Flesh and Fantasy

Flesh and Fantasy

Year: 1943

Runtime: 93 mins

Language: English

Director: Julien Duvivier

HorrorThrillerMysteryRomance

An anthology of three supernatural tales. The first segment unfolds during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, blending festivity with eerie events. The second follows a psychic who foresees a murder and becomes entangled in its execution. The third dramatizes a man whose dream girl materializes, blurring reality and fantasy.

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Timeline & Setting – Flesh and Fantasy (1943)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Flesh and Fantasy (1943). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana

The city is depicted as a vibrant backdrop on Mardi Gras night, where masked revelers and lively streets set the mood. The social buz z of New Orleans frames Henrietta’s dramatic transformation and the collisions between appearance and identity. The festive atmosphere contrasts with personal longing and revelation, highlighting how masks conceal and reveal truth.

🎷 Jazz 🎭 Culture 🥳 Mardi Gras

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:35

Main Characters – Flesh and Fantasy (1943)

Meet the key characters of Flesh and Fantasy (1943), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Henrietta (Betty Field)

Plain and embittered, Henrietta secretly loves law student Michael. A mysterious mask reveals beauty and forces a reckoning with her selfish attitude, driving her to seek redemption through love and a more generous self.

💃 Romance 🪞 Transformation 🧭 Self-discovery

Michael (Robert Cummings)

A hopeful law student who falls for Henrietta at a party. He embodies aspiration for a better life and, despite the mask’s revelation, pursues love and meaning, navigating through love’s uncertainties.

❤️ Love 🎯 Ambition 🎭 Naivety

Septimus Podgers (Thomas Mitchell)

A palmist who makes uncanny predictions at a party. His readings spark Marshall Tyler’s inner turmoil, acting as a catalyst for the story’s exploration of fate and personal responsibility.

🔮 Prophecy 🧠 Psychology 🗝️ Influence

Marshall Tyler (Edward G. Robinson)

A skeptical lawyer driven to the brink by Podgers’ forecast. He becomes obsessed with the idea of killing someone to prove control over his life, illustrating how fear can override reason.

⚖️ Justice 🧠 Obsession 🖤 Moral conflict

Paul Gaspar (Charles Boyer)

A renowned high-wire artist haunted by dreams of falling. He must decide whether to let fear govern his performances or to seize control of his fate, culminating in a bold, life-affirming choice.

🎪 Daredevil 🧗 Risk 💫 Dreamer

Joan Stanley (Barbara Stanwyck)

The woman from Paul Gaspar’s dreams who appears in reality with troubles of her own, complicating his pursuit of love and his decision about the dangerous stunt.

💖 Love 🕊️ Fate 🪞 Complexity

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:35

Major Themes – Flesh and Fantasy (1943)

Explore the central themes of Flesh and Fantasy (1943), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎭 Beauty vs Ugliness

Henrietta’s outward ugliness in the eyes of others is revealed to reflect her selfish inner nature. A magical mask becomes a symbol that beauty can be both perilous and redemptive, changing how others perceive her and how she sees herself. The midnight reversal shows that true change may come from within rather than from appearance alone.

🔮 Fate vs Free Will

The palmist Podgers foreshadows doom, pushing Marshall Tyler toward a reckless sense of destiny. The tension arises between an imagined fate and the need to make independent moral choices. Near-misses and escalating obsession probe how much control a person truly has over their future.

🌆 Dreams and Courage

Paul Gaspar’s dreams of falling haunt him as he negotiates his dangerous profession. He must decide whether to yield to fear or to pursue his ambitions with resolve. The arc emphasizes personal agency and the cost of pursuing dreams, especially when love and danger intertwine.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:35

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Supernatural Anthologies like Flesh and Fantasy

Interwoven tales where fate and the supernatural collide with human lives.If you enjoyed the anthology structure and supernatural themes of Flesh and Fantasy, discover more movies like it. These films feature interconnected or standalone tales where characters confront destiny, the occult, and psychological unease in a similar, tense atmosphere.

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Narrative Summary

Stories unfold through distinct, self-contained segments, each following a different character or scenario, yet are unified by an overarching theme of fate, the occult, or dreams intruding on reality. The narrative structure allows for compact, escalating arcs of psychological pressure.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their anthology format and their shared focus on supernatural intrigue and psychological tension. They create a cohesive viewing experience through a steady pace, moderate complexity, and a mix of emotional outcomes across the different tales.

Movies about Fateful Dread like Flesh and Fantasy

Characters trapped by a predetermined path, spiraling into obsession and unease.For viewers who liked the themes of predestination and psychological tension in Flesh and Fantasy, this collection features similar movies. Explore stories where characters are haunted by prophecies or inescapable futures, creating a suspenseful and introspective mood.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a protagonist who receives a prophecy, a vision, or becomes convinced of a predetermined outcome. The plot charts their psychological descent as they try to avoid or fulfill this fate, resulting in increasing tension and moral conflict.

Why These Movies?

They share a core focus on fatalism and the resulting psychological strain on characters. This creates a specific, tense mood built on steady pacing, medium intensity, and a focus on internal conflict rather than external action, leading to a deeply suspenseful experience.

Unlock the Full Story of Flesh and Fantasy

Don't stop at just watching — explore Flesh and Fantasy in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Flesh and Fantasy is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Flesh and Fantasy Summary

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Flesh and Fantasy Summary

Flesh and Fantasy Timeline

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Flesh and Fantasy Timeline

Flesh and Fantasy Spoiler-Free Summary

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Flesh and Fantasy Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Flesh and Fantasy

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