Peter Ibbetson is a 1935 American black-and-white drama/fantasy film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Gary Cooper and Ann Harding.

[1] Gary Cooper, who had previously acted in Westerns and "heroic dramas" (e.g. A Farewell to Arms) was cast against type by Hathaway, a move that heightened "the aesthetic uncanniness of the film".

[1] Director Hathaway was inspired by the original illustrations in du Maurier's novel in his approach to various scenes and his emphasis on repeating themes and symbols.

He wrote: Mr. Hathaway bridges the spiritual gulfs between Lives of a Bengal Lancer [his previous film]...and the fragile dream world of du Maurier's sentimental classic with astonishing success.

With his directness and his hearty masculine qualities, he skillfully escapes all the lush pitfalls of the plot and gives it a tenderness that is always gallant instead of merely soft.

Under Mr. Hathaway's management Miss Ann Harding, who has been losing prestige lately, gives her finest performance, while Gary Cooper fits into the picture with unexpected success.

[3]Variety praised the cinematography, saying: "From a technical standpoint, picture is just about tops, gaining so much weight in beauty and serenity that it almost overbears the incredulity of the story".

[2][5] The fact that Cooper and Harding, as well as the child actors who portrayed them as youths, had American rather than English or French accents[2] did not seem to bother critics.

[7] The 1947 film The Guilt of Janet Ames, starring Rosalind Russell and Melvyn Douglas, makes reference to Peter Ibbetson and utilizes the concept of projecting in the plot.

Director Quentin Tarantino sees similarities between the story and Todd Phillips 2024 film, Joker: Folie à Deux, telling Bret Easton Ellis in an interview that "It follows its storyline pretty almost exactly.