Peter Ibbetson

Director: Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway

Overview

"I'll See You in My Dreams" could well have been the theme music of Peter Ibbetson, the second film version of George du Maurier's 1891 novel. Peter Ibbetson (Gary Cooper) is an architect who, while working on a restoration job for the British Duke of Towers (John Halliday), discovers that The Duchess of Towers (Ann Harding) is actually Mary, his childhood sweetheart. The jealous duke pulls a gun on Ibbetson, but Peter kills him. He is sent to prison for life, certain that he'll never meet his Mary again. But both lovers are reunited in one another's dreams, which connect them spiritually. The years pass, but the aging Peter and Mary remain ever youthful in their dreams. Upon their deaths, they are reunited in the afterlife. Somehow this fragile fantasy works, thanks to the steady guiding hand of director Henry Hathaway.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/11/2015
UPC:	0025192313462
Original Release:	1935
Source:	Universal Mod
Language:	English
Time:	1:26:00
Sales rank:	49,453

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Gary Cooper	Peter Ibbetson
Ann Harding	Mary, Duchess of Towers
John Halliday	The Duke of Towers
Ida Lupino	Agnes
Douglas Dumbrille	Col. Forsythe
Virginia Weidler	Mimsey
Dickie Moore	Gogo
Doris Lloyd	Mrs. Dorian
Elsa Buchanan	Mme. Pasquier
Christian Rub	Maj. Duquesnoit
Donald Meek	Mr. Slade
Gilbert Emery	Wilkins
Marguerite Namara	Mme. Ginghi
Elsie Prescott	Katherine
Marcelle Corday	Maid
Adrienne d'Ambricourt	Nun
Theresa Maxwell Conover	Sister of Mercy
Colin Tapley	Clerk
Clive Morgan	Clerk
Ambrose Barker	Clerk
Thomas Monk	Clerk
Blanche Craig	The Countess
Stanley Andrews	Judge
Ernst Toch	Composer

Technical Credits

John Meehan

Henry Hathaway	Director
Gordon Jennings	Special Effects
Louis D. Lighton	Producer
John Meehan	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Hailed by some (including Luis Buñuel) as an absolute masterpiece, Peter Ibbetson is certainly unique and fascinating, but it is also flawed and at times irritating. Chief among its flaws is a stiff, superficial performance from Gary Cooper. Usually a fine actor, Cooper is miscast here, entirely too American and, worse, too "solid" for a film as ethereal as this. Although he does create some sparks with Ann Harding, this is one of his least involved performances, and the film suffers greatly from this. Harding, however, is marvelous, perfectly capturing the surreal qualities of the film while still remaining steadfastly grounded. The screenplay and direction are both a little of two minds; the reality and the fantasy don't always mesh as well as they should, and occasionally the film feels slightly clunky. But when things click, Ibbetson soars as few other films do, becoming a mystical and poignant flight of fancy that is quite unlike any other film. A great deal of the film's success is due to cinematographer Charles B. Lang and art directors Hans Dreier and Robert Usher, whose work is nearly flawless. Whether or not one holds Ibbetson in as high regard as Buñuel, it's still a lovely, one-of-a-kind movie.