The File on Thelma Jordon (1950)

Assistant district attorney Cleve Marshall falls for the mysterious Thelma Jordon when she seeks help solving robberies of her aunt's estate.

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Marty Holland (story), Ketti Frings (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, Paul Kelly

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Thelma Jordon
Wendell Corey	...	Cleve Marshall
Paul Kelly	...	Miles Scott
Joan Tetzel	...	Pamela Blackwell Marshall
Stanley Ridges	...	Kingsley Willis
Richard Rober	...	Tony Laredo
Minor Watson	...	Judge Calvin H. Blackwell
Barry Kelley	...	District Attorney Melvin Pierce
Kasey Rogers	...	Dolly - Cleve's Secretary (as Laura Elliot)
Basil Ruysdael	...	Judge Jonathan David Hancock
Jane Novak	...	Mrs. Blackwell
Gertrude Hoffman	...	Aunt Vera Edwards (as Gertrude W. Hoffman)
Harry Antrim	...	Sidney
Kate Drain Lawson	...	Clara (as Kate Lawson)
Theresa Harris	...	Esther

Storyline

Assistant District Attorney Cleve Marshall, depressed about marital troubles, is drowning his sorrows in a bottle of whiskey when the mysterious and alluring Thelma Jordon walks in to report an attempted burglary. The two become romantically involved and not long afterwards there is a burglary and murder at Thelma's aunt's house. Cleve is drawn further and further into defending and covering up for Thelma. It soon becomes clear that this road will only lead to disaster.

---

Plot Keywords:

jury | five word title | alcoholic | alcoholism | drunkenness | 

---

Taglines:

"I'm no good for any man for any longer than a kiss!"

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

---

Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 May 1950 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Thelma Jordon

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Jail, Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wallis-Hazen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While the jury is considering their verdict Thelma is seen being held in prison, which is across the street from the court. With the jury ready to give their verdict Thelma is walked over the road to the court with no handcuffs on. All the ground floor windows and the doorway of the prison unrealistically have awnings over them making it look more like a hotel.

---

Goofs

Cleve Marshall sits down at the desk opposite Miles Scott and says "Can't talk 'til I have another drink." Scott picks up the whiskey bottle and pulls out the cork before handing it to Marshall. Marshall picks up the bottle and again pulls out the cork.

---

Quotes

[Cleve, completely wasted, pulls Thelma close to him]
Cleve Marshall: One more dance.
Thelma Jordon: Not now, Cleve. It's late.
Cleve Marshall: This is wonderful. 'S our anniversary. How long has it been? Three hours.

---

Connections

Referenced in Drive-in Movie Memories (2001)

User Reviews

That Room/ The Smell of Death

Barbara Stanwyck, (Thelma Jordon) plays the role of a woman exactly like the one she played with Fred MacMurray in " Double Indemnity" where she has some very dark secrets in her past. Wendell Corey, (Cleve Marshall) plays the role as an Assistant District Attorney and Thelma meets up with Cleve in his office late at night and Cleve has been drinking a lot of booze because he has problems with his wife and he becomes very involved with Thelma who needs a lawyers assistance. Cleve gets romantically involved with Thelma even though he has a wife and children. Thelma's aunt who is very rich is murdered and she does not report her death right away and seeks Cleve's help in trying to take the blame off of her. Thelma complains to Cleve that she hated the room where her aunt was murdered and it smelled of death and she lost her sense of self-control. This film will keep you guessing how this film will eventually end and who actually committed these murders. This is a great mystery story from 1950.