Die Schlangengrube (1948)
47KDie Schlangengrube: Directed by Anatole Litvak. With Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm. A detailed chronicle of a woman during her stay in a mental institution.
“With their June 2004 release of THE SNAKE PIT on DVD, 20th Century Fox has added another winner to the u0026quot;Studio Classicsu0026quot; series. Number 19 (20 if you count F. W. Murnauu0026#39;s SUNRISE)proves to be another example of the strong, dramatic material that Fox often put out under the helm of Darryl F. Zanuck during the 1940s. GENTLEMANu0026#39;S AGREEMENT, ALL ABOUT EVEN, HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, THE OX-BOW INCIDENT and THE GRAPES OF WRATH are six examples of Fox quality drama that have previously received the u0026quot;Studio Classicu0026quot; treatment.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e THE SNAKE PIT (1948) tells the story of a young woman suffering from a nervous breakdown, her confinement in a mental institution of the day, and her struggle for recovery through the efforts of a caring doctor (Leo Genn) and loving husband (Mark Stevens). Olivia de Havilland as the mentally ill woman, gives one of the finest performances of her career. If she hadnu0026#39;t received the Academy Award two years previously (1946)for TO EACH HIS OWN, she most likely would have taken the 1948 Best Actress Oscar over Jane Wyman fine performance as JOHNNY BELINDA. I would say that THE SNAKE PIT along with her performance in William Wyleru0026#39;s (1949) film, THE HEIRESS (for which she won a second Oscar), represent the two finest performances of her entire career. Anatole Livaku0026#39;s strong direction brings to life an outstanding screenplay. The film was certainly worthy of the six Academy Award nominations that it received, including one for Best Picture. If you enjoy strong drama with outstanding performances, then you will want to include THE SNAKE PIT in your DVD collection.”
