Voice in the Mirror

Voice in the Mirror (1958)

Genres - Drama  |   Sub-Genres - Addiction Drama  |   Release Date - Aug 13, 1958 (USA - Unknown), Aug 13, 1958 (USA)  |   Run Time - 105 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Review by Craig Butler

Sincere and earnest but not as dramatically gripping as its creators intended, Voice in the Mirror is a game attempt by Hollywood to take a serious look at alcoholism. Unfortunately, that serious look is a bit too superficial; the makers go only so far, and then they need to comfort the audience a bit, by de-emphasizing the true complexities involved in the causes of alcoholism and how it can be fought and, hopefully, controlled. The screenplay does include a number of good scenes, and a number of good moments within less effective scenes, but it doesn't coalesce and come together to make good drama. Still, many viewers will find its laudable good intentions to be reward enough and will dismiss its flaws. Certainly the acting is fine, with very solid work from Richard Egan and Julie London as the alcoholic hero and his wife. Even better is Walter Matthau as the doctor who forces Egan to look at his life and to try to change it, and best of all is Arthur O'Connell as the alcoholic companion who galvanizes Egan into action.