The Razor's Edge (1946 film)

The Razor's Edge
Theatrical release poster by Norman Rockwell
Directed byEdmund Goulding
Screenplay byLamar Trotti
Darryl F. Zanuck (uncredited)
Based onThe Razor's Edge
1944 novel
by W. Somerset Maugham
Produced byDarryl F. Zanuck
StarringTyrone Power
Gene Tierney
John Payne
Herbert Marshall
Anne Baxter
Clifton Webb
CinematographyArthur C. Miller
Edited byJ. Watson Webb Jr.
Music byAlfred Newman
Edmund Goulding (uncredited)
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • November 19, 1946 (1946-11-19) (Roxy Theatre)
  • December 25, 1946 (1946-12-25) (United States)
Running time
145 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.2 million
Box office$5 million (est. US/ Canada rentals)[1][2][3]

The Razor's Edge is a 1946 American drama film based on W. Somerset Maugham's 1944 novel of the same name. It stars Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, John Payne, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb, and Herbert Marshall, with a supporting cast including Lucile Watson, Frank Latimore, and Elsa Lanchester. Marshall plays Somerset Maugham. The film was directed by Edmund Goulding.

The Razor's Edge tells the story of Larry Darrell, an American pilot traumatized by his experiences in World War I, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life. The story begins through the eyes of Larry's friends and acquaintances as they witness his personality change after the war. His rejection of conventional life and search for meaningful experience allows him to thrive while the more materialistic characters suffer reversals of fortune.

The Razor's Edge was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture, with Anne Baxter winning Best Actress in a Supporting Role.


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