The Dark Mirror (1946)

A man is found murdered, with witnesses convinced about the woman they saw leaving his apartment. However, it becomes apparent that the woman has a twin, and finding out which one is the killer seems impossible.

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (written for the screen by), Vladimir Pozner (original story)

Stars:

Olivia de Havilland, Lew Ayres, Thomas Mitchell

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Olivia de Havilland	...	Terry Collins / Ruth Collins
Lew Ayres	...	Dr. Scott Elliott
Thomas Mitchell	...	Police Lt. Stevenson
Richard Long	...	Rusty
Charles Evans	...	Dist. Atty. Girard
Garry Owen	...	Franklin (as Gary Owen)
Lela Bliss	...	Mrs. Didriksen
Lester Allen	...	George Benson

Storyline

A woman suspected of murdering her doctor boyfriend has an identical twin sister. When both twins have an alibi for the night of the murder, a psychiatrist is called in to assist a detective in solving the case. Through a series of tests, he discovers which twin actually committed the crime and in the course of his investigation he falls in love with the normal twin.

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Plot Keywords:

same actress playing twin role | one actress for twin sisters | actress playing multiple roles | evil twin | black and white | 

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Taglines:

For her kiss - her beauty - are the dreams men dream!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1947 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Der schwarze Spiegel

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

International Pictures (I), Nunnally Johnson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Remade in 1984 as Dark Mirror, with Vincent Gardenia, Jane Seymour, and Stephen Collins.

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Goofs

When Dr. Elliott is sitting on the leather couch in his apartment talking to Lt. Stevenson, a moving shadow (from something above like a boom mic) appears on the lamp behind the doctor.

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Quotes

Dr. Scott Elliott: Not even nature can duplicate character, not even in twins.

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Connections

Referenced in Fatal Instinct (1993)

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Soundtracks

Frankie & Johnny
Music by Hughie Cannon (uncredited)
Played on the cigarette music-box in the Collins sisters' apartment

User Reviews

Psychological Film Noir with Highly Convincing Central Performance(s)

THE DARK MIRROR is a lesser-known entry into the canon of films noir that dominated Hollywood in the mid-Forties. Directed by Robert Siodmak (THE KILLERS), it is a psychological thriller focusing on the attempts of Lt. Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell) and psychiatrist Dr. Scott Elliott (Lew Ayres) to discover the killer of a well=established doctor. The only snag is that the chief suspects are a pair of identical twins, Ruth and Terry Collins, both played by Olivia de Havilland, who refuse to divulge any further information. Siodmak's narrative focuses in detail on the twins' psychology, by deliberately frustrating our desire to find out who is the 'good' and the 'bad' twin. The costume-designs apparently make this process of distinguishing quite straightforward - one wears white, the other black as the film unfolds - but the twins' responses to Elliott's psychological tests challenge our preconceptions. De Havilland has a rare chance to play the role of a 'bad' woman and grasps it with both hands; her Chicago accent is both harsh yet beguiling. It's clear that, as the 'bad' twin, she can seduce anyone she likes, even those men who proclaim their ability to see through any psychological games. Nunnally Johnson's script is taut and fast-moving (in the print I saw, the film lasts only eighty-one minutes), while Siodmak makes clever use of atmospheric lighting, especially shadows projected on the back will behind the twins, to suggest that they are somehow pursued by internal demons. THE DARK MIRROR might not be as celebrated as other films of similar genre, but it nonetheless captures some of the emotional uncertainties and moral that characterized the material of that period; its ending is particularly cleverly structured.