Extraña interpretación

They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. What if they are one and the same? Just ask scientist Nora Goodrich (Brenda Marshall, in real life Mrs. William Holden). She is conducting an experiment with her assistant/friend Arline (Hillary Brooke), but Arline is after Nora's fiancé (William Gargan), a successful doctor. While Nora is out from anesthetic, which is part of a grand experiment -oops, a fire starts in a beaker, thanks to Arline loading it up, and Nora's face is burned and scarred. While she's recovering in the hospital, Arline fixes it so that the fiancé thinks that Nora doesn't want to see him; meanwhile, Nora is wondering why he isn't coming by. Then an unfortunate accident in her apartment causes Nora to get plastic surgery - but with a brand-new face and a name to go with it.

This is kind of a fun B movie with an interesting cast that includes William Gargan as the object of Nora's and Arline's affections -- bad casting -- the role needed a good-looking B film lead like Jeffrey Lynn or Richard Carlson. H.B. Warner, Jesus in the original King of Kings, plays a plastic surgeon, and Ruth Ford, Mrs. Zachary Scott, plays one Jane Karaski, who is important to the plot.

Economically directed by Anthony Mann, this is a pretty good film with a gigantic twist at the end, one that was actually used in a couple of other films. Not the best but satisfying nonetheless.

Don't look for lovely cinematography, camera angles, unusual sets, great clothes, or anything like that - this movie comes to you from Republic Studios.

First off, I practically fainted at seeing a Republic Picture that didn't star John Wayne and wasn't one of their few big-budget movies. That studio turned out some excellent films and they are rarely seen. (This even though till about ten years ago our ABC affiliate showed one, sometimes two, every Saturday night.) The movie itself is not Mann at his best but it's very good. He's been given a fabulous cast. Brenda Marshall is a great favorite of mine. Ruth Ford did more on stage, maybe, than on screen. William Gargan was handsome before he moved into character roles. And Hillary Brooke! Wow, what a performance she turns in here! Lyle Talbot is also on board. He's somewhere between his days as a leading man and his time with Ed Wood. He looks a bit pudgy here.

When we first meet the three principals, they're all wearing glasses. You see, they are scientists.

In a parking garage on her way home from work, Marshall accidentally backs her car into the inebriated Ford. And that's all the plot I'm giving.

Brooke is given a very meaty role. It seems like the typical best-friend part. She seems like a low-budget Eve Arden at first. But oh no! That changes. And she is up to every twist and turn of the plot.

The movie is a little bit soap opera, a little bit noir. But it's both highly entertaining on its on and a must-see for fans of the great Anthony Mann.

Scientist, Nora Goodrich (Brenda Marshall) has developed a revolutionary anesthetic. Rather than bother with years of trials, she simply uses it on herself, in her apartment.

The new drug works very well. In fact, too well, since Nora's conniving assistant, Arline Cole (Hillary Brooke) has plans of her own, and takes full advantage of Nora's comatose condition.

Tragedy ensues, altering Nora's entire life!

STRANGE IMPERSONATION has elements of noir, revenge, and even a bit of sci-fi thrown in. While the ending is somewhat of an eye-roller, the rest is good enough to recommend it...

This early Anthony Mann film starts off most promisingly with tracking shots in the lecture theatre (of the Mindred Lord Institute yet!), mirror shots in the laboratory and a marvelous overhead shot of a flashing hotel neon sign and George Chandler sitting on a fire hydrant on the pavement below. After another wonderful mirror shot in Brenda Marshall's apartment, she and William Gargan walk on to the balcony and it is at this point that the film begins to fall apart. The script takes on the plotting and dialogue of some stupid dime-store novelette for mentally backward adolescents and the direction becomes astonishingly routine, with long, static takes and interminable close-ups and two-shots of the unattractive principals (even Hillary Brooke looks unattractive in the costumes, make-up and lighting of this film). The mirror motif is lost sight of altogether, until just before the plastic surgery sequence when the film comes to life for a few more moments (the table lamp lighting Marshall's face from below, the struggle, the escape, the surgery), wanes for a stretch, surges to life for a few more moments (the interrogation) and then is extinguished forever by a poor conclusion. Brenda Marshall brings little distinction to her dual role, Miss Brooke is not much better and Gargan is about as welcome as rain at a school picnic. The support cast, headed by George Chandler of all people, is more interesting.

Does there exist a male baby boomer who grew up watching reruns of "The Abbott and Costello Show" during the 1950s and early '60s who was able to resist falling in love with Hillary Brooke? With her sexy blond good looks and sweet demeanor, no wonder Lou and all the other guys had a major "thing" for her. Viewers may be surprised to learn, however, that before "The A&C Show," Hillary excelled at portraying so-called "bad girls," as the 1946 potboiler "Strange Impersonation" so amply demonstrates. Here, she plays the assistant to anesthesia researcher Brenda Marshall (herself so memorable in one of my Top 10 films of all time, the 1940 remake of "The Sea Hawk"), as well as the best friend from hell. Hillary sabotages one of Marshall's experiments, leading to an explosive fire and the disfigurement of her boss. She then goes about stealing Marshall's fiancé, leading to a twisty story involving betrayal, plastic surgery, murder, blackmail and identity theft. All this in a brief 68 minutes, and topped with a surprise ending that some may find cheap, but that surprisingly explains away the many plot loopholes, inconsistencies and implausibilities that have preceded it; an ending, in addition, that is wholly earned and was set up in the film's opening moments. Yes, this IS another B cheapie made on the quick by Republic Studios, but it certainly is fun. And need I even mention that it is a must for all fans of Hillary Brooke?