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The Unsuspected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Unsuspected | |
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| Directed by | Michael Curtiz |
| Produced by | Michael Curtiz Charles Hoffman |
| Written by | Charlotte Armstrong (novel) Bess Meredyth (adaptation) Ranald MacDougall |
| Starring | Joan Caulfield Claude Rains Audrey Totter Constance Bennett Hurd Hatfield Ted North Fred Clark Harry Lewis Jack Lambert |
| Music by | Franz Waxman |
| Cinematography | Elwood Bredell |
| Editing by | Fredrick Richards |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | October 3, 1947 |
| Running time | 103 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Unsuspected is a 1947 film starring Claude Rains. The black-and-white film noir was directed by Michael Curtiz based on a novel written by Charlotte Armstrong.
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The story involves a woman who is found dead hanging from a chandelier in a posh mansion occupied by Victor Grandison. Grandison, a popular "true crime" radio story host, has arranged for the murder and set it up to look like suicide. The police have no reason to doubt it, but a mysterious man arrives claiming to be the young woman's husband and immediately begins to investigate the killing.
Critics compare the film to Laura and, though most reviews are positive, some find the film formulaic and predictable. Channel 4's review of the film states: "Lacking any real depth or complexity, the film relies on sterling performances from the cast, with Rains and his victim Caufield superb, and Curtiz's uncharacteristically quirky direction for its success."
Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward's listing of the movie in the book Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style writes that the film is impressive because of its emphasis on style: "Jack Lambert as the blackmailed killer lies in bed smoking. The radio is on and Alexander Grandison is detailing the story of his particular crime. The only source of the illumination in this dingy hotel room comes from a partially obscured flashing neon sign. The letters that are visible through the window seem to echo the thoughts of the uncomfortable murderer as it keeps blinking "KILL... KILL... KILL."
- ^ Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward (1992). Film Noir An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style. The Overlook Press. ISBN 0-87951-479-5.