The Accused (1949)A beautiful psychology professor tries to hide a self-defense killing. Director:William Dieterle |
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The Accused (1949)A beautiful psychology professor tries to hide a self-defense killing. Director:William Dieterle |
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| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Loretta Young | ... |
Dr. Wilma Tuttle
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| Robert Cummings | ... |
Warren Ford
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| Wendell Corey | ... |
Lt. Ted Dorgan
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| Sam Jaffe | ... |
Dr. Romley
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| Douglas Dick | ... |
Bill Perry
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Suzanne Dalbert | ... |
Susan Duval
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Sara Allgood | ... |
Mrs. Conner
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Mickey Knox | ... |
Jack Hunter
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George Spaulding | ... |
Dean Rhodes
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Francis Pierlot | ... |
Dr. Vinson
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| Ann Doran | ... |
Miss Rice, Nurse
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Carole Mathews | ... |
Waitress
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Billy Mauch | ... |
Harry Brice
(as Bill Mauch)
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Wilma Tuttle, psychology professor, lets aggressively brash student Bill Perry drive her home. Big mistake. After an attempted rape, Perry is dead; panicked, Wilma hides her traces and flees. As time passes, she watches the investigations of Homicide Lt. Dorgan with painfully concealed apprehension. Complicating matters: her budding romance with Warren Ford, Perry's guardian. How long can she stand the strain? Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Here is as "quiet" a suspense film as you are likely to encounter. That is all to the good, as beneath its placid surface crackle psychological crosscurrents that generate tension throughout. Each of the main characters is an interesting study, with ambivalent emotions that alternately spark and grate against those of the others. Additionally (and ironically), these characters are all involved in recognizing and dealing with such behavior, being a psychology professor, a detective and a lawyer respectively. A bit verbose at times, and resolved with a glib, less-than-satisfying ending, this picture nevertheless deserves a wider audience - if it has any at all nowadays. The performances are rock-solid and properly understated for the most part (even by Robert Cummings) in keeping with the conservative small town atmosphere; but there are effective contrasting performances as well, in the smaller roles of the few relatively unbalanced characters, as played by Douglas Dick, Suzanne Dalbert, and especially Sam Jaffee.