Strange Illusion (1945)

Paul, a young man whose father was once lieutenant Governor of California before his untimely death, has a strange, recurring dream in which his mother falls in love with a dangerous man (... See full summary »

Director:

Edgar G. Ulmer

Writers:

Adele Comandini (screenplay), Fritz Rotter (original story)

Stars:

Jimmy Lydon, Warren William, Sally Eilers

Cast

Cast overview:
Jimmy Lydon	...	Paul Cartwright (as James Lydon)
Warren William	...	Brett Curtis
Sally Eilers	...	Virginia Cartwright
Regis Toomey	...	Dr. Vincent
Charles Arnt	...	Professor Muhlbach
George Reed	...	Benjamin (as George H. Reed)
Jayne Hazard	...	Dorothy Cartwright
Jimmy Clark	...	George Hanover
Mary McLeod	...	Lydia
Pierre Watkin	...	District Attorney Wallace Armstrong
Sonia Sorel	...	Charlotte Farber
Victor Potel	...	Mac - Game Warden (as Vic Potel)
George Sherwood	...	Langdon
Gene Roth	...	Sparky (as Gene Stutenroth)
John Hamilton	...	Bill Allen

Storyline

Paul, a young man whose father was once lieutenant Governor of California before his untimely death, has a strange, recurring dream in which his mother falls in love with a dangerous man (Brett Curtis), a dream which also contains the image of his father's death in an automobile accident under mysterious circumstances. Through the help of his friend, a psychiatrist, Paul realizes that his dream is coming true, and that his mother is falling under Curtis's influence. Curtis, in fact, is a homicidal maniac who lives as an out-patient at the sanitarium of the unscrupulous Dr. Muhlbach. When Curtis makes an attempt to marry Paul's mother, Paul intervenes, and after a series of events discovers the truth behind his dreams.

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Plot Keywords:

dream | governor | maniac | california | psychiatrist | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 March 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

First Illusion

Company Credits

Production Co:

Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Refreshingly realistic perversion

Although I would hesitate to call it "film noir," Strange Illusion is a tightly woven, intriguing mystery. For a Poverty Row production, the writers and Ulmer paced the film well and kept it interesting. The acting, although amateurish at times, doesn't distract from a believable story. My only real complaint about the film is the music-- too much of it and too loud.

Brett's penchant for teenage girls is a refreshingly realistic perversion for a film of the '40s. It also stands in stark contrast to the "gee whiz" scenes (as mentioned in a previous comment), which seem like they were lifted straight out of "Leave It to Beaver."

I rate it 7/10.