I Confess (1953)

Refusing to give into police investigators' questions of suspicion, due to the seal of confession, a priest becomes the prime suspect in a murder.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

George Tabori (screen play), William Archibald (screen play),

Stars:

Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Montgomery Clift	...	Father Michael Logan
Anne Baxter	...	Ruth Grandfort
Karl Malden	...	Inspector Larrue
Brian Aherne	...	Willy Robertson
O.E. Hasse	...	Otto Keller
Roger Dann	...	Pierre Grandfort
Dolly Haas	...	Alma Keller
Charles Andre	...	Father Millars

Storyline

Otto Kellar and his wife Alma work as caretaker and housekeeper at a Catholic church in Quebec. Whilst robbing a house where he sometimes works as a gardener, Otto is caught and kills the owner. Racked with guilt he heads back to the church where Father Michael Logan is working late. Otto confesses his crime, but when the police begin to suspect Father Logan he cannot reveal what he has been told in the confession.

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Plot Keywords:

priest | church | police | murder | lawyer | 

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Taglines:

FILMED IN CANADA'S COLORFUL QUEBEC BY WARNER BROS. (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Italian German

Release Date:

22 March 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's 'I Confess!'

Filming Locations:

Eglise Saint-Zéphirin de Stadacona, quartier Limoilou, 972 rue Saint-Jean, Québec, Québec, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Italian, the actors are dubbed by: Giulio Panicali (Montgomery Clift); Dhia Cristiani (Anne Baxter), Giorgio Capecchi (Karl Malden); Emilio Cigoli (Brian Aherne); Nino Pavese (Roger Dann); Sandro Ruffini (Charles Andre); Carlo Romano (Judson Pratt) and Gianfranco Bellini (Gilles Pelletier).

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Goofs

After the guests leave, Ruth begins tidying and her left arm is bare under a long band of her dress. When her husband enters in the room, her arm is covered, with the dress band held between her left arm and her body.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Fr. Michael William Logan: Who's there?

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Connections

Featured in Hitchcock and Dial M (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Love, Look What You've Done To Me"
(uncredited)
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Lyrics by Ned Washington

User Reviews

Atypical Hitchcock

"I Confess" is one of Alfred Hitchcock's least famous films, and it's easy to see why: there is no mystery (we know who the killer is right from the start); there is some suspense but no major set-pieces; there is very little humor (no Cary Grant-type wisecracks here). The movie is a somber psychological drama, and the story of a forbidden love, and perhaps a Christ allegory (the priest has to suffer for another man's sins - he has to bear his own cross). I wouldn't rank it among Hitchcock's best, but it certainly has some of the best acting you can find in a Hitchcock film: Montgomery Clift is superb in a difficult role, Anne Baxter is warm and utterly believable as the woman who is consumed by her love for him, and Karl Malden is perfectly cast as the nosy (no pun intended) inspector on the case. (**1/2)