Phantom Lady (1944)

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Cornell Woolrich (novel)
Bernard C. Schoenfeld (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 January 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery

Tagline:

IT'S UNIQUE...suspense...mystery...drama!

Plot:

Unhappily married Scott Henderson spends the evening on a no-name basis with a hat-wearing woman he picked up in a bar...

Plot Keywords:

Hat | Secretary | Murder | Prison | Bar

Cast

Franchot Tone	...	Jack Marlow
Ella Raines	...	Carol 'Kansas' Richman
Alan Curtis	...	Scott Henderson
Aurora Miranda	...	Estela Monteiro (as Aurora)
Thomas Gomez	...	Inspector Burgess
Fay Helm	...	Ann Terry
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Cliff Milburn
Andrew Tombes	...	Mac - Bartender
Regis Toomey	...	Detective Chewing Gum
Joseph Crehan	...	Detective Tom
Doris Lloyd	...	Madame Kettisha
Virginia Brissac	...	Dr. Helen Chase
Milburn Stone	...	District Attorney (voice)

Also Known As:

Condemned to Hang (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #9827) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Although Franchot Tone is given top billing in this film, he does not appear for the first 45 minutes.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During an overhead shot in the sequence where Kansas trails the bartender through a deserted street after he gets off work, the actors are clearly connected waist-to-waist by a thin wire - most likely so that the actress stayed an exact number of feet behind the actor to ensure both were in focus during what was apparently a tricky camera set-up.

Quotes:

Mac: Yes, Miss?
Carol Richman: Pinch-bottle and water.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saboteur: A Closer Look (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Chick-ee-Chick

Top-notch "B" Noir thriller will leave you guessing

Seldom have my expectations been as often derailed as in The Phantom Lady. The plot--while a bit farfetched--is never boring or predictable. Although it's a smaller film than say, The Maltese Falcon or The Big Sleep, it is immensely satisfying.

Ella Raines is the real stand-out here. Not only is she great to look at (think half-way between Veronica Lake and Lauren Bacall) she also acts circles 'round the two leading men. Luminous, expressive yet subtle, she is perhaps a better actress than those two icons, if slightly less perfect-looking than Lake and a bit less magnetic than Bacall.

Thomas Gomez turns in a surprisingly complex and interesting performance, but don't expect too much from Franchot Tone. Although his acting abilities need no defense, he didn't do much with this role.

Sure, there are plot holes, a couple of contrived turns, and at least two ridiculous performances (Elisha Cook and Aurora Miranda) but all B Noir has its faults, and this one wins by dint of its unpredictability and pacing, and some great cinematography. Oh--and miss Raines.