The Man with a Cloak (1951)

In 1848, a young Frenchwoman, Madeline Minot, goes to New York City to see Thevenet, the grandfather of her fiance. Thevenet had been with Napoleon and may be sympathetic to the political ... See full summary »

Director:

Fletcher Markle

Writers:

Frank Fenton (written for the screen by), John Dickson Carr (based on a story by)

Stars:

Joseph Cotten, Barbara Stanwyck, Louis Calhern

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joseph Cotten	...	Dupin / Edgar Allan Poe
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Lorna Bounty
Louis Calhern	...	Thevenet
Leslie Caron	...	Madeline Minot
Joe De Santis	...	Martin
Jim Backus	...	Flaherty
Margaret Wycherly	...	Mrs. Flynn
Richard Hale	...	Durand
Nicholas Joy	...	Dr. Roland
Roy Roberts	...	Policeman
Mitchell Lewis	...	Waiter

Storyline

In 1848, a young Frenchwoman, Madeline Minot, goes to New York City to see Thevenet, the grandfather of her fiance. Thevenet had been with Napoleon and may be sympathetic to the political aims of his grandson. She finds the old man in very bad spirits, living in a large house with a housekeeper and a butler who are just waiting for him to die (and perhaps helping him along a bit) so they can inherit his fortune. They see Madeline as a threat to their plans. She is aided in her dealings with these strange people by a mysterious man in a cloak.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | butler | housekeeper | old man | tavern | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 September 1952 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

O Homem das Sombras

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min 81 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After the first meeting with Madeleine, Charles Theverner addresses his pet raven named Villon, after the French poet François Villon, and quotes from Villon's "Ballade des dames du temps jadis" ("Ballad of the Ladies of Times Past"): "Où sont les neiges d'antant?" ("Oh, where are the snows of yesteryear!"). Later, Dupin quotes the same Ballad in English. He also reads from the book a few lines of Edgar Poe's "The Raven."

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Quotes

Mrs. Inness, landlady: You know, it's the first of the month.
Dupin: I can understand you excitement, it only comes once every thirty days.

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Soundtracks

"Another Yesterday"
(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Earl K. Brent
Performed by Barbara Stanwyck (dubbed by Harriet Lee)

User Reviews

No Dagger, but a Great Cloak

Thank goodness for TCM, because every once in a while we catch a forgotten gem not yet available on DVD, and this is one of those. Sure it's a somewhat lightweight film, but it has its heavy moments, and sometimes you don't feel like watching "War and Peace," you just want something entertaining and substantive enough to keep you watching. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

The setting in 1848 New York was interesting. I like stories with time periods and settings not usually thought of. When you mention the 1800s most Americans are thinking cowboys and Indians and the Old West, or else the Civil War. Yet there were whole regions and eras in our country's history not usually covered that surely are brimming with stories.

Some have criticized the movie for its stilted dialog, but hey, that's the way upper crust people talked back then. Just try reading a book written in 1848 by a more cultured author, and you'll see what I mean. I found it interesting to listen to. The cast was great, too. I have never thought of Joseph Cotten as a particularly handsome actor, but that mustache made him look rather dashing! He should have worn it more often. And then there's Jim Backus... Ususally stereotyped as Mr. Magoo or Thurston Howell III, here he showed us his depth as an actor by making the serious character of Flaherty seem so real and natural.

There's a murder in this mystery, but it's not at all what you would think. There are several plot twists that. while not spectacular, are still suspenseful and entertaining. You may or may not be caught by surprise by the revelation at the end, but many viewers will be. I highly recommend this film and hope it is soon available on DVD.