Crime of Passion (1957)

Kathy leaves the newspaper business to marry homicide detective Bill but is frustrated by his lack of ambition and the banality of life in the suburbs. Her drive to advance Bill's career soon takes her down a dangerous path.

Director:

Gerd Oswald

Writer:

Jo Eisinger (original story and screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, Raymond Burr

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Kathy Ferguson Doyle
Sterling Hayden	...	Police Lt. Bill Doyle
Raymond Burr	...	Police Inspector Anthony (Tony) Pope
Fay Wray	...	Alice Pope
Virginia Grey	...	Sara Alidos
Royal Dano	...	Police Capt. Charlie Alidos
Robert Griffin	...	Police Sgt. James
Dennis Cross	...	Police Sgt. Jules
Jay Adler	...	Mr. Nalence
Stuart Whitman	...	Laboratory Technician
Malcolm Atterbury	...	Police Officer Spitz
Robert Quarry	...	Sam, Reporter
Gail Bonney	...	Mrs. London
Joe Conley	...	Delivery Boy
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patricia Merlin	...	Taxi Driver

Storyline

Kathy is a smart and tough 1950's advice columnist at a San Francisco newspaper, with her name plastered on billboards all over the city. One day, Bill Doyle, a Los Angeles detective, walks into her office - it is instant attraction. After marrying Bill, Kathy gives up her career and becomes a homemaker. However, she is not your typical 1950's homemaker. After hosting several cocktail parties in their San Fernando Valley home, she realizes that Bill is content with his position, and shows no ambition in furthering himself. Kathy will not sit idly by while everyone around her is "moving up in the world". She personally takes upon herself the task of pushing Bill's career along, even if it comes down to murder.

---

Plot Keywords:

career | detective | ambition | columnist | investigation | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Da Ambição ao Crime

Filming Locations:

RKO-Pathé Studios - 9336 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Robert Goldstein Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Kathy runs her car into a pole she steps in front of the car to inspect the damage. The right front fender that bore the brunt of the impact shows it is still firmly attached. However any trace of the headlight including the hole where it would mount is missing.

---

Quotes

Police Lt. Bill Doyle: [after just being married and arriving at their new home] What do you think of the neighbourhood?
Kathy Ferguson Doyle: Right now I'm not thinking about the neighbourhood.

User Reviews

Stand By Your Man

In San Francisco, lovelorn newspaper columnist Barbara Stanwyck (as Kathy Ferguson) helps visiting Los Angeles lieutenant Sterling Hayden (as William "Bill" Doyle) and fellow detective Royal Dano (as Charles "Charlie" Alidos) capture a woman who has murdered her husband. Never married, Ms. Stanwyck changes her outlook when Mr. Hayden invites her out for dinner and drinks. Offered a better job in New York, Stanwyck gives up her career when Hayden asks her to dinner in Los Angeles. They get married and move to the Valley.

"I just want to be a good wife and do things for you," Stanwyck tells Hayden, "I just hope all your socks have holes in them, and I can sit for hours and hours darning them!"

Smoking intermittently, Stanwyck pours coffee for Hayden and his poker pals while chatting with the girls about chiffon. She becomes interested in furthering her husband's career, insisting he move to the more upscale Beverly Hills police beat. Needing a release, Stanwyck gets it in the form of police inspector Raymond Burr (as Anthony "Tony" Pope) after a fender-bender with wife Fay Wray (as Alice Pope). Watching Stanwyck as an increasingly hysterical suburban housewife is unbelievably amusing.

***** Crime of Passion (1/9/57) Gerd Oswald ~ Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, Raymond Burr, Fay Wray