The Snake Pit (1948)
1948 · Feature film · 108 min · dir. Anatole Litvak
Married and in love... with a man she didn't know or want!
- Drama
Synopsis
Virginia Cunningham is confused upon finding herself in a mental hospital, with no memory of her arrival at the institution. Tormented by delusions and unable to even recognize her husband, Robert, she is treated by Dr. Mark Kik, who is determined to get to the root of her mental illness. As her treatment progresses, flashbacks depict events in Virginia's life that may have contributed to her instability.
Synopsis from TMDb
Details
- Director
- Anatole Litvak
- Writer
- Frank Partos
- Composer
- Alfred Newman
- Cinematography
- Leo Tover
- Studio
- 20th Century Fox
- Released
- 1948-11-04
- Running time
- 108 minutes
Cast & crew
Anatole Litvak Director
Louise Lorimer
Angela Clarke
Helen Craig
Glenn Langan
Tamara Shayne
Mary Treen
Katherine Locke
June Storey
Reviews on the Internet Archive
★★★★★ · FABULOUS MOVIE · ArtRob123123 · 2025-11-04
The Snake Pit" (1948) is a harrowing plunge into the shadows of mental illness, following Virginia Cunningham's descent into a chaotic asylum. Olivia de Havilland delivers a powerful performance as the fragile yet resilient protagonist—raw, vulnerable, and utterly transformative. Under Anatole Litvak's superb direction, the film's unflinching realism builds to gut-wrenching emotional crescendos, leaving the viewer shattered and enlightened. A timeless testament to empathy and endurance. A truly great film.
★★★★★ · When there are more Sick Ones than Well Ones The Sick Will Lick Up the Well. · The Spanman · 2022-08-31
Having visited Napa State Hospital as a Firefighter-Paramedic Instructor, I can only say that this movie is no exaggeration. The acting is superb. This is a brilliantly done portrayal that could only have been made with the assistance of someone who was thrown into the snake pit herself.
