THE BIGAMIST

USA | 1953 | 35mm | 80 min.
Director: Ida Lupino
Cast: Edmond O’Brien, Ida Lupino, Joan Fontaine

When salesman Harry Graham (O’Brien) applies to adopt a child with his wife (Lupino), a routine background check reveals a shocking secret: he’s already married to another woman (Fontaine). As Harry recounts how emotional neglect and loneliness led to his double life, The Bigamist unfolds as a sympathetic yet sobering portrait of moral failure, emotional isolation, and the quiet desperation beneath domestic stability. Leading lady turned pioneering filmmaker Lupino, who was only the second woman to be admitted into Hollywood’s Director’s Guild, tells this marvelously melodramatic story with a rigorous confidence and a sensitive handling of the leading performers. A 35mm print from the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research will be shown.