The Bigamist(1953)

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- Approved
- 1h 20m
- December 3, 1953(United States)
- 6.8/10 (5.3K)

Drama Film-Noir

A man secretly married to two women feels the pressure of his deceit.A man secretly married to two women feels the pressure of his deceit.A man secretly married to two women feels the pressure of his deceit.
Stars
Reviews
- 72 User reviews
- 65 Critic reviews
Photos & videos
- 22 Photos
- 1 Video

Writers

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Collier Young
Collier Young
screen play
Lawrence B. Marcus
Lawrence B. Marcus
original story (as Larry Marcus) and
Lou Schor
Lou Schor
original story

Cast

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(in credits order) verified as complete

Rest of cast listed alphabetically

Walter Bacon
Walter Bacon
Attorney
(uncredited)
Ralph Brooks
Ralph Brooks
Courtroom Spectator
(uncredited)
John Brown
John Brown
Dr. Wallace
(uncredited)
Jack Chefe
Jack Chefe
Waiter
(uncredited)
Matt Dennis
Matt Dennis
Matt Dennis
(uncredited)
Kem Dibbs
Kem Dibbs
Tour Bus Driver
(uncredited)
Ken Drake
Ken Drake
Court Clerk
(uncredited)
Bess Flowers
Bess Flowers
Bus Passenger
(uncredited)
Lilian Fontaine
Lilian Fontaine
Miss Higgins
(uncredited)
Jerry Hausner
Jerry Hausner
Roy Esterly
(uncredited)
Donald Kerr
Donald Kerr
Hollywood Tour Bus Pitchman
(uncredited)
Mike Lally
Mike Lally
Courtroom Spectator
(uncredited)
George Lee
George Lee
Sam
(uncredited)
John Maxwell
John Maxwell
Judge
(uncredited)
Mac McKim
Mac McKim
Ricky
(uncredited)
Monty O'Grady
Monty O'Grady
Bus Passenger
(uncredited)
James Todd
James Todd
Carl Forbes
(uncredited)
Mack Williams
Mack Williams
Prosecuting Attorney
(uncredited)
Collier Young
Collier Young
Canton Café Barfly
(uncredited)
James Young
James Young
Graham's Former Boss
(uncredited)

Producers

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Robert Eggenweiler
Robert Eggenweiler
associate producer
Collier Young
Collier Young
producer

Cinematographer

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George E. Diskant
George E. Diskant
director of photography (as George Diskant)

James H. Anderson
James H. Anderson
production manager (as James Anderson)

Second Unit Directors or Assistant Directors

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Gordon Gale MacLean
Gordon Gale MacLean
assistant director (as Gordon McLean)
Herbert E. Mendelson
Herbert E. Mendelson
assistant director (as Herb Mendelson)

Sound Department

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Dick Tyler Sr.
Dick Tyler Sr.
sound (as Dick Tyler)
Howard Wilson
Howard Wilson
sound

Camera and Electrical Department

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Ted Klett
Ted Klett
assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department

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George R. Rohrs
George R. Rohrs
assistant editor (as George Rohrs)

Music Department

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Leith Stevens
Leith Stevens
musical director

Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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The Filmakers
- (The Filmakers, present)

Sales Representatives / ISA

Shoreline Entertainment
- (World-wide, 2025)(digital - online)

Distributors

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Filmakers Releasing Organization
- (United States, 1953)(theatrical)
Exclusive Films
- (United Kingdom, 1953)(theatrical)
Svea Film (II)
- (Sweden, 1954)(theatrical)
California Films
- (Finland, 1955)(theatrical)
Kino Video
- (United States, 1997)(VHS)
VCI Home Video
- (United States, 1997)(VHS)
Alpha Video Distributors
- (United States, 2004)(DVD)
Reel Media International
- (World-wide, 2004)(VHS)
Reel Media International
- (World-wide, 2007)
Film Detective
- (United States, 2015)(DVD)
Topanga Canyon Films
- (Spain, 2018)
Penteo Films S.L.
- (World-wide, 2019)(restored HD)
The Criterion Channel
- (United States, 2020)(digital, TV)
Les Films du Camélia
- (France, 2020)(re-release, restored version, theatrical)
Pave TV
- (United States, 2026)

Harry and Eve Graham are trying to adopt a baby. The head of the agency senses that Harry is keeping a secret and does some investigating. He soon discovers that Harry has done an unusual amount of traveling from his home in San Francisco to Los Angeles. Harry gets tracked down in LA, where he has a second wife and a baby. Via flashbacks, Harry tells the adoption agent how he ended up in two marriages. —Daniel Bubbeo <dbubbeo@cmp.com>

bigamy bigamist lonely man unfaithful husband adoption agency 135 more

Taglines
- A Motion Picture With a Theme Unusual in the Extreme!
Genres
- Drama
- Film-Noir
Certificates
- Australia:PG
- Canada:14(Nova Scotia)
- Canada:G(Quebec)
- Canada:PG(video rating)
- Finland:K-16
- France:Tous publics
- Italy:T
- Norway:7(recommended rating)
- Philippines:PG-13
- Portugal:17
- Portugal:M/12(festival rating)
- Spain:7
- Spain:A(self-applied)
- Sweden:15
- United Kingdom:A(original rating)
- United Kingdom:PG(video)
- United States:Approved(certificate #16677, , adult audience)
Parents guide

Did you know

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Trivia
Not the first instance of a female star directing herself; earlier examples include Grace Cunard and Mabel Normand. It is, however, believed to be the first sound film directed by its female star.

Goofs
The movie is about a couple in San Francisco with establishing shots at 1:13 (city landscape) and 1:22 (a city street with a characteristic steep hill). Mr Jordan (Edmund Gwenn) has to travel to LA to do a background check on Harry Graham (Edmond O'Brien). But when he arrives in LA to visit business offices there, the buildings are all on SF style steep streets (see 10:40 and 11:22). They apparently used SF locations for LA locations, and to those who know both cities, it sticks out quite noticeably.

Quotes
Tour Bus Driver: Behind that big hedge over there, there's a little man who was Santa Claus to the whole world: Edmund Gwenn.

Crazy credits
The opening includes the following over two cards, the first presenting the actor name leading into the second, the opening title card: "Edmond O'Brien as The Bigamist"