The Kiss Before the Mirror (1933)

When a famous doctor kills his adulterous wife, he is defended by his best friend, an attorney--who suspects that his own wife is having an affair.

Director:

James Whale

Writers:

Ladislas Fodor (play), William Anthony McGuire (screenplay),

Stars:

Nancy Carroll, Frank Morgan, Paul Lukas

Cast

Cast overview:
Nancy Carroll	...	Maria Held
Frank Morgan	...	Paul Held
Paul Lukas	...	Walter Bernsdorf
Gloria Stuart	...	Mrs. Walter Bernsdorf
Jean Dixon	...	Hilda Frey
Donald Cook	...	Maria's Lover
Charley Grapewin	...	Schultz (as Charles Grapewin)
Walter Pidgeon	...	Lucy's Lover
Wallis Clark	...	Public Prosecutor
May Boley	...	Busybody in Courtroom
Christian Rub	...	Man on the Wrong Floor
Reginald Mason	...	Judge

Storyline

When a lawyer defending his best friend for murdering his unfaithful wife discovers how the accused discovered his wife was in love with another man, the lawyer begins to see the same patterns in his own wife's behavior, and suspects she too is being unfaithful. Promising his friend that a defense of momentary insanity will acquit him, he also promises to kill his own wife if the defense actually works.

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Plot Keywords:

unfaithful wife | insanity defense | broken mirror | vienna austria | murder | 

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Genres:

Mystery

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 May 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Kuß vor dem Spiegel

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Wives Under Suspicion (1938)

User Reviews

This one sure is different.

This film begins with a husband following his wife to a rendezvous with her lover. There, he savagely kills her with a revolver--shooting her repeatedly as she fell to the ground. The husband, Paul Lukas, immediately phones the police to turn himself in for murder. However, his lawyer (Frank Morgan) works hard for his acquittal or a lenient sentence, since the husband was driven to this by his wife's behavior. Morgan's insistence of Lukas' innocence is important, since Morgan himself realizes his wife is also committing adultery and proving Lukas' innocence is, in a way, vindication for Morgan if he, too, decides to kill his wife.

As for Morgan, his performance is quite atypical. Instead of the usual nice guy or comical figure, here he plays a highly emotional and almost unhinged man. He's a bit over the top in his acting, but his melodramatic behavior is fun to watch.

The film was directed by James Whale--the same man who directed Boris Karloff and Colin Clive in the first two of Universal's Frankenstein movies. Like these films, THE KISS BEFORE THE MIRROR is notable for having many quiet moments where there is no incidental music. This is important because it adds to the tension and drama--producing a stark but intense film. Additionally, the film manages to do a lot in only a little over an hour--a sign of excellent direction. The only negative is that the final scene with Morgan's wife is a bit too melodramatic--too shrill to be realistic.

Overall, rather entertaining and different.