The File on Thelma Jordon (1950)

Thelma Jordon is in love with a jewel thief, Tony Laredo, and he persuades her to go live with her rich aunt, and steal her jewels. During the robbery, she shoots her formerly-rich aunt, ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Marty Holland (story), Ketti Frings (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, Paul Kelly

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Thelma Jordon
Wendell Corey	...	Cleve Marshall
Paul Kelly	...	Miles Scott
Joan Tetzel	...	Pamela Blackwell Marshall
Stanley Ridges	...	Kingsley Willis
Richard Rober	...	Tony Laredo
Minor Watson	...	Honorable Calvin H. Blackwell
Barry Kelley	...	District Attorney William Pierce
Kasey Rogers	...	Dolly - Cleve's Secretary (as Laura Elliot)
Basil Ruysdael	...	Judge Jonathan David Hancock
Jane Novak	...	Mrs. Blackwell
Gertrude Hoffman	...	Aunt Vera Edwards (as Gertrude W. Hoffman)
Harry Antrim	...	Sidney
Kate Drain Lawson	...	Clara (as Kate Lawson)
Theresa Harris	...	Esther

Storyline

Thelma Jordon is in love with a jewel thief, Tony Laredo, and he persuades her to go live with her rich aunt, and steal her jewels. During the robbery, she shoots her formerly-rich aunt, but makes it look like an outside job. Cleve Marshall, an assistant district attorney, is assigned the case, promptly falls in love with Thelma (and she with him), and he maneuvers and presents the state's case against her in such a manner that she wins an acquittal. And, then, Tony shows up. And nothing, from this point, works out favorable for THelma, Clive or Tony.

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Plot Keywords:

affair | acquittal | district attorney | police station | deceit | 

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Taglines:

...SHE'LL LIE...KILL OR KISS HER WAY OUT OF ANYTHING! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Thelma Jordon

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Jail, Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Wallis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Screen Director's Playhouse" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 15, 1951 with Barbara Stanwyck and Wendell Corey reprising their film roles.

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Connections

Referenced in Drive-in Movie Memories (2001)

User Reviews

Very good Film Noir, though it isn't among the best of the genre

THE FILM ON THELMA JORDON is a very good example of Film Noir and it's extremely reminiscent of Barbara Stanwyck's earlier success in DOUBLE INDEMNITY. In both films, she plays a lying and conniving femme fatale that is able to wrap a man around her finger in order to get what she wants and by the end of the film, both are ruined. However, instead of her target being an insurance investigator, in THELMA JORDON, she pursues an assistant district attorney (Wendell Corey).

The film begins with Corey having an argument with his wife and he's getting drunk and feeling very sorry for himself. Soon Barbara Stanwyck's character appears and before long they're having a sleazy romance--as both are married. It's very hard to care about either one of them at this point and it's not hard to guess that Stanwyck is just plain bad! Where exactly the film goes from there, I'd rather not say--after all, it would spoil the film's many nice twists and turns. At the end, there is a nice little twist in particular that probably will satisfy many, though to me it just didn't ring true. After all, a REAL femme fatale would NEVER have a pang of conscience!

Overall, it's a very interesting and well acted film. I really have no severe complaints, though at times the film was a tad predictable--so much so that you just have to assume that Corey's character is an idiot!! Still, a decent representation of the genre.