The Velvet Touch (1948)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Jack Gage

Writers:

William Mercer (story)
Walter Reilly (adaptation)

Release Date:

13 July 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Broadway star Valerie Stanton, breaking up with her producer-lover Gordon Dunning, unintentionally kills him...

Plot Keywords:

Accidental Killing

Cast

Rosalind Russell	...	Valerie Stanton
Leo Genn	...	Michael Morrell
Claire Trevor	...	Marian Webster
Sydney Greenstreet	...	Capt. Danbury
Leon Ames	...	Gordon Dunning
Frank McHugh	...	Ernie Boyle
Walter Kingsford	...	Peter Gunther
Dan Tobin	...	Jeff Trent
Lex Barker	...	Paul Banton
Nydia Westman	...	Susan Crane
Theresa Harris	...	Nancy
Russell Hicks	...	Actor 'Judge Brack'
Irving Bacon	...	Herbie
Esther Howard	...	Pansy Dupont
Harry Hayden	...	Mr. Couch

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated | Sweden:15

Company:

Independent Artists (I)

Quotes:

Michael Morrell: One of the basic rules of chess is that the king rarely moves.
Valerie Stanton: That's why so few women play it.

Soundtrack:

THE VELVET TOUCH

Great film. Must see for fans of witty dramas

THE VELVET TOUCH is a great witty drama about Valerie Stanton (Rosalind Russell), a Broadway actress living the high life who's wrought with guilt when she kills her lover/impresario Gordon (Leon Ames) after he threatened to end her career. We see the deadly confrontation at the beginning and thanks to some flashbacks we see how it all led to that moment and the rest of the film is spent on how Valerie deals with her guilt while the murder is being investigated. THE VELVET TOUCH is NOT a murder mystery because we see Valerie killing Gordon at the beginning. Sydney Greenstreet is the investigator involved in solving the crime. He's a big fan of Valerie and the story is about how privileged people living in a privileged world are treated somewhat differently in these circumstances than the average folk. Because it's not a standard murder mystery with the usual penchant for suspense, this story is much more complex and actually asks questions that standard mysteries or film noirs wouldn't ask, all with wit and intelligence. The McGuffin in THE VELVET TOUCH is Valerie's guilt: how can she live with herself? Will she ever tell that she's the killer? How will she tell? Who already knows she's the murderer and the fact that they don't care. Very interesting points rarely touched in films of those days or even today. The lack of focus on suspense is refreshingly original and sorta anti-Hitchcock.

The witty dialogue, certainly during the first hour, is some of the best writing I've ever heard in any film. It's positively brilliant and delivered to perfection by the stellar cast: Russell, Claire Trevor, Greenstreet and certainly Leo Genn all shine. Theresa Harris, as Valerie's dresser is also good in a supporting role. The ending is poignant without being sappy or melodramatic.

Aside from the script and the cast, there are two things that really standout in THE VELVET TOUCH: Rosalind Russell and the B&W cinematography. Rosalind looks amazing and underplays what could have been a role that could have easily fallen into melodramatic nonsense. Her confrontations with Claire Trevor are priceless. She's truly a star in this film and towers over so many other actresses of her time whom are more well-known than her.

And lastly, the black & white cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. The levels of black here are truly rich and well, velvety. It's a beautiful film to look at and makes me wish more B&W films were made today.

The only sour note in THE VELVET TOUCH is the theme song. It's all wrong. But that's just a minor point in an otherwise excellent production.