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Strange Illusion ()

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After Paul has bizarre dreams about a faceless, sinister man, he suspects the man who is courting his Mother has ulterior motives.
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Complete, Cast awaiting verification

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Paul Cartwright (as James Lydon)
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Virginia Cartwright
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Brett Curtis
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Dr. Vincent
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Professor Muhlbach
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Benjamin (as George H. Reed)
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Dorothy Cartwright
Jimmy Clark ...
George Hanover
Mary McLeod ...
Lydia
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Wallace Armstrong - District Attorney
Sonia Sorel ...
Charlotte Farber
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Mac - Game Warden (as Vic Potel)
George Sherwood ...
Langdon
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Police Detective Sparks (as Gene Stutenroth)
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Bill Allen - Bank President
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Police Driver (uncredited)
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Maid (uncredited)
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Tom (uncredited)

Directed by

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Edgar G. Ulmer

Written by

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Adele Comandini ... (screen play)
 
Fritz Rotter ... (original story)

Produced by

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Leon Fromkess ... producer

Music by

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Leo Erdody ... (as Erdody)

Cinematography by

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Philip Tannura ... director of photography

Editorial Department

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Carl Pierson ... supervising film editor

Art Direction by

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Paul Palmentola

Set Decoration by

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Harry Reif ... (as E. H. Reif)

Production Management

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Albert Herman ... production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Ben Kadish ... assistant director

Art Department

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Charles Stevens ... master of properties

Sound Department

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Frank McWhorter ... sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department

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Frank McDonald ... second camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Harold Bradow ... wardrobe

Music Department

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Leo Erdody ... conductor (as Erdody)

Script and Continuity Department

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Shirley Ulmer ... script supervisor (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Herman Rotsten ... dialogue director
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Paul, a young man whose father was once lieutenant Governor of California before his untimely death, has a strange, recurring dream in which his mother falls in love with a dangerous man (Brett Curtis), a dream which also contains the image of his father's death in an automobile accident under mysterious circumstances. Through the help of his friend, a psychiatrist, Paul realizes that his dream is coming true, and that his mother is falling under Curtis's influence. Curtis, in fact, is a homicidal maniac who lives as an out-patient at the sanitarium of the unscrupulous Dr. Muhlbach. When Curtis makes an attempt to marry Paul's mother, Paul intervenes, and after a series of events discovers the truth behind his dreams. Written by Wheeler Winston Dixon

Plot Keywords
Taglines Haunting Mystery Thriller! (print ad- Lubbock Morning ASvalanche - Palace Theatre - Lubbock, Texas - May 25, 1945 - all caps) See more »
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Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • First Illusion (United States)
  • Out of the Night (United States)
  • Extraña ilusión (Spain)
  • Stimme aus dem Jenseits (West Germany)
  • Presentimiento (Mexico)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 87 min
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Did You Know?

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Trivia Draws on the plot of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." Hamlet's plot involves a Danish Prince who tries to exact revenge against his uncle, who has murdered the Prince's father in order to seize his throne and marry his mother. While Strange Illusion is by no means completely faithful to the original Shakespeare story-line - the character Ophelia doesn't exist here, and the tragic finale is replaced with a happy ending. In any case, Ulmer's film remains a fascinating attempt at re-imagining Shakespeare's Hamlet. Here, he is young Paul who lives in bucolic Southern California next to exclusive private schools and toney country clubs. To this, the plot adds a bit more - the protagonist admits himself into an insane asylum. This allows time for our scheming director Edgar G. Ulmer to amp up the cinematic tension, with added touches and moody lighting effects. See more »
Goofs When Brett is watching Lydia in the swimming pool, his body position changes in three successive shots from differing angles. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen (2004). See more »
Quotes [first lines]
Paul Cartwright: I'm Paul Cartwright, my father was Judge Albert Cartwright, once lieutenant governor of the state, he was killed two years ago in a mysterious accident. We were not only father and son, but friends. The shock of his violent death still haunts my mind, my nights are troubled by strange dreams.
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