http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039941/
Directed by Michael Curtiz, with Claude Rains, Audrey Totter, Constance Bennett, Hurt Hatfield (his 3rd film after starring in PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY), with Joan Caulfield and Ted North as the romantic leads. Of sorts.
IMDB's user-submission starts off correct: "One of the forgotten gems..."
Indeed, and with a fine albeit lesser-glittered cast and a director of Curtiz' stature, how could I have missed this? Simple - it's not available on home video and there's only one network that plays films like these.
(This is why I rail against TCM for showing "modern" films - there are so many of these other gems left for me to discover while the other 30 monotonous channels play modern films ad nauseam).
So, is Claude Rains playing the Waldo Lydecker role in this film? Or is Ted North perpetuating some hoax on Caulfield and her family?
I'm sure that showing LORD OF THE RINGS will bring in many new fans to TCM, as would TV Wrestling, but I'd really like to find out the answer to UNSUSPECTED's question instead.
(And leave it to Constance Bennett to make "take a swan dive into a bottle of BOUURRbon" sound like the 2nd most sensual thing a man could do with her!)
The Unsuspected (1947)
Only Audrey Totter could say: "She drank too much milk and her seams were always straight."
I don't often watch TCM at 6:15am, but this was definitely worth it.
Won't crack anyone's Top 10 Noirs list, but with Rains, C. Bennett, and Totter it is a very strong cast, with snappy dialogue, and fine direction by the versatile Michael Curtiz. IMDb also said it was Fred Clark's debut and, if so, then he had a nice start to his career.
Edit by ChiO to get rid of that embarrassing extra "r" I had in "Totter".
I don't often watch TCM at 6:15am, but this was definitely worth it.
Won't crack anyone's Top 10 Noirs list, but with Rains, C. Bennett, and Totter it is a very strong cast, with snappy dialogue, and fine direction by the versatile Michael Curtiz. IMDb also said it was Fred Clark's debut and, if so, then he had a nice start to his career.
Edit by ChiO to get rid of that embarrassing extra "r" I had in "Totter".
Last edited by ChiO on January 28th, 2008, 2:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
No, it might not be a Top 10, but I've got about 100 up there tied already. Or maybe now I've got 101!
The women purred and cackled, and I couldn't tell who to believe or not. Here's a film that I'd love to listen to Totter's comments about - "How was it first received? What did you think when you first saw it? And now, later?"
She turns in a solid but brief performance, and Constance Bennett was doing a great Eve Arden imitation, I thought. Or, actually, vice versa! ha ha... then the follow-up film on TCM was THE ARNELO AFFAIR with Eve Arden for herself.
That's a 3-film set in the early morning hours that I will watch again and again.
The women purred and cackled, and I couldn't tell who to believe or not. Here's a film that I'd love to listen to Totter's comments about - "How was it first received? What did you think when you first saw it? And now, later?"
She turns in a solid but brief performance, and Constance Bennett was doing a great Eve Arden imitation, I thought. Or, actually, vice versa! ha ha... then the follow-up film on TCM was THE ARNELO AFFAIR with Eve Arden for herself.
That's a 3-film set in the early morning hours that I will watch again and again.
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MissGoddess
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I'm so mad I didn't have any vhs tapes for this morning's movies. I had tried taping The Unsuspected once before but it cut off before the ending. Grrrr.
Anyway, this movie is in MY top 10 noirs.
I love the look of it, the way I can never figure out what's happening next. The only thing I think that hampers it is the weak leading man. He's good looking but he's no Dana Andrews.
Anyway, this movie is in MY top 10 noirs.
I love the look of it, the way I can never figure out what's happening next. The only thing I think that hampers it is the weak leading man. He's good looking but he's no Dana Andrews.
I'm glad I clicked on this thread before doing anything else on this site today. I was all ready to open a new thread and start gushing about what a great morning it was. The last movie Crossfire was another goodie, but I'd be willing to bet nobody on that set was referred to by their first name, unless it was Bob, Bobby and Bobbert. I had seen it before but of course with Mitchum, it was a 'don't miss' for me.
This is why I feel sorry for people who work and miss these early morning 'gems' as Ollie called them. I see them all the time, but hate to rub it into my working friends faces, and you can't always give a heads up because you don't know if it is worth it or not. I can tell from when I give my review of a movie, whether or not people agree with me from the responses I get, so I hesitate to give a heads up because my tastes are so different. Often I love something, yet don't get a single response, so all I can assume is people don't agree and don't want to hurt any feelings or argue.
I kind of suspected it was one of, if not the first, of Fred Clark's roles. I liked him, even when he was a stinker.
Anne
This is why I feel sorry for people who work and miss these early morning 'gems' as Ollie called them. I see them all the time, but hate to rub it into my working friends faces, and you can't always give a heads up because you don't know if it is worth it or not. I can tell from when I give my review of a movie, whether or not people agree with me from the responses I get, so I hesitate to give a heads up because my tastes are so different. Often I love something, yet don't get a single response, so all I can assume is people don't agree and don't want to hurt any feelings or argue.
I kind of suspected it was one of, if not the first, of Fred Clark's roles. I liked him, even when he was a stinker.
Anne
Anne
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My Question: Where were Dewey and Arkadin, our Early Warning Systems on all things Noir?
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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Mr. Arkadin
- Posts: 2645
- Joined: April 14th, 2007, 3:00 pm
TCM has been hitting them over the fence today - and it's not even Spring Training. The first film THIEVES FALL OUT was just a terrific little comedy with Jane Darwell playing her loudmouthed self to perfection, driving poor Anthony Quinn to just give up on his kidnapping dreams. "Arrest me, arrest me - just get her away from me!"
UNSUSPECTED has predictable elements in many portions but it's also a film that proves to me, "Good is good" and sharing bits with other stories is done all the time. If it's good - who cares? It doesn't detract from other films one bit, and the twists and the quality of the supporting characters may even exceed LAURA. Constance Bennett and Audrey Totter absolutely purr at times. hubba hubba
ARNELO AFFAIR spends a good two-thirds being an ordinary Unappreciated Bored Wife Considering Affair With Dangerous Man kind of film, and we've heard the reasons for the Dangerous Man framing her. But is that the truth? And what's Neglectful Hubby going to do? The predictability of it never answers those questions around the next scene's corner, and The Cop turns in a strong finale all by himself. Wow - where did THIS film come from?!!
CALLING BULLDOG DRUMMOND is one of the last of this series, and wow, Walter Pigeon and the cast turn in a performance that leaves me wishing for more, more, more. No flash, limited action (a few fisticuffs, a few bullets sailing around, a carefully staged burn-thru-the-ropes trick) and a beautiful Cop Partner for Drummond. Top notch. Definitely my favorite of this series, but I like 'em all.
AFFAIR WITH A STRANGER brings back Jane Darwell in a supporting role this time with Victor Mature and Jean Simmons turning in strong performances in a film that I didn't know if it was a comedy, a drama, a heartwrenching tear-jerker, or adults at play film. Another "wow where did this come from?" exclamation point.
Finally, HANDLE WITH CARE starts with a classroom's mock trial and a study of the grand-jury system, only to turn up new evidence about the town's mayor and his eventual "confession" and explanation.
Everyone of these were top-notch. I'd buy 'em to watch over and over again. I'm not a Victor Mature fan, but that was so interesting. And HANDLE kept me cutting short all my meetings today. "Sorry - other folks are arriving! Sorry sorry..."
UNSUSPECTED has predictable elements in many portions but it's also a film that proves to me, "Good is good" and sharing bits with other stories is done all the time. If it's good - who cares? It doesn't detract from other films one bit, and the twists and the quality of the supporting characters may even exceed LAURA. Constance Bennett and Audrey Totter absolutely purr at times. hubba hubba
ARNELO AFFAIR spends a good two-thirds being an ordinary Unappreciated Bored Wife Considering Affair With Dangerous Man kind of film, and we've heard the reasons for the Dangerous Man framing her. But is that the truth? And what's Neglectful Hubby going to do? The predictability of it never answers those questions around the next scene's corner, and The Cop turns in a strong finale all by himself. Wow - where did THIS film come from?!!
CALLING BULLDOG DRUMMOND is one of the last of this series, and wow, Walter Pigeon and the cast turn in a performance that leaves me wishing for more, more, more. No flash, limited action (a few fisticuffs, a few bullets sailing around, a carefully staged burn-thru-the-ropes trick) and a beautiful Cop Partner for Drummond. Top notch. Definitely my favorite of this series, but I like 'em all.
AFFAIR WITH A STRANGER brings back Jane Darwell in a supporting role this time with Victor Mature and Jean Simmons turning in strong performances in a film that I didn't know if it was a comedy, a drama, a heartwrenching tear-jerker, or adults at play film. Another "wow where did this come from?" exclamation point.
Finally, HANDLE WITH CARE starts with a classroom's mock trial and a study of the grand-jury system, only to turn up new evidence about the town's mayor and his eventual "confession" and explanation.
Everyone of these were top-notch. I'd buy 'em to watch over and over again. I'm not a Victor Mature fan, but that was so interesting. And HANDLE kept me cutting short all my meetings today. "Sorry - other folks are arriving! Sorry sorry..."
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MissGoddess
- Posts: 5072
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:01 am
- Contact:
I'm just so sorry, sorry, sorry that I didn't record the whole dang day. I already love The Unsuspected and I saw just enough of The Arnelo Affair to drive me to distraction with curiosity (was my darling John Hodiak a bad boy or not? I couldn't tell!) and every time I got a peek at Affair with a Stranger I would tune in a comedy, a drama or a tear-jerker, as Ollie said.Ollie wrote:ARNELO AFFAIR spends a good two-thirds being an ordinary Unappreciated Bored Wife Considering Affair With Dangerous Man kind of film, and we've heard the reasons for the Dangerous Man framing her. But is that the truth? And what's Neglectful Hubby going to do? The predictability of it never answers those questions around the next scene's corner, and The Cop turns in a strong finale all by himself. Wow - where did THIS film come from?!!
CALLING BULLDOG DRUMMOND is one of the last of this series, and wow, Walter Pigeon and the cast turn in a performance that leaves me wishing for more, more, more. No flash, limited action (a few fisticuffs, a few bullets sailing around, a carefully staged burn-thru-the-ropes trick) and a beautiful Cop Partner for Drummond. Top notch. Definitely my favorite of this series, but I like 'em all.
AFFAIR WITH A STRANGER brings back Jane Darwell in a supporting role this time with Victor Mature and Jean Simmons turning in strong performances in a film that I didn't know if it was a comedy, a drama, a heartwrenching tear-jerker, or adults at play film. Another "wow where did this come from?" exclamation point.
Finally, HANDLE WITH CARE starts with a classroom's mock trial and a study of the grand-jury system, only to turn up new evidence about the town's mayor and his eventual "confession" and explanation.
"Sorry - other folks are arriving! Sorry sorry..."
The other two films I've never seen either so I basically struck out big time today. Who knows when those little obscurities will air again.
