The Hidden Room (1949)

Clive Riordan plans a devilish revenge against his wife's lover.

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Alec Coppel (book), Alec Coppel (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert Newton, Sally Gray, Phil Brown

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Newton	...	Dr. Clive Riordan
Phil Brown	...	Bill Kronin
Sally Gray	...	Storm Riordan
Naunton Wayne	...	Supt. Finsbury
James Harcourt	...	Aitkin (butler)
Betty Cooper	...	Miss Stevens (receptionist)
Michael Balfour	...	American sailor
Ronald Adam	...	Clubman
Roddy Hughes	...	Clubman
Allan Jeayes	...	Clubman
Olga Lindo	...	Mrs. Humphries
Russell Waters	...	Flying Squad detective
Lyonel Watts	...	Clubman (as Lionel Watts)
Sam Kydd	...	Club steward
Monty the Dog	...	Monty - Storm's Dog

Storyline

London psychiatrist Clive Riordan, royally fed up with the repeated affairs of his wife Storm, plots a seemingly 'perfect' revenge against her latest lover, American Bill Kronin. Catching them in the act, he marches Bill off at gunpoint; and from the viewpoint of Storm and the rest of the world, Bill simply vanishes. But there's far more to the meticulously worked out plot than Clive's victims suspect, with the end slowly preparing in his private laboratory. Enter a mild-mannered Scotland Yard man, who seemingly has no clue beyond a missing dog...

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Plot Keywords:

dog | british noir | revenge | scotland yard | perfect crime | 

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Taglines:

Whose eye could see... Whose ear could hear... Whose mind could know... the Secret!

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 January 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Hidden Room

Filming Locations:

Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Independent Sovereign Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Edward Dmytryk was in the UK after being blacklisted as part of "The Hollywood Ten" who refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was granted a work permit in the country by the Ministry of Labour as part of a "directors quota" in place to protect film industry jobs in the UK.

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Goofs

When the dog falls in the "acid bath", he suffers no ill effects and Bill makes no effort to even rinse him off.

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Quotes

Dr. Clive Riordan: Are you married, Mr. Finsbury?
Supt. Finsbury: No... I've often thought about it. Trouble is, I've thought about it so long, I'm afraid I've missed the bus.
Dr. Clive Riordan: Just one of life's little jokes, isn't it?... It points out our mistakes too late for us to profit by them.

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Connections

Referenced in Destination Murder (1950)

User Reviews

remarkably well-done plot

A London psychiatrist (Robert Newton) catches his wife (Sally Gray) in an affair with an American (Phil Brown). Apparently this is not her first affair, and Newton, as the objective and self-controlled psychiatric professional, decides to settle things in a well-thought-out way by first kidnapping and then imprisoning the American in a hidden room not too far removed from the actual residence, with the ultimate goal of killing him without leaving any incriminating traces. The film could have been more dramatic by playing up the relationship between Newton and the beautiful Sally Gray. Gray seems to be telling the viewer that Newton never really loved her, although it also seems as if her youth and passion were too much for his middle-aged character to handle. In any event the plot, which is remarkably well done, inevitably leads to a police or Scotland Yard type investigation and eventual solving of the crime, rather than a dark story.