The Unsuspected (1947)
Genre: Drama / Filmnoir
Duration: 103 minuten
Alternative title: Een Perfect Alibi
Country:
United States
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Stars: Claude Rains, Joan Caulfield and Audrey Totter
IMDb score:
7,2 (4.082)
Releasedate: 11 October 1947
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
The Unsuspected plot
"You can't foresee it! You can't forget it!"
Victor Grandison hosts a popular radio program about unsolved murder cases. After the suicide of his secretary, a stranger shows up who claims to be the husband of his pupil Matilda, heiress to a million dollar sum. He accuses Grandison of participating in a sophisticated murder plot and thus sets in motion a series of dramatic events.
Actors and actresses
Matilda Frazier
Victor Grandison
Althea Keane
Jane Moynihan
Oliver Keane
Steven Francis Howard (as Michael North)
Richard Donovan
Max
Mr. Press
Donovan's Assistant
Reviews & comments
mister blonde
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- 12709 messages
- 5848 votes
Has no one seen this fantastic film from the director of Casablanca? Claude Rains is a fantastic villain. This atmospheric film noir is punctuated with car chases that look as if they were recently filmed, incredibly cleverly executed murders (Claude Rains with his recorder), and entertaining dialogue.
A very good film. People who liked Double Indemnity should also check this one out. 4 stars.
Translated from Dutch · View original
mrklm
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- 11629 messages
- 10041 votes
This well-directed, atmospherically filmed melodrama is nearly ruined by the weak performance of Michael North, for whom this film should have been a breakthrough. His dialogue was reportedly re-recorded, and Curtiz reworked the film to minimize his protégé's role. Fortunately, the always excellent Claude Rains, in his role as Victor Grandison, the popular, charismatic writer and narrator of stories surrounding lurid, unsolved murder cases, saves the film, along with Audrey Totter, who visibly relishes her role as Victor's bitchy wife.
The title refers to Victor's name for the unknown murderer who forms the central thread of his stories in this rather complex mystery. When his niece Matilda disappears without a trace, Victor seems entitled to an inheritance of millions, until a young man [Michael North] appears, having married Matilda shortly before his departure for the Allied front after a whirlwind affair.
Curtiz uses light and shadow very effectively to heighten the suspense and mystery. He quickly reveals the mastermind behind the mysterious events and provides what appears to be a blueprint for the opening scenes of the beloved Columbo mysteries, showing the viewer in meticulous detail how the perpetrator cleverly remains above suspicion. Sometimes a little confusing, but often fascinating.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Filmkriebel
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- 10013 messages
- 4679 votes
Overrated. I find this crime film leans more towards Hitchcock than the film noir I associate more with gangster films. In this slow-burner, a mysterious man, Steve Howard, shows up at the birthday party of well-known radio host Victor Grandison, telling the audience crime stories. The day before, his secretary was murdered. Howard poses as the husband of the presumed-dead Matilda, Grandison's protégée, who narrowly escaped a shipwreck. You're quickly led astray by the whole setup, although it took me a bit too long for the twists to finally arrive. Cinematically nothing special and almost entirely one-location, so not a true film noir for me. The strong acting, especially by Claude Rains, is what gives me a 3* rating.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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