Fresh and Exciting

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

It was breakthrough for its time to discuss and then act out this type of subject matter. It existed and people gave it thought but never in detail. It was forbidden but necessary. Remember, back in that day, it was a disgrace as Edmond Gwen's dialog in the movie clearly describes. Also, to bring another subject into it that is equally as powerful namely children puts this movie ahead of the times including times to come. Today, we have more random Hollywood whoredom going on without a second thought with men preying on women like it is natural to do and women going along too. But yesterday, it was unheard of and the subject got more respect. Enthralling, tense and entertaining on the emotional, mental and psychological levels, there is no let up as the story unfolds leaving one looking for comfort, rest or respite. Popcorn would help give the fingers and the mouth something better to do than chew a few nails here. Have a tasty drink and snack standing by and no breaks, cell phone or discussion until movie is over. Treat yourself to an oldie but truly goodie movie here. Fond thoughts to all actors and director too. Well done

The Bigamist is directed by Ida Lupino and adapted to screenplay by Collier Young from a story by Larry Marcus and Lou Schor. It stars Lupino herself with Edmund O'Brien, Joan Fontaine, Edmund Gwenn and Kenneth Tobey. Music is scored by Leith Stevens and cinematography by George Diskant.Harry Graham (O'Brien) tells adoption agency inspector Mr. Jordan (Gwenn) how he came to have two wives. One in Los Angeles (Lupino), the other in San Francisco (Fontaine).Initially released as part a double bill with Lupino's The Hitch-Hiker, The Bigamist is the lesser known film and the lesser thought of picture at that. Where The Hitch-Hiker is a more aggressive and claustrophobic noir picture, The Bigamist is more a Sirkian melodrama with noir touches. What transpires in the gifted hands of noir darling Lupino is a film examining a complex male protagonist, a guy suffering desperately from loneliness and alienation, his only moments of happiness comes in the arms of two women. If this sounds like Lupino is taking a sympathetic approach to Harry Graham? Then yes that is true, but he is portrayed as being morally ambiguous and weak, with the deft insertion of fate's deadly hand into the story as Harry tries on occasions to do the legal and right thing."I can't figure out my feelings towards you, I despise you, and I pity you. I don't even want to shake your hand, and yet I almost wish you luck." Once the story reaches the pinnacle, female parties are left dislocated, hurt and confused about their emotions, Harry is crushed, and we believe his pain because he is not a selfish bastard. Some of the most telling passages of dialogue come from other men, Gwenn's agency inspector and the Judge (John Maxwell) presiding over the court case, these helping to not stereotype the Graham character. The finale also refuses to take an easy way out, it's left deliberately ambiguous, the final shot open ended. Shot at real L.A. and Frisco locations, film has some nice visual touches. Harry in shadowy hotel rooms, his lonely walks down town, while venetian blinds feature and a shadowed bathed staircase banister showcases the talents of Diskant (On Dangerous Ground/The Narrow Margin/Kansas City Confidential). It's not an overtly film noir picture visually, but there are snatches in the mix. Cast are bang on form, with O'Brien particularly impressive when portraying conflicted emotions.It's not perfect, strong characters the lead trio may be, but they are all so nice, there's no edge there. There's an inside joke that comes off as flat and misplaced, while Stevens' score is often intrusive in desperately trying to set up emotional impact. But these are small complaints that don't stop the picture's great strengths from storming through to hold the attention. It's an interesting picture, a cautionary tale choosing to analyse rather than point the finger. It deserves to be more well known these days and certainly shouldn't be viewed as an apology for Bigamy. 7.5/10

With only knowledge that it is a classic drama, starring the star of one or two Hitchcock films, and featuring in the book 1001 Movies You must See Before You Die, this knowledge was enough for me to see it. Basically Eve Graham (Joan Fontaine) and her travelling salesman husband Harry (Harrison) Graham (Edmond O'Brien) are wanting to adopt a baby, but the head of the agency Mr. Jordan (Edmund Gwenn) senses Harry is keeping something secret and needs investigating. It turns out Harry actually has two wives, the second being Phyllis Martin (Ida Lupino, also directing), and a baby! Mr. Jordan obviously thinks to call the police, but Harry is prepared to explain everything, and through flashbacks we see how he and Phyllis got involved, and a little about the relationship with Eve. Also starring Jane Darwell as Mrs. Connelley, Kenneth Tobey as Tom Morgan, Defense Attorney and John Maxwell as Judge. It is a very implausible and far-fetched story, in fact I lost my way a little bit, but the performances are good enough to keep you interested. Good!

This film is of interest while the topic is not sensationalized, it is explored through the narrative voice of Edmond O'Brien, as a successful but bored traveling salesman. Joan Fontaine has a thankless role here as the materially successful,but emotionally devoid wife. Basically the marriage is hanging by a thread, and it is at this point that O'Brien meets Phyllis, (Ida Lupino).Phyllis, a displaced woman who is a waitress at a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles, explains she moved there to "see the world" and escape from boring farm life in Pennsylvania.Lupino excels at winning our empathy, a lonely woman needing companionship. O'Brien falls for her, and eventually (despite wife Fontaine in San Francisco and adopted child in the works), gets married to Lupino in Los Angeles.There is a side story with Edmond Gwenn (the beloved "Kris Kringle" from "Miracle on 42nd Street") as the agent investigating families for potential adoption. He is well-meaning but rather peripheral to the story.As this was 1953, the bigamist ends his story in court, where there is much moralizing,but not over-the-top melodrama. I credit Lupino with her stellar performance, and direction here. 8/10.