Woman in Hiding (1950)

After her father is killed in an accident, mill heiress Deborah Chandler marries the plant manager, Selden Clark, but his motives are suspicious.

Director:

Michael Gordon

Writers:

Oscar Saul (screenplay), Roy Huggins (adaptation)

Stars:

Ida Lupino, Stephen McNally, Howard Duff

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ida Lupino	...	Deborah Chandler Clark
Stephen McNally	...	Selden Clark IV
Howard Duff	...	Keith Ramsey
Peggy Dow	...	Patricia Monahan
John Litel	...	John Chandler
Taylor Holmes	...	Lucius Maury
Irving Bacon	...	'Pops' Link
Don Beddoe	...	Fat Salesman
Joe Besser	...	Salesman with Drum
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Gould	...	Train Conductor (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Deborah Chandler's rejected suitor, Selden Clark, manages the factory of her father, who dies: did he fall or was he pushed? But charming Clark manages to win her over and marry her. On the honeymoon, Clark's former girl Patricia intervenes and opens Deborah's eyes, alas too late. Now Clark tries to kill Deborah. Believed dead by all but Clark, she flees. But drifter Keith Ramsey recognizes and follows her. Can she trust him? Can he believe her?

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Plot Keywords:

model ship | honeymoon | taxi | man slaps a woman | locker | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 February 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

L'araignée

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Kraike: The film's producer appears as "end man reading newspaper".

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Goofs

The pattern of the wet spots on Stephen McNally's suit change.

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Quotes

Lucius Maury: [to reporter] A good caning might teach you a decent respect for grief.

User Reviews

There's trouble at mill.

Woman in Hiding is directed by Michael Gordon and adapted to screenplay by Oscar Saul and Roy Huggins from a story by James Webb. It stars Ida Lupino, Stephen McNally, Howard Duff and Peggy Dow. Music is by Milton Schwarzwald and cinematography by William H. Daniels.

After the mysterious death of her father, a quickfire marriage to a hugely suspicious man, and an attempt on her life, Deborah Chandler Clark (Lupino) is forced to assume a new identity and go into hiding...

No great shakes as regards the plot line, it's a standard woman in peril piece, where we the viewers know what's going on and only really await for what we hope is a punchy resolution to it all. However, overcoming the simplicity of formula, it's a film nicely constructed and performed, with plenty of suspense, tightly wound anticipation and some very pleasing visual accompaniments.

Opening with a guarded voice over from Lupino''s character, mood is nicely set at noir influenced. From here we quickly get to know the principle players and are quickly on Deborah's side. Peril and emotional pain is never far away with Gordon (The Web) and ace photographer Daniels (The Naked City) complicit in mood enhancements. Cue a cabin at nighttime bathed in oppressive moonlight, shadowed window bars striking facial menace - and as Deborah's peril grows greater - an imposing staircase ripe for a dastardly deed, Then we hit the last quarter of film and the quality really shines through. A steam train at night is grand, a splendid setting, but that is just a precursor to the exciting denouement at the deserted mill of Deborah's birthright. Daniels excels, his photography straight out of a noir fever dream, all while the industrial churning of the mill machinery adds impetus to the thrilling conclusion.

It needed more of a black heart as per outcome to be a definitive noir pic, but it comes safely recommended to noir enthusiasts regardless. 7/10