Die bronzene Göttin

Broadway diva Valerie Stanton (Rosalind Russell) is in love with Michael Morrell. She wants to retire. Her producer Gordon Dunning refuses to let her quit and blackmails her into staying. She hits him over the head in the struggle. He's dead and actress Marian Webster becomes the prime suspect as police Captain Danbury investigates the case.

The opening is great. The story needs to move forward after that and not backwards. I don't like the flashbacks. It's not necessary to understand the minutia of her relationship with Gordon. Quite frankly, the opening reveals all the important parts and Gordon says it all in his rant. The movie is still interesting as it follows the investigation and Valerie's moral dilemma in a paranoid thriller. She could try harder to cover up the incident. It's just that the flashbacks really saps the intensity out of any thriller elements early in the movie.

Don't miss this! The incomparable Roz, totally believable as a Broadway legend. What a delight to see her playing off the underrated, irreplaceable Claire Trevor. Clever mystery set in the environs of the theater with a real feel for atmosphere. It really seems like it was filmed on location on not on RKO soundstages. That is always one of the real treats of unappreciated the RKO product. Throw in a sly performance from Greenstreet. This one is a real gem!

When this film begins, Valerie Stanton (Rosalind Russell) is in the office of Gordon Dunning (Leon Ames). Dunning is insisting that he MUST have her or he will destroy her. Dunning is VERY intense and vaguely threatening. Stanton is obviously afraid of him and ends up accidentally killing him in self-defense. However, she does NOT tell the police but tries to see if she can get away with it.

Since there is no doubt that Valerie did it, you might wonder how they fill the rest of the movie. After all, the killing happens in just the first few minutes of the film. Well, part of the film consists of Valerie having a flashback where she thinks about all the things that led up to the killing. The rest consists of the police investigation headed by the Captain (Sidney Greenstreet). However, where it all goes is not what I would have expected--and I appreciate that. In particular, since Valerie was doing the play "Hedda Gabler", I assumed the film would end the same as the play.

The film has a very nice script, as it explores human nature and has plenty of twists and turns. Additionally, the acting and direction are quite intelligently done--making it a nice movie for adult tastes. Of the actors, by the way, my favorite was Greenstreet, as he plays against type and his performance is smooth and believable. Overall, a very nice film.

Higher production values and A list actors results in both an improvement and degradation of this so-called noir. So many great noir films possess the similar elements. But with the big budget and ambitious productions here, the tension, darkness and grit give way in this film to light, romance and big stage productions. Sure there are things to like in this movie, but let's be honest and not call it noir. Just because there is a murder, it gets lost in dream sequences which quickly abandon the crime in service of the backstory. The investigation into the murder - which often brings the real tension to noir - doesn't get started until 45 minutes into the film - thank goodness for Sydney Greenstreet. Serviceable mystery, yes. Film noir, nope.

"The Velvet Touch" is a wonderful film starring Rosalind Russell as a glamorous Broadway star, Valerie Stanton, who accidentally kills her boyfriend-producer.

The movie's dialogue is sophisticated and so is its New York theater atmosphere - the parties, the clothes, the rivalries, and the lush theater itself which looks like the real thing, but is an elaborate set. Russell's costars include Sydney Greenstreet, Claire Trevor, and Leon Ames. Greenstreet's portrayal of the clever police detective is excellent, and you can see where he would get on Russell's frayed nerves. Trevor, as a rival of Valerie's, gives a marvelous performance. There is a clever juxtaposition between the film's plot and the play in which Valerie Stanton is appearing, Hedda Gabler. I've always considered this movie an unsung gem.