The Proud and the Beautiful (1953): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1953, The Proud and the Beautiful is a drama film directed by Yves Allégret, running about 103 minutes. “Strips Bare of Prim Morality a Side of Love That Women Won't Admit - Even to Themselves!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. The first to die in an epidemic of meningitis in Vera Cruz is a French tourist. His wife Nellie, detached and indifferent, feels little grief and realizes that her coldness is her own doom. Over the next two days, she is attracted to George, a local drunk who does odd jobs for brothels and dances grotesquely for tourists in exchange for drinks. George has his own dark secret, a tragedy he caused that leaves him with a death wish. In assisting the local doctor to cope with the epidemic, these two emotional cripples enable each other to rediscover reasons to live and to love.

Who’s in it. The Proud and the Beautiful stars Gérard Philipe as Georges, Michèle Morgan as Nellie, Carlos López Moctezuma as Doctor and Michèle Cordoue as Anna, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, The Proud and the Beautiful has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Proud and the Beautiful page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Proud and the Beautiful tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.