A London stockbroker (Laurence Olivier) abandons his wife (Geraldine Fitzgerald) and children for a life in Paris as a starving painter. He has no compunctions, no regrets about his action, not even hurting the one friend (Hume Cronyn) he has in Paris when he seduces his wife (Jessica Tandy). Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham (previously filmed in 1942) and directed by Robert Mulligan (TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD). This film was Laurence Olivier's American television debut (it won him a best actor Emmy) and contains one of his very best performances. Charles Strickland (Olivier's character) is a totally unlikable heel. He's selfish, rude, has no consideration of others and uses the people around him without regard to their feelings. Still, as much as one can despise such a man, one also has to grudgingly admire him for his brutal honesty and living his life as he wants, not as society says he should. With Judith Anderson, Denholm Elliott, Jean Marsh, Murray Matheson and Cyril Cusack.
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