The Magnificent Ambersons

"Real life screened more daringly than it’s ever been before!"

1942 1h 28m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

🍅

89%

FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.6

IMDB

★7.3TMDB · 498🍅89%Rotten Tomatoes●93Metacritic★7.6IMDB · 28,106

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The spoiled young heir to the decaying Amberson fortune comes between his widowed mother and the man she has always loved.

“Real life screened more daringly than it’s ever been before!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Joseph Cotten
Eugene Morgan
Dolores Costello
Isabel Amberson Minafer
Anne Baxter
Lucy Morgan
Tim Holt
George Minafer
Agnes Moorehead
Fanny Minafer
Ray Collins
Jack Amberson
Erskine Sanford
Roger Bronson
Richard Bennett
Major Amberson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Orson Welles
Writers: Orson Welles
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

84 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Orson Welles, shot by Stanley Cortez. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bernard Herrmann. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert Wise shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Joseph Cotten and Dolores Costello and Anne Baxter carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Real life screened more daringly than it’s ever been before!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0035015 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Orson Welles directs. Stanley Cortez behind the camera. Bernard Herrmann scores. Robert Wise cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
284 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Orson Welles, shot by Stanley Cortez. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Bernard Herrmann. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Robert Wise shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Joseph Cotten and Dolores Costello and Anne Baxter carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Real life screened more daringly than it’s ever been before!".
8IMDB entry: tt0035015 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Stanley Cortez
Original score: Bernard Herrmann
Editing: Robert Wise
Production design: Albert S. D'Agostino
Costume design: Edward Stevenson
Makeup / hair: Mel Berns
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 93/100
IMDB rating: 7.6/10 · 28,106 votes
MPAA: Approved

Awards

Nominated for 4 Oscars. 8 wins & 4 nominations total

Also by

Orson Welles

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-26
★ 7/10
This is a actually quite a sad story; though given the wealth and opportunity offered the young "George" (Tim Holt) it might seem fatuous to say so. He is born into a family with money, status and privilege so, consequently, grows up into a young man with little, if any, appreciation of anything - all he wants to do is sail boats. As the plot develops, we see the return of "Eugene" (Joseph Cotton) the man his mother, now widowed, (Dolores Costello) really did love before a childish spat drove her into the arms of the dreary, but reliable, "Wilbur". "George" is determined to ensure that any rekindling of their erstwhile romance is well and truly throttled and so, broadly speaking, misery ensues for all concerned. That "George" is heading for a fall is writ large, and there is soon quite a queue of folks happy to oblige as his arrogance and thoughtlessness causes havoc to all - including himself. It is a gentle melodrama and it is largely devoid of any action, in the typical sense, but the characters do epitomise the wastrel, take-it-for-granted attitudes of the bored, wealthy, aspiring and just plain ignorant very well. Agnes Moorhead stands out as "Fanny", the spinster who tries to keep "George" from his own worst excesses, and Orson Welles resists the temptation to be too judgmental (or overbearing) with his narrative that gently guides us along, now and again.

Production companies