Bigger Than Life
“The story of the handful of hope that became a fistful of hell!”
Synopsis
A friendly, successful suburban teacher and father grows dangerously addicted to cortisone, resulting in his transformation into a household despot.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Bigger Than Life (1956) | The Criterion Collection TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2010-01-21
Top Cast
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James Mason
Ed Avery
Barbara Rush
Lou Avery
Walter Matthau
Wally Gibbs
Robert F. Simon
Dr. Norton
Christopher Olsen
Richie Avery
Roland Winters
Dr. Ruric
Rusty Lane
Bob LaPorte
Rachel Stephens
Nurse
Kipp Hamilton
Pat Wade
Betty Caulfield
Mrs. LaPorte (uncredited)
Virginia Carroll
Mrs. Jones (uncredited)
Renny McEvoy
Mr. Jones (uncredited)
Billy Jones
Mr. Byron (uncredited)
Dee Aaker
Joe (uncredited)
Jerry Mathers
Freddie (uncredited)
Portland Mason
Nancy (uncredited)
Natalie Masters
Mrs. Tyndall (uncredited)
Richard Collier
Milkman (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
Venice Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
March 23, 2010
Physical Home Media
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Nicholas Ray
- Screenplay & Story
- Richard Maibaum, Cyril Hume
- Original Score
- David Raksin
- Original Title
- Bigger Than Life
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 35m
- Production Studios
- 20th Century Fox
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Nicholas Ray
Richard Maibaum, Cyril Hume, Berton Roueché
David Raksin
Joseph MacDonald
Louis R. Loeffler
James Mason
Department Leadership Roster
Richard Maibaum
Screenplay
Cyril Hume
Screenplay
James Mason
Producer
Nicholas Ray
Director
Joseph MacDonald
Director of Photography
Louis R. Loeffler
Editor
David Raksin
Original Music Composer
Mary Wills
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Bigger Than Life.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Bigger Than Life.
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Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Bigger Than Life
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Bigger Than Life about?
A friendly, successful suburban teacher and father grows dangerously addicted to cortisone, resulting in his transformation into a household despot.
Who directed Bigger Than Life?
Bigger Than Life was directed by Nicholas Ray.
Who stars in Bigger Than Life?
The principal cast of Bigger Than Life includes James Mason, Barbara Rush, Walter Matthau, Robert F. Simon, Christopher Olsen.
When was Bigger Than Life released and how long is it?
Bigger Than Life was released in 1956 with a total runtime of 1h 35m.
Who composed the musical score for Bigger Than Life?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Bigger Than Life was composed by David Raksin.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Bigger Than Life?
Bigger Than Life holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).