Dead Ringer | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Paul Henreid |
Produced by | William H. Wright |
Written by |
Story: Rian James Screenplay: Albert Beich Oscar Millard |
Based on | La Otra aka Dead Pigeon |
Starring |
Bette Davis Karl Malden Peter Lawford Philip Carey Jean Hagen |
Music by | André Previn |
Cinematography | Ernest Haller |
Edited by | Folmar Blangsted |
Production
company |
Warner Bros
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Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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115 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $1,200,000 |
Dead Ringer, also known as Who Is Buried in My Grave? is a 1964 thriller film made by Warner Bros. It was directed by Paul Henreid from a screenplay by Oscar Millard and Albert Beich from the story La Otra by Rian James, previously filmed in a Mexican version starring Dolores del Río. The music score was by André Previn and the cinematography by Ernest Haller. The film stars Bette Davis, Karl Malden and Peter Lawford with Philip Carey, Jean Hagen, George Macready, Estelle Winwood, George Chandler and Cyril Delevanti.
The film marks the second time Davis played twin sisters, the first being in the 1946 film A Stolen Life. For this reason, Dead Ringer is sometimes mistakenly listed as a remake of A Stolen Life.
At the funeral of her husband Frank, wealthy widow Margaret DeLorca (Bette Davis), meets up with her identical twin sister, dowdy and downbeat Edith Phillips (also played by Davis), from whom she has been estranged for 18 years. The two return to DeLorca's opulent mansion, where they argue about their falling out over Margaret's marriage to DeLorca, who originally courted Edith but had an affair with Margaret. Margaret had forced Frank to marry her by telling him she was pregnant with his child. However, Edith finds out from Margaret's chauffeur (George Chandler) that the couple were childless, and becomes resentful, realising how Margaret had trapped Frank into marriage. While Margaret now enjoys a life of ease and wealth, Edith is struggling financially; her business, a cocktail lounge, is losing money and she is threatened with eviction for not paying her bills.