Lydia
“The Story of a free woman and her romances!”
Synopsis
Lydia MacMillan, a wealthy woman who has never married, invites several men her own age to her home to reminisce about the times when they were young and courted her. In memory, each romance seemed splendid and destined for happiness, but in each case, Lydia realizes, the truth was less romantic, and ill-starred.
Top Cast
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Merle Oberon
Lydia MacMillan
Edna May Oliver
Sarah MacMillan
Alan Marshal
Richard Mason
Joseph Cotten
Michael Fitzpatrick
Hans Járay
Frank Andre
George Reeves
Bob Willard
John Halliday
Fitzpatrick
Sara Allgood
Mary
Billy Ray
Johnny
Frank Conlan
Old Ned
Tyler Brooke
Vaudeville Singer
Harry Cording
Hotel House Detective
Hal K. Dawson
Hotel Desk Clerk
Evelyn Beresford
Sarah's Guest
Paul Everton
Sarah's Guest
Florence Wix
Sarah's Guest
Jesse Graves
Michael's Servant
Gertrude Hoffmann
Mrs. Fairfield
Release History & Theatrical Window
September 18, 1941
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Julien Duvivier
- Screenplay & Story
- Ben Hecht, Samuel Hoffenstein, André de Toth
- Original Score
- Miklós Rózsa
- Original Title
- Lydia
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 44m
- Production Studios
- Alexander Korda Films, United Artists
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Julien Duvivier
Ben Hecht, Samuel Hoffenstein, André de Toth, Julien Duvivier, Leslie Bush-Fekete
Miklós Rózsa
Lee Garmes
Alexander Korda
Department Leadership Roster
Ben Hecht
Screenplay
Samuel Hoffenstein
Screenplay
Julien Duvivier
Director
Lee Garmes
Director of Photography
Alexander Korda
Producer
Miklós Rózsa
Original Music Composer
Walter Plunkett
Costume Design
Marcel Vertès
Costume Design
André de Toth
Screenplay
René Hubert
Costume Design
Vincent Korda
Production 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 Lydia.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Lydia.
Criterion US - Romance Movies
Curated list of Most Popular on Criterion (US). Updated frequently. Last updated August 28, 2026.
Missing Mine
MovieLens[20K:30K]
Oscar Best Score Nominees
Complete list of Oscar Best Score Nominees
Oscars 1942
Nominees and selected films for the 14th Academy Awards (ceremony year 1942).
Seasonal: Oscar Season Picks
Auto-managed by seasonal classifier. Do not edit manually.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Lydia
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Lydia about?
Lydia MacMillan, a wealthy woman who has never married, invites several men her own age to her home to reminisce about the times when they were young and courted her. In memory, each romance seemed splendid and destined for happiness, but in each case, Lydia realizes, the truth was less romantic, and ill-starred.
Who directed Lydia?
Lydia was directed by Julien Duvivier.
Who stars in Lydia?
The principal cast of Lydia includes Merle Oberon, Edna May Oliver, Alan Marshal, Joseph Cotten, Hans Járay.
When was Lydia released and how long is it?
Lydia was released in 1941 with a total runtime of 1h 44m.
Who composed the musical score for Lydia?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Lydia was composed by Miklós Rózsa.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Lydia?
Lydia holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).