Possessed (1947)

After being found wandering the streets of Los Angeles, a severely catatonic woman tells a doctor the complex story of how she wound up there.

Director:

Curtis Bernhardt

Writers:

Silvia Richards (screenplay), Ranald MacDougall (screenplay)

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Van Heflin, Raymond Massey

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joan Crawford	...	Louise Howell
Van Heflin	...	David Sutton
Raymond Massey	...	Dean Graham
Geraldine Brooks	...	Carol Graham
Stanley Ridges	...	Dr. Harvey Willard
John Ridgely	...	Harker
Moroni Olsen	...	Dr. Ames
Erskine Sanford	...	Dr. Max Sherman
Peter Miles	...	Wynn Graham (as Gerald Perreau)
Jakob Gimpel	...	Pianist (as Jacob Gimpel)
Isabel Withers	...	Nurse Rosen
Lisa Golm	...	Elsie
Douglas Kennedy	...	Asst. District Attorney
Monte Blue	...	Norris
Don McGuire	...	Dr. Craig

Storyline

A woman wanders the streets of Los Angeles in some sort of emotional distress. She is also under some delusion as she approaches many men, strangers who she calls "David". Eventually, an ambulance is called, the attendants who take her to the hospital, where she is eventually placed in the psychiatric ward. Placing her under some medication to help her remember, Dr. Harvey Willard, the psychiatrist on duty, is able to get some semblance of a story out of her over the ensuing days. This phase of her life begins just over a year ago when she, single RN Louise Howell, is under the employ of wealthy Dean Graham to take care of his chronically ill and largely bedridden wife, Pauline Graham, at their lake house outside of Washington, DC. Due to her circumstances, Pauline believes that Dean and Louise are carrying on an affair behind her back. Louise can see that Dean does have feelings for her that way in his loneliness. The "David" in question is David Sutton, a civil engineer who lives ...

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Plot Keywords:

obsessive love | playing piano | persecution complex | reference to robert schumann | psychiatric ward | 

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Taglines:

"I've done things I'm ashamed of... but this isn't one of them!"

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to an item in The Hollywood Reporter from August 6, 1946, production on this film was suspended several weeks due to Joan Crawford having strep throat. The story also notes that Crawford had cinematographer Sidney Hickox replaced by Joseph A. Valentine despite Hickox having already worked on the film for 38 days.

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Goofs

When Louise and Carol are at the piano recital, David and his friends can be seen in the distant background approaching their seats. When it cuts to a medium shot of David, they are approaching their seats for a second time.

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Quotes

Louise Howell: You're not going to marry her. You're not good enough for her.

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Featured in Kisses (1991)

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Soundtracks

Carnaval, Opus 9
by Robert Schumann
Played on a piano by Van Heflin (dubbed by Jakob Gimpel)

User Reviews

Pure brilliance...a Gothic wonderland

This movie takes the smoldering talents of Joan Crawford and lets them burn the screen down, right before your eyes...she's utterly convincing as a fairly demented "possessed" lover, torn to pieces by hideous dysfunction. The lowest of lows, and not many highs...

Mildred Pierce laid the template down; Possessed fills the template and makes it its own. What I personally love is the "Hollywood Gothic" aspect, the redolence of that: every frame is steeped in it, every moment is cradled in its embrace. One of those movies that you watch, mouth agape, and whisper to yourself, "Christ, the aesthetics...was the world ever really like that?" Apparently so.

Oh, and for the record - it was a better world.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 July 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Secret

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center - 1200 N. State Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,592,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1