The Bottom of the Bottle (1956): Cast & Plot
The Bottom of the Bottle is a 1956 drama directed by Henry Hathaway, starring Joseph Cotten as Pat 'P.M.' Martin, Ruth Roman and Nancy Gates. It runs 1 hour 28 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 28m (88 min)
- Director
- Henry Hathaway
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- 20th Century Fox
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Bottom of the Bottle About?
The premise of The Bottom of the Bottle without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A bitter rivalry erupts between two brothers when an alcoholic escaped convict returns to Arizona and asks his lawyer sibling to smuggle him across the Mexican border, exposing the pretensions of the Southwest’s ranching elite and tearing at their bought respectability.
The Bottom of the Bottle Themes & Keywords
· 34 tags- foreign language adaptation
- alcoholism
- based on novel
- nogales arizona
- arizona territory
- mexico
- yuma prison
- prison
- yuma territorial prison
- territorial prison
- yuma arizona
- u.s. mexico border
+22 more Show fewer
- children
- brother
- wife
- town
- river
- brother versus brother
- troubled marriage
- theft
- rainstorm
- on the run
- nogales mexico
- lawyer
- fugitive
- flash flood
- fistfight
- escaped prisoner
- drunk fight
- deputy
- delirium tremens
- border crossing
- assumed identity
- alcoholic
The Bottom of the Bottle Cast & Characters
Joseph Cotten leads the cast as Pat 'P.M.' Martin, with Ruth Roman as Nora Martin and Nancy Gates as Mildred Martin. Directed by Henry Hathaway; 12 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Henry Hathaway
-
Joseph Cotten as Pat 'P.M.' Martin - Ruth Roman as Nora Martin
- Nancy Gates as Mildred Martin
- Van Johnson as Donald Martin / Eric Bell
Also Starring in The Bottom of the Bottle
· 8 more- Jack Carson Hal Breckinridge
- Jim Davis George Cady
- Brad Dexter Stanley Miller
- Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez Luis Romero
- Bruce Bennett Brand
- Margaret Lindsay Hannah Cady
- Margaret Hayes Lil Breckinridge
- Peggy Knudsen Ellen Miller
More from Henry Hathaway
More films directed by Henry Hathaway, best-rated first: True Grit, Niagara, The Sons of Katie Elder and How the West Was Won.
The Bottom of the Bottle Plot Summary
What happens in The Bottom of the Bottle from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 10 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Patrick Martin (Joseph Cotten), known as P.M., is a wealthy attorney and rancher in the border town of Nogales, Arizona. He returns home to find his brother Donald (Van Johnson) hiding in his garage. A former drunkard, Donald had been sent to the penitentiary five years previously for killing a man in a barroom brawl. It was in self-defense, but P.M. hadn’t defended his brother and he was convicted.
Donald has escaped and wants his brother to help him cross the Santa Cruz River into the Mexico-side Nogales, where his wife and children are in dire straits. The straits get even more dire when P.M. tells him the river is flooded and it will be days before anyone can cross.
Full summary
The whole story of The Bottom of the Bottle, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The Bottom of the Bottle?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
Who portrays the wealthy attorney Patrick Martin, also known as P.M., in the film?
Seen The Bottom of the Bottle?
Movies Like The Bottom of the Bottle
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Border Incident, Hitting Bottom and Frontera.
The Bottom of the Bottle FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Bottom of the Bottle, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Bottom of the Bottle?
The Bottom of the Bottle runs 1 hour 28 minutes (88 minutes).
When was The Bottom of the Bottle released?
The Bottom of the Bottle was released on February 1, 1956.
Who directed The Bottom of the Bottle?
The Bottom of the Bottle was directed by Henry Hathaway.
More films by Henry Hathaway Who is in the cast of The Bottom of the Bottle?
The Bottom of the Bottle stars Joseph Cotten as Pat 'P.M.' Martin, Ruth Roman as Nora Martin and Nancy Gates as Mildred Martin, among 12 credited actors.
Does The Bottom of the Bottle have a post-credit scene?
No. The Bottom of the Bottle has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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