnished silver), takes center stage. Humphrey Bogart doesn't play Rick as a superhero. He's a guy who's seen the worst humanity has to offer, and it's hardened him. He prioritizes self-preservation, neutrality above all else.  But then Ilsa Lund walks in, a blast from his romantic past, and suddenly Rick's carefully constructed moral gray area starts to crack.

Dooley Wilson, Bogart, and Bergman

Ilsa, played by the stunning Ingrid Bergman, is another wrinkle in this moral tapestry. She's torn between her love for Rick and her duty to her husband, Victor Laszlo, a Czech resistance leader.  Laszlo embodies the fight against tyranny, the clear-cut "good" in this conflict.  Yet, Ilsa's love for Rick is real, and it forces us to confront the fact that good guys don't always get the girl, and love can be a powerful motivator, even if it complicates the fight against evil.

Casablanca doesn't shy away from the messy bits of human decision-making. We see characters wrestle with their conscience. Renault, the cynical police captain who seems to be in cahoots with the Nazis, throws a wrench into the works with his own moral dilemma.  Even Sam, the piano-playing confidante, wrestles with the line between loyalty and doing the right thing. There are no easy answers, and the film doesn't try to spoon-feed them to us.

This ambiguity is what makes Casablanca's climax so powerful. The iconic scene where Rick lets Laszlo escape with Ilsa is a masterclass in emotional storytelling. Rick sacrifices his own happiness for a cause he initially wanted nothing to do with. It's a selfless act born out of love, a love that transcends personal desires.  In that moment, Rick sheds his cynicism and chooses a side, a decision that resonates because it feels real, not forced.

Paul Henreid, Bergman, and Bogart

Casablanca's moral complexity extends beyond the central love triangle. The film doesn't shy away from the horrors of war. We see refugees desperate to escape, the cruelty of the Vichy regime collaborating with the Nazis.  It reminds us that war isn't just fought on battlefields; it's a fight for the soul in every corner of the world.

This brings us to the final ingredient in Casablanca's recipe for moral complexity: cynicism versus hope. Rick's initial cynicism reflects the disillusionment of a world at war.  But as the film progresses, a flicker of hope emerges.  Laszlo's unwavering belief in the fight against fascism becomes a spark that ignites Rick's sense of purpose.  The ending, while bittersweet, leaves us with a sense of optimism.  Even in the darkest of times, good can prevail, and individuals can make a difference.

Casablanca isn't a film that gives easy answers. It forces us to confront the complexities of human nature, the sacrifices we make for love and for what we believe in. It's a film that stays with you long after the credits roll, prompting you to ponder the murky waters between right and wrong.  That's why, even after all these years, Casablanca remains a cinematic masterpiece, a timeless reminder that the lines between good and bad can be as blurry as the smoke hanging over Rick's Cafe Americain.

Stephen Galen Estevan is the founder and operator of FrameTrek.

Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid have a date with fate in “Casablanca”

Casablanca, the 1942 classic directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid is the third film to be shown in this continuing monthly series. Winner of three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Casablanca has become part of the American consciousness, its dialogue (“Here's looking at you kid.”) part of our lexicon.

Just another movie?

What started as just another movie during Hollywood’s golden age became an instant classic. It made  Bogart a credible leading man and pushed him out of the shadows of fellow contract players James Cagney, George Raft, and Edward G. Robinson. In only her fourth American film, Bergman became a superstar and one of the most popular movie actresses of the 1940s. For Hungarian-born director Curtiz, Casablanca was his only Best Director win in a career that spanned more than four decades.

Michael Curtiz (1886 -1962) was a Hungarian-American film director who worked during Hollywood’s Golden age, directing some of the best loved classics from that era including The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) Casablanca (1942), and Mildred Pierce (1945). He directed James Cagney and Joan Crawford to Best Actor/Actress Oscar wins; he put Doris Day and John Garfield on the screen for the first time, making them major movie stars in the process. He’s also responsible for the pairing of Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, one of Hollywood’s most famous screen teams. Other films directed by Curtiz include Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), The Sea Wolf (1941), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942),  Life with Father (1947), and White Christmas (1954).

Humphrey Bogart (1899 – 1957) was an American film and stage actor. He is one of the most famous and popular movie stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Nicknamed Bogie, the actor toiled in supporting roles in both A and B pictures for a decade before his breakout role as Roy Earle in High Sierra (1941). Many more film roles followed including The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), Key Largo (1948), and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). His career continued with good roles in films like In a Lonely Place (1950), The Caine Mutiny (1954), and Sabrina (1954) co-starring William Holden and Audrey Hepburn. Bogart died from cancer in 1957.

Ingrid Bergman (1915 – 1982) was a Swedish actress who became an international star upon her Hollywood debut in Intermezzo (1939). Few actresses were as popular as Bergman during the 1940s. In fact, she was the number two box office draw (after Bing Crosby) in 1946. She starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) opposite Gary Cooper, Gaslight (1944) for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award. She starred opposite newcomer Gregory Peck in Spellbound (1945) which was her first collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock. Bergman would go on to win another Best Actress Academy Award for Anastasia (1956) and a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

Paul Henreid (1909 - 1992) was an Austrian-British-American actor, producer, writer, and director. Henreid is probably best known for two films released in 1942: Casablanca and Now, Voyager. Henreid was under contract with Warner Bros. where he was a popular leading man starring opposite the studio's top actresses including Bette Davis, Ida Lupino, and Eleanor Parker. After he left Warner Bros. Henreid made a series of adventure films. He later directed films and television shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Maverick, and The Big Valley.

Casablanca trivia

• Many of the actors playing Nazis were German Jews who escaped Nazi Germany.
• The tears in the eyes of the extras singing “La Marseillaise” were real; many of them had escaped Nazi occupied Europe.
• Stars Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid didn’t want to make Casablanca. Bogart and Bergman were unhappy with a script that wasn’t completed before filming, and Henreid who had a big success starring opposite Bette Davis in Now, Voyager (1942) didn’t want to be the second male lead.
• Bergman was desperate to play Maria in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943). Bergman got the role and a Best Actress nod. Bergman thought this would be the role that moviegoers would remember her for. Even though the film was a bigger box office hit than Casablanca, it hasn’t the reputation of that classic.
• The movie was filmed entirely on the Warner Bros. sound stages and backlot.

Click HERE to watch the film on YouTube.

 

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Discussion questions

1. What is the basic plot of Casablanca? What is the central conflict? How is this conflict established?
2. What is the tone of the film? How is that tone established? What are some of the major themes of this film?
3. What role does music play? How do the attitudes of jazz fit into Rick’s club, and what we know about his character?
4. How are the characters framed in the film? What “tricks” does the director use to introduce characters, reveal their motives, or present their conflicts? How is this explored through lighting and camera angles?
5. What make this film timeless?

 

Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman are "Notorious!"

Notorious (1946) is a film noir/spy thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Raines. The film’s screenplay was written by Ben Hecht (Nothing Sacred) with cinematography by Ted Tetzlaff (My Man Godfrey).

Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant

Alicia Huberman (Bergman) is recruited by the American government to infiltrate a group of Nazis hiding out in Brazil after World War II. Alicia’s father was a convicted Nazi spy who committed suicide in prison. Government agent T. R. Devlin (Grant) recruits Alicia and informs her of her assignment. Part of her assignment is romancing the head of the Nazi group in Brazil, Alexander Sebastian (Raines), a man she had a relationship with in the past.

Things get complicated when Devlin and Alicia fall in love and the Nazi plot becomes more elusive. Will Devlin and Alicia be successful in exposing the Nazis? Will they be able to find happiness once their assignment is over?

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1935), Sabotage (1936), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Ben Hecht (1894 – 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist! Hecht was born in New York City but went to Chicago at age 16. He became a journalist of some note and in 1920 he co-wrote The Front Page which became a huge Broadway hit. In the 1930s and 1940s, Hecht was one of the most popular and prolific screenwriters in Hollywood. He often acted as a “script doctor” for many screenplays, often without credit. Some of Hecht’s famous screenplays include Spellbound (1945), Kiss of Death (1947), Design for Living (1933), Wuthering Heights (1939), and Gunga Din (1939). Hecht was one of the dozens of writers who had a hand in the Gone With the Wind (1939) screenplay. Supposedly, Hecht never worked more than eight weeks on a screenplay.

Ted Tetzlaff (1903 – 1995) was an Academy Award-nominated cinematographer in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. He was a favorite of Carole Lombard—he photographed her in 10 movies. Some of the movies he photographed include Hands Across the Table (1935), Remember the Night (1940), The Road to Zanzibar (1941), I Married a Witch (1942), The Talk of the Town (1942), and The More the Merrier (1943).

Cary Grant (1904 – 1986) was an English-born American actor who became one of the most popular leading men in film history. Grant started his career in vaudeville before heading to Hollywood. He became a superstar in the late 1930s in a series of screwball comedies including The Awful Truth (1937) with Irene Dunne. He was a memorable C. K. Dexter Haven in The Philadelphia Story (1940) opposite Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart. He received two Best Actor nominations: Penny Serenade (1941) and None but the Lonely Hearts (1944). Other classic Grant films include Gunga Din (1939), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). He made four popular films with Alfred Hitchcock: Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959). He was presented with an Honorary Oscar at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970.

Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock and Ingrid Bergman celebrate Cary Grant’s birthday on the set of Notorious. 

Ingrid Bergman (1915 – 1982) was a Swedish actress who became an international star upon her Hollywood debut in Intermezzo (1939). Few actresses were as popular as Bergman during the 1940s. In fact, she was the number two box office draw (after Bing Crosby) in 1946. She starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) opposite Gary Cooper, Gaslight (1944) for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award. She starred opposite newcomer Gregory Peck in Spellbound (1945) which was her first collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock. Bergman would go on to win another Best Actress Academy Award for Anastasia (1956) and a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

Claude Raines (1889 – 1967) was a British-American film and stage actor. He was one of the most popular character actors working in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. He was a favorite of actress Bette Davis; they worked together in four films including Now, Voyager (1942). Other classic Raines films include The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Kings Row (1942), Casablanca (1942), Phantom of the Opera (1943), Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), and Deception (1946).

To watch the film, click on the YouTube here. Be sure to use this link because there are many versions of this film on the channel. None are as good as this print.

To join the discussion on Zoom on October 16, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions:
1. One of the major themes of the film is trust. Trust withheld or given too freely. What did you make of it all?
2. Some critics consider this one of Hitchcock’s most complicated romances. Do you agree with that assessment?
3. Hitchcock is known for the “mothers” in his films. Madame Anna Sebastian is a major character in Notorious. What did you make of her character?

4. Did you think Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman worked well together? Was their romance believable?

5. Claude Raines was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. Do you think his performance was worthy of the nomination?

6. Did the ending surprise you? Was it a satisfying ending?

Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck are “Spellbound” by Alfred Hitchcock

Spellbound (1945) is a film noir with a psychological twist directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It stars Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck with a screenplay by Ben Hecht, based on the novel The House of Dr. Edwardes (1927) by Hilary Saint George Saunders and John Palmer writing under the pseudonym Francis Beeding.

Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman

Dr. Constance Peterson (Bergman) is a psychoanalyst at Green Manors, a mental hospital in Vermont where she is perceived to be somewhat cold and aloof. Dr. Murchison (Leo G. Carroll) is forced to retire due to nervous exhaustion. When his replacement shows up in the form of Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Peck), Constance and the rest of the staff are amazed by that the hospital hired such a young director. Dr. Peterson is drawn to Dr. Edwardes, but she notices that things may not be quite right with him.

The film also features a dream sequence designed by artist Salvador Dali. William Cameron Menzies who also did the set design for the movie directed the sequence.

Bergman and Peck in part of the dream sequence deleted from the final cut. 

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1935), Sabotage (1936), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Ingrid Bergman (1915 – 1982) was a Swedish actress who became an international star upon her Hollywood debut in Intermezzo (1939). Few actresses were as popular as Bergman during the 1940s. In fact, she was the number two box office draw (after Bing Crosby) in 1946. She starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) opposite Gary Cooper, Gaslight (1944) for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award. She starred opposite newcomer Gregory Peck in Spellbound (1945) which was her first collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock. Bergman would go on to win another Best Actress Academy Award for Anastasia (1956) and a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

The film features an excellent supporting cast including Michael Chekhov as Dr. Brulov in a Best Supporting Oscar-nominated performance, Rhonda Fleming in her film debut, and Norman Lloyd (still with us at 105!).

Theatre marquee when Spellbound was first released

Spellbound Trivia:

• One of the first movies to deal with psychoanalysis
• Miklos Rosza’s score won an Academy Award
• Producer David O. Selznick wanted Dorothy McGuire and Joseph Cotton for the Bergman and Peck roles. All the actors were under contract to Selznick.
• Hitchcock’s first choice to play Dr. Edwardes was Cary Grant. His second choice was Joseph Cotton

To watch the film, click on the YouTube link below. Be sure to use this link because there are several prints of this film on the channel. This is by far the best.

After you watch the film, join us for a discussion on Zoom, September 29, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. The invitation and Zoom links are below.

Stephen Reginald is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Discussion of "Spellbound"

Time: Sep 29, 2020, 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75223813893?pwd=Z3BiU2VFbVk4VVZTendjV01wektKUT09

Meeting ID: 752 2381 3893

Passcode: su4yZR

Discussion Questions:

1. Hitchcock uses a lot of visual imagery in Spellbound. Did anyone visual (or series of visuals) stand out to you?
2. What did you make of the psychological backstory?
3. The Dream sequence was originally 20 minutes long but was cut down to about two minutes. Does it work and fit the narrative?
4. Did the score of the film help or hurt it?

Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman are "Notorious!"

Notorious (1946) is a film noir/spy thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Raines. The film’s screenplay was written by Ben Hecht (Nothing Sacred) with cinematography by Ted Tetzlaff (My Man Godfrey).

Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant

Alicia Huberman (Bergman) is recruited by the American government to infiltrate a group of Nazis hiding out in Brazil after World War II. Alicia’s father was a convicted Nazi spy who committed suicide in prison. Government agent T. R. Devlin (Grant) recruits Alicia and informs her of her assignment. Part of her assignment is romancing the head of the Nazi group in Brazil, Alexander Sebastian (Raines), a man she had a relationship with in the past.

Things get complicated when Devlin and Alicia fall in love and the Nazi plot becomes more elusive. Will Devlin and Alicia be successful in exposing the Nazis? Will they be able to find happiness once their assignment is over?

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1935), Sabotage (1936), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Ben Hecht (1894 – 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist! Hecht was born in New York City but went to Chicago at age 16. He became a journalist of some note and in 1920 he co-wrote The Front Page which became a huge Broadway hit. In the 1930s and 1940s, Hecht was one of the most popular and prolific screenwriters in Hollywood. He often acted as a “script doctor” for many screenplays, often without credit. Some of Hecht’s famous screenplays include Spellbound (1945), Kiss of Death (1947), Design for Living (1933), Wuthering Heights (1939), and Gunga Din (1939). Hecht was one of the dozens of writers who had a hand in the Gone With the Wind (1939) screenplay. Supposedly, Hecht never worked more than eight weeks on a screenplay.

Ted Tetzlaff (1903 – 1995) was an Academy Award-nominated cinematographer in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. He was a favorite of Carole Lombard—he photographed her in 10 movies. Some of the movies he photographed include Hands Across the Table (1935), Remember the Night (1940), The Road to Zanzibar (1941), I Married a Witch (1942), The Talk of the Town (1942), and The More the Merrier (1943).

Cary Grant (1904 – 1986) was an English-born American actor who became one of the most popular leading men in film history. Grant started his career in vaudeville before heading to Hollywood. He became a superstar in the late 1930s in a series of screwball comedies including The Awful Truth (1937) with Irene Dunne. He was a memorable C. K. Dexter Haven in The Philadelphia Story (1940) opposite Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart. He received two Best Actor nominations: Penny Serenade (1941) and None but the Lonely Hearts (1944). Other classic Grant films include Gunga Din (1939), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). He made four popular films with Alfred Hitchcock: Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959). He was presented with an Honorary Oscar at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970.

Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock and Ingrid Bergman celebrate Cary Grant’s birthday on the set of Notorious. 

Ingrid Bergman (1915 – 1982) was a Swedish actress who became an international star upon her Hollywood debut in Intermezzo (1939). Few actresses were as popular as Bergman during the 1940s. In fact, she was the number two box office draw (after Bing Crosby) in 1946. She starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) opposite Gary Cooper, Gaslight (1944) for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award. She starred opposite newcomer Gregory Peck in Spellbound (1945) which was her first collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock. Bergman would go on to win another Best Actress Academy Award for Anastasia (1956) and a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

Claude Raines (1889 – 1967) was a British-American film and stage actor. He was one of the most popular character actors working in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. He was a favorite of actress Bette Davis; they worked together in four films including Now, Voyager (1942). Other classic Raines films include The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Kings Row (1942), Casablanca (1942), Phantom of the Opera (1943), Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), and Deception (1946).

To watch the film, click on the YouTube link below. Be sure to use this link because there are many versions of this film on the channel. None are as good as this print.



Once you’ve watched the film, please join our Zoom discussion on September 15, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. The invitation and link to the meeting are below.

Stephen Reginald is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Discussion of "Notorious"
Time: Sep 15, 2020, 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77326363144?pwd=anZ5S2VmcVFPWlpFcjBRY1dmZGpOZz09

Meeting ID: 773 2636 3144
Passcode: Yn7HLW

Discussion questions:
1. One of the major themes of the film is trust. Trust withheld or given too freely. What did you make of it all?
2. Some critics consider this one of Hitchcock’s most complicated romances. Do you agree with that assessment?
3. Hitchcock is known for the “mothers” in his films. Madame Anna Sebastian is a major character in Notorious. What did you make of her character?
4. There’s a lot of drinking going on in this film. What do you think all that drinking was about?

Field Trip: “Casablanca” November 12 at River East 21

Join the Chicago Film Club, on Sunday November 12 at 2:00 p.m., as we enjoy viewing the 1942 classic, Casablanca on the big screen at the AMC River East 21, 322 East Illinois, Chicago, IL. If you’ve never seen the movie starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid on the big screen, you’re in for a treat.
You may buy tickets day of screening or order them in advance. Click the link to order. 

Casablanca on the big screen

Date: November 12 at River East 21

Time: 2:00 p.m.

I'll be holding a red "Meetup" sign by the concessions at theater level

Set against the backdrop of World War II, Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick Blaine, the owner of a nightclub in Vichy-controlled Casablanca, whose life changes forever when his lost love, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), walks into his club and back into his life. Also starring Paul Henreid and Claude Rains.

Screening of Hitchcock’s “Notorious” at Daystar Center February 10, 2015

When: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

It’s complicated
Notorious is the most complex and perhaps the best of Alfred Hitchcock’s films produced during his first decade in America. The film features the star power of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, two of the director’s favorite performers. It also showcases the director’s technical storytelling skills, skills that he honed during his tenure in Hollywood.

Pretty as a picture
Grant and Bergman were two of the most glamorous movies stars of the day and they are photographed exquisitely by famed cinematographer Ted Tetzlaff. The close-ups of the two stars are beautifully lit and staged. Many of the shots are framed so well that they stand on their own as works of art.

Nazis in hiding
The plot revolves around Alicia Huberman (Bergman), the American daughter of a convicted Nazi spy. Intelligence agent T. R. Devlin (Grant) recruits her to infiltrate a group of Nazis hiding out in Brazil after World War II. Devlin arranges things so that Alicia reacquaints herself, with Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains), the leader of the Nazis in Rio de Janeiro. Sebastian was smitten with Alicia several years earlier and is eager to try and woo her once again.

Cover blown
Things get complicated when Sebastian proposes marriage to Alicia. Devlin who has feelings for her reacts badly to this development and withdraws emotionally. Alicia marries Sebastian and continues her work as an agent of the United States government. After a party at their home, Sebastian discovers that his wife is a double agent and has been spying on him. With the help of his mother (Leopoldine Konstantin), Sebastian sets about to slowly poison Alicia in an attempt to hide her true identity from his fellow Nazi conspirators. Will his plan be successful?

Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman at the racetrack

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Backstory: David O. Selznik had originally planned to produce Notorious himself, but sold the property to RKO. Selznik lobbied for Joseph Cotton, who was under contract to the producer, to play Devlin. Hitchcock wanted Cary Grant. Hitchcock obviously won that fight. Clifton Webb and George Saunders were considered for the role of Sebastian. Selznik recommended Claude Rains for the role, which Hichcock agreed with. Notorious premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on August 15, 1946 with Hitchcock, Bergman and Grant in attendance.

Hitchcock’s “Spellbound” to screen January 13, 2015 at Daystar Center

When: Tuesday, January 13, 2015 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

Spellbinding Suspense

Spellbound (1945) The Master’s first collaboration with star Ingrid Bergman is an intriguing look into the “secret recesses of the mind” as described in the New York Herald Tribune’s review. 

The Mysterious Dr. Edwardes

Bergman plays Dr. Constance Peterson, a dedicated psychiatrist who puts her career on the line when she falls in love with Dr. Edwardes (Gregory Peck). Is Dr. Edwardes an impostor, pretending to be someone he is not in order to avoid arrest for a cold-blooded murder? Or is he a victim of some horrible event from his past that threatens to destroy him? 

Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman

A David O.Selznick Production

Produced by David O. Selznick, Spellbound is a stylish and complex love story, featuring standout performances from Bergman and Peck. The dream sequences designed by artist Salvidor Dali are hauntingly beautiful, as is the film’s score by Miklos Rozsa (Ben-Hur).

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens $3. 

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Backstory: Spellbound was one of the first films to deal with psychoanalysis. Producer David O. Selznick had his own psychoanalyst on the set for accuracy. Selznick objected to the use of artist Salvador Dali because of the expense, but then decided that the publicity his work would bring to the project would be worth it.