Based on an article in the New Yorker, Nicholas Ray's Bigger Than Life stars James Mason (who also produced the film) as elementary school teacher Ed Avery, a thoughtful, gentle man, with a loving wife, Lou (Barbara Rush), and a young son, Richie (Christopher Olsen), who loves him. Avery is successful and well liked in his community, but he is over-extended in his pursuit of the American dream -- he secretly works a second job to earn extra money, and doesn't dare break stride, despite the increasingly painful physical ...
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Based on an article in the New Yorker, Nicholas Ray's Bigger Than Life stars James Mason (who also produced the film) as elementary school teacher Ed Avery, a thoughtful, gentle man, with a loving wife, Lou (Barbara Rush), and a young son, Richie (Christopher Olsen), who loves him. Avery is successful and well liked in his community, but he is over-extended in his pursuit of the American dream -- he secretly works a second job to earn extra money, and doesn't dare break stride, despite the increasingly painful physical spasms that he suffers. He collapses one day, and the doctors inform him that he suffers from an arterial disease that will probably give him less than a year to live. But they also offer him one hope, with treatment using cortisone, which was then a new, not-fully-tested drug. Avery makes a seemingly full recovery and returns to work, but it soon becomes clear that he's not the same -- he has a new, cavalier attitude toward money, and then Lou becomes alarmed over his expressions of rage over seemingly insignificant annoyances. He starts expressing himself in grand, exalted terms, first to Lou and then to his colleagues at school, including his closest friend, Wally Gibbs (Walter Matthau). And matters only get worse when Wally determines that it is the cortisone -- which Ed has been taking in far greater doses than prescribed -- that is making him act this way. And his obsession w ith forcing Richie to live up to his full potential soon turns into a much darker fixation. Director Ray later offered regret over having used cortisone by name, as it was still not standard treatment and its benefits and drawbacks weren't known. But this did lend the movie a verisimilitude that was essential for what appeal it did hold for audiences. (Seven years later, screenwriter William Read Woodfield would incorporate Bigger Than Life's cortisone plot device into his script for the Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea episode \"Mutiny\". Bigger Than Life's more immediate problem at the time lay in its broader plot -- with a story that brought drug addiction and fact-based psychological unhingement into a suburban American setting, it was a daring subject for its time, for which audiences were unprepared in 1956. It was also one of a group of offbeat pictures that Mason produced as well as starred in. Bruce Eder, Rovi
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Add this copy of Bigger Than Life (the Criterion Collection) to cart. $12.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Criterion.
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Rusty Lane, Barbara Rush, Walter Matthau, Robert F. Simon, Christopher Olsen, Roland Winters, Rachel Stephens, Kipp Hamilton,... Very good. 1956 Run time: 95. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Digital copy/codes may be expired or not included. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Bigger Than Life (the Criterion Collection) [Dvd] to cart. $15.23, fair condition, Sold by Service First Media rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Taylorsville, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2010.
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Fair. Ex-Library rental. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and free of scratches. Includes disc(s), case, and artwork. Disc(s), case, and artwork may contain library/security stickers and ink writing. ARTWORK MAY BE UNORIGINAL AND PRINTED BY LIBRARY. Case and artwork may show some wear. If applicable, digital copies may not be redeemable. All disc(s) are authentic.
Add this copy of Bigger Than Life (the Criterion Collection) [Blu-Ray] to cart. $15.52, like new condition, Sold by GoPeachy rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Jacksonville, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Criterion.
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Walter Matthau, Barbara Rush, James Mason. Fine. 1956 Run time: 95. Ships within 1 business day from FL, USA with Tracking. Used discs may not include digital content. All products 100% guaranteed.
Add this copy of Bigger Than Life (the Criterion Collection) [Blu-Ray] to cart. $15.52, good condition, Sold by GoPeachy rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Jacksonville, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Criterion.
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Walter Matthau, Barbara Rush, James Mason. Good. 1956 Run time: 95. Ships within 1 business day from FL, USA with Tracking. Used discs may not include digital content. All products 100% guaranteed.
Add this copy of Bigger Than Life (the Criterion Collection) [Dvd] to cart. $18.10, new condition, Sold by Goodwill Industries of S.W.FL. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Fort Myers, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2010.
Add this copy of Bigger Than Life [Criterion Collection] to cart. $19.95, like new condition, Sold by The Warm Springs Book Company rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Fremont, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Criterion.
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James Mason, Barbara Rush, Walter Matthau, Robert Simon, Christopher Olsen. Fine in fine packaging. Language: English. Run time: 95 mins. Aspect ratio: 2.55: 1. Originally released: 1956. A fine copy in a like case that is an unplayed copy.
Add this copy of Bigger Than Life [Criterion Collection] to cart. $28.50, new condition, Sold by groovaciousrecords rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Cedar City, UT, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Criterion Collection.
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James Mason, Barbara Rush, Walter Matthau, Robert Simon, Christopher Olsen. New in new packaging. Language: English. Run time: 95 mins. Aspect ratio: 2.55: 1. Originally released: 1956.
Add this copy of Bigger Than Life (the Criterion Collection) to cart. $31.00, new condition, Sold by Streetlight_Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Cruz, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Criterion Collection.
Add this copy of Bigger Than Life [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray] to cart. $36.96, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2010.
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James Mason; Barbara Rush; Walter Matthau; Robert Simon; Christopher Olsen. New. Run time: 95 mins. Language: English. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of Bigger Than Life [Criterion Collection] to cart. $36.96, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2010.
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James Mason; Barbara Rush; Walter Matthau; Robert Simon; Christopher Olsen. New. Run time: 95 mins. Language: English. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
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