IMDb >
The Second Woman (1950)
Watch It
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
at Internet Archive

BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Second Woman (1950) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 15 | slideshow) | Videos |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
7 July 1950 (USA) moreTagline:
Not since 'SPELLBOUND' a masterpiece of suspense like this! morePlot:
In flashback from a 'Rebecca'-style beginning: Ellen Foster, visiting her aunt on the California coast... more | add synopsisUser Comments:
Gothic elements enhance superior psychological thriller moreCast
(Complete credited cast)| Robert Young | ... | Jeff Cohalan | |
| Betsy Drake | ... | Ellen Foster | |
| John Sutton | ... | Keith Ferris | |
| Florence Bates | ... | Amelia Foster | |
| Morris Carnovsky | ... | Dr. Raymond Hartley | |
| Henry O'Neill | ... | Ben Sheppard | |
| Jean Rogers | ... | Dodo Ferris | |
| Raymond Largay | ... | Maj. Badger | |
| Shirley Ballard | ... | Vivian Sheppard | |
| Vicki Raaf | ... | Sue, Sheppard's Secretary (as Vici Raaf) | |
| Jason Robards Sr. | ... | Stacy Rogers (as Jason Robards) | |
| Steven Geray | ... | Balthazar Jones | |
| Jimmie Dodd | ... | Mr. Nelson (as Jimmy Dodd) | |
| Smoki Whitfield | ... | Albert, Club Car Waiter (as Smokey Whitfield) | |
| Cliff Clark | ... | Police Sergeant |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
91 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Fun Stuff
Quotes:
Jeff Cohalan: Ellen, you'd better go now. You're not safe with me. Do you understand?Ellen Foster: Suppose I don't want to be safe?
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Second Woman (1950)Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Basic Instinct | Vertigo | Body Double | Blast of Silence | Night of Evil |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |













A better-than-average psychological thriller, The Second Woman blends aspects of Rebecca and Gaslight into a savvy, neo-Gothic style (there's even an ultramodern, Manderley-like pile of memories high above the crashing ocean; it, too, ends in conflagration).
Robert Young plays a young architect who can't wriggle out from under a jinx. The night before their wedding, a car crash claimed the life of his fiancée, for whom he'd built the cantilevered "house with wings." Now it's a mausoleum where he broods to the Tchaikovsky on the sound track. Lapses of memory and moody episodes undermine his work. His horse, his dog, even his prize rosebush die mysteriously. He's sinking, an object of pity and, increasingly, apprehension.
Into this slough of despond comes a guardian angel (Betsy Drake), an intelligent and independent insurance investigator who falls for him, as he for her. (She's something of an anomaly in film noir, where all the brains and spunk usually go to the wicked women.) She supplies Young with the resolve to solve the puzzle when he ceases to care.
There are weak points as well. The suicide attempt that opens the movie makes scant sense when it's later explained; the character set up as a villain emerges, at least partly, as a red herring; and the formidable Florence Bates disappears into a bland "also-starring" role. And constantly referring to past events in a low-key, almost abstract way lays poor preparation for the ending, where they prove central. Still, The Second Woman keeps you puzzled, and the Gothic trappings work their spell. Less film noir than mystery, it's nonetheless a good, old-fashioned one.