Autumn Leaves

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Autumn Leaves

1956,

1h 48m,

Drama

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Watchlist

90%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

63%

250+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

After lonely, middle-aged woman Millicent Wetherby (Joan Crawford) meets the vibrant and young Burt Hanson (Cliff Robertson) at a restaurant, they go out on a date. Although Millicent is wary of their age difference, she eventually marries him. Soon she is shocked to encounter Virginia (Vera Miles), Burt's ex-wife. Virginia claims that Burt is mentally unstable, which is later backed by Burt's father (Lorne Greene). Confused and scared, Millicent tries to learn the truth about her new husband.

Melissa Anderson

4Columns

Jan 23, 2026

[Joan Crawford's] acting is at once immoderate and fiercely controlled; her face, as stylized and exaggerated as a Kabuki mask, still conveys a vast repertoire of intricate moods and responses. Burt’s descent into madness chills.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Sep 19, 2016

It's a story about mental illness, which is presented with a terrifying frankness as well as a constructive view of psychotherapy at a time when it was often stigmatized.

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Dan Callahan

Slant Magazine

Jun 16, 2004

4/4

The collision of Aldrich's tough style with the soapy material makes for a film that never loses its queasy tension.

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Francois Truffaut

Arts (France)

Apr 4, 2022

What we ought to admire here is essentially the precision of the direction of the actors... Joan Crawford, raw and at fever pitch as never before, stroking Cliff Robertson, a frail and mischievous youngster -- this alone is worth the price of the ticket.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Mar 22, 2022

2.5/4

...another earnest exploration of mental illness starring Joan Crawford.

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Nathanael Hood

MUBI

Dec 27, 2018

8/10

For once we see Aldrich look upon a broken world and smile to himself that things could be better.

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Theodore S

Apr 15, 2018

Pretty good, but Crawford's melodrama horribly distracted.

Leia S

May 21, 2017

interesting to watch. Melodramatic

Poe S

Apr 30, 2017

Older woman/younger man romance at a time when it was just "not done". Vera Miles and Lorne Greene play against type, and do it very well. I always find it interesting the way they looked at mental illness in the 50's. The story is an interesting one.

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Robert Aldrich

Director

Joan Crawford

Millicent Wetherby

Cliff Robertson

Burt Hanson

Vera Miles

Virginia Hanson

Lorne Greene

Mr. Hanson

Ruth Donnelly

Liz Eckhart

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Synopsis

After lonely, middle-aged woman Millicent Wetherby (Joan Crawford) meets the vibrant and young Burt Hanson (Cliff Robertson) at a restaurant, they go out on a date. Although Millicent is wary of their age difference, she eventually marries him. Soon she is shocked to encounter Virginia (Vera Miles), Burt's ex-wife. Virginia claims that Burt is mentally unstable, which is later backed by Burt's father (Lorne Greene). Confused and scared, Millicent tries to learn the truth about her new husband.

Director: Robert Aldrich
Producer: William Goetz
Production Co: William Goetz Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 48m

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