The Accused (1949)

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

June Truesdell (novel)
Ketti Frings (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 January 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

Everything Points To The Accused !

Plot:

A beautiful psychology professor tries to hide a self-defense killing.

Plot Keywords:

Psychology | Psychology Professor | Attempted Rape | College Professor | College

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Loretta Young	...	Dr. Wilma Tuttle
Robert Cummings	...	Warren Ford
Wendell Corey	...	Lt. Ted Dorgan
Sam Jaffe	...	Dr. Romley
Douglas Dick	...	Bill Perry
Suzanne Dalbert	...	Susan Duval
Sara Allgood	...	Mrs. Conner
Mickey Knox	...	Jack Hunter
George Spaulding	...	Dean Rhodes
Francis Pierlot	...	Dr. Vinson
Ann Doran	...	Miss Rice, Nurse
Carole Mathews	...	Waitress
Billy Mauch	...	Harry Brice (as Bill Mauch)

Also Known As:

Strange Deception (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 28, 1949 with Loretta Young and Robert Cummings reprising their film roles.

Quotes:

[Wilma is dressed for a date.]
Warren Ford: It's remarkable! Your brains don't show a bit.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Mouth (2008)

Soundtrack:

Latin Rhythm

Deserves to be better known

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.