Phantom Lady (1944)

A devoted secretary risks her life to try to find the elusive woman who may prove her boss didn't murder his selfish wife.

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Bernard C. Schoenfeld (screenplay), Cornell Woolrich (based on the novel by) (as William Irish)

Stars:

Franchot Tone, Ella Raines, Alan Curtis

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Franchot Tone	...	Jack Marlow
Ella Raines	...	Carol Richman
Alan Curtis	...	Scott Henderson
Aurora Miranda	...	Estela Monteiro (as Aurora)
Thomas Gomez	...	Inspector Burgess
Fay Helm	...	Ann Terry
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Cliff
Andrew Tombes	...	Bartender
Regis Toomey	...	Detective
Joseph Crehan	...	Detective
Doris Lloyd	...	Kettisha
Virginia Brissac	...	Dr. Chase
Milburn Stone	...	District Attorney (voice)

Storyline

Unhappily married Scott Henderson spends the evening on a no-name basis with a hat-wearing woman he picked up in a bar. Returning home, he finds his wife strangled and becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Every effort to establish his alibi fails; oddly no one seems to remember seeing the phantom lady (or her hat). In prison, Scott gives up hope but his faithful secretary, "Kansas," doggedly follows evanescent clues through shadowy nocturnal streets. Can she save Scott in time?

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Plot Keywords:

murder | car accident | frameup | selfishness | mysterious woman | 

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Taglines:

IT'S UNIQUE...suspense...mystery...drama!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Portuguese

Release Date:

28 January 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Condemned to Hang

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Contemporary sources indicate that Dave Coleman dubbed Elisha Cook Jr.'s erotic drum solo. This has been confirmed by Coleman's son. Despite this, some modern sources state that the drumming was provided by Buddy Rich, although Rich claimed to have been so busy in Hollywood at the time that he would have been unable to remember.

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Goofs

Early in the film, the character Scott Henderson is found guilty of second-degree murder and condemned to death. In New York in the 1940s, the jury would have to find him guilty of first-degree murder in order to condemn him to death.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ann Terry: [to bartender] Give me a nickel, please.

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Connections

Referenced in The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

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Soundtracks

Chick-ee-Chick
(1944) (uncredited)
Music by Jacques Press
Lyrics by Eddie Cherkose
Performed by Aurora Miranda and showgirls at the Casino

User Reviews

Testing the Limits

So how did the producers get that orgasmic release scene past the censors. Sure, Carol (Raines) and Cliff (Cook) are about ten feet apart as he pounds on the drums while she sways back and forth in total sync, their faces contorted in frenzied delight. There's no guesswork here. It's as close to the real thing as the decade gets, and a masterpiece of simulated ecstasy. I wonder what the set was like while filming this.

The movie's a tight little thriller, helmed by noir master Robert Siodmak. So who is it that's framing architect Henderson (Curtis) for his wife's murder. By golly, the lovelorn Carol is going to find out even if it leads her down every dark, scary street on the studio lot. And once she dons her cheap hep-cat outfit, that's just where she's headed. But it's that frenzied jazz scene with Cliff that steals the show. Everything after seems something of an anti-climax. However, be sure to catch that beautifully modulated scene where Carol plies the emotionally disturbed Ann (Helm) for access to the incriminating ladies' hat. It's poignantly done, especially by actress Helm.

No doubt, this is one of the noir highpoints of the period, with dark symbolism and atmospheric shadows aplenty. Also, Raines gives a winning performance as the unstoppable Carol, while Tone wisely refuses to go over the top as the psychopath. On the other hand, it's a good thing we don't see much of Curtis in both a badly written and dimly performed part. I'm guessing Siodmak cared little how that particularly conventional role came across. Anyway, for fans of 40's noir, this Universal programmer remains a must-see.