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Claudette Colbert is a wealthy woman driven to near insanity in "The Secret Fury," also starring Robert Ryan and Jane Cowl. On her wedding day, a man appears who claims that an heiress, Ellen (Colbert), is already married. An investigation ensues, and the evidence is against her. When her "husband" is murdered in her presence, she is put on trial.

This looked to me like a B movie, and it made for very compelling watching. My only quibble with it - and it's not a minor one - is that I was very disappointed with the ending. The motive for the crime seemed preposterous.

Robert Ryan plays Ellen's fiancé, and it's a different role for him. Here he's heroic and likable rather than villainous.

One of the most interesting things about the film is Vivian Vance in a small but showy role. She's excellent as a hotel maid who recognizes Ellen and verifies that she was indeed married before. It was a treat to see her do something besides Ethel Mertz.

Claudette Colbert is very good as the troubled woman. She's not a natural fit for the role, being more at home in comedy, but she makes it work. She's very believable as an older woman seeking happiness only to have it snatched from her at the last minute.

Mel Ferrer directed this very well, and I recommend it, though I wasn't crazy about the ending.

I was surprised, that ''The Secret Fury'' was an enjoyable good film...... Probably because, I didn't have any expectations for this movie..... Though, the film does have it's plot holes..... I would say, that you couldn't guess who was behind the whole scheme, until the very end of the movie..... At first, I thought, it was Robert Ryan, using the same method, like ''Gaslight'' where husband tries to drive his wife mad, but I was wrong...... The main problem, with the movie is, they drive at a whole other direction, which gave no clues at the beginning...... I thought, Robert Ryan & Claudette Colbert carried their parts well...... Plus, Vivian Vance, a fine character actress, who steals scenes in this one...... Those who like movies, that keeps you guessing, will like this one......

This movie was terrific and even with a less than convincing ending, it's still well worth seeing. The film begins as Claudette Colbert is about to marry Robert Ryan. When the minister asks if anyone has any objections, a guy jumps up and announces that Colbert CAN'T get married because she already is married!! Colbert insists this isn't true, but when they investigate they find that the Justice of the Peace and many others remember her wedding and there is even a signed wedding license! Slowly, it becomes apparent that Claudette's mind is slipping and people around her seriously doubt her sanity. Then, when the supposed first husband is murdered, all evidence and suspicion falls on Colbert.

The film is an exciting mystery suspense film, as what I have so far described is only the first half of the movie. What follows is amazingly intelligent and captivating. Unfortunately, the conclusion, though, is a bit of a let-down, as the guiding force behind all this turns out to come "right out of left field"--and is baffling since it was so unexpected and impossible to guess based on the information given to the viewer. However, in spite of this, the film was so good, I can even excuse the limp ending. In particular, Robert Ryan did a great job as the "knuckle-busting" fiancé, though apart from him the other performances were also excellent.

The great acting of Claudette Colbert and Robert Ryan covers up in The Secret Fury a rather over the top melodramatic story with a really baffling conclusion. It will never be rated at the top ten of either Colbert and Ryan's film credits.

It sure begins ordinarily enough in fact rather amusingly as Ryan has a bit of trouble getting into his own wedding as he's in a suit and everyone else has a tuxedo (Ryan is carrying his tux) and no one will let him tell them he's the groom.

But when the minister asks if anyone has just cause why Colbert and Ryan should not wed, a stranger pushes in and says that Colbert is already married to his friend and he was best man at the wedding. The stranger is Dave Barbour and when they check on his story it seems true enough as Colbert can't provide a real reason not since on the day of 'wedding' she apparently spent it alone.

Later on the 'husband' is found dead in a closed room with Colbert and she's put on trial for murder and totally cracks up on the stand as the gaslighting is proving too much.

I can say this much without giving away the ending. Usually in films like this you will find Bob Ryan behind the evil scheme, but in this case he's stalwart and true and doesn't stop believing in Claudette. He continues sleuthing on his own and in the end the real villain is discovered with a motive that will leave you scratching your head.

This film will offer you the opportunity to see stage legend Jane Cowl as Colbert's aunt and Vivian Vance as a hotel maid in a role quite different than Ethel Mertz. Still it's the stars who put over a rather incredible and incredulous story for your viewing pleasure.

Is Ellen (Colbert) losing her mind—is she already married? The trouble is what she remembers happening is not what a bunch of other people remember. So what's going on.

About half way through, the movie turns from high-key lighting into noir. But then Ellen's fiancée is the great noir icon Robert Ryan. Except here, he's basically a good guy, although those inventive opening scenes where he can't get into his own wedding prove he's a quirky sort. Colbert gets to show her acting chops by running through about every emotion in the book. And I couldn't help thinking of the previous year's The Snake Pit (1948) as I watched her breakdown.

It's a tense, riveting mystery as we try figuring out what's going on. Ellen seems so convincing, but then so does the damning evidence against her. The screenplay effectively draws the noose ever tighter around Ellen's sanity up till the end. Then the script nosedives with some ridiculous motivation that's just too implausible to fly (without giving it away). Too bad, since the movie could have excelled without this unfortunate lapse.

There's one scene that intrigued me. Hoping to unravel the mystery, Ellen and David enter what looks like a spacious, well-lit livingroom. There, what only can be described as a cutting-edge jazz ensemble is laying out the cool sounds of the time. Draped languorously across a couch is an equally cool-looking blonde. It's a highly suggestive scene, and clearly an effort at creating exotic atmosphere. But, the banal setting and the high-key lighting drain the needed visual impact. It's almost like someone (director Ferrer, the producers?) was afraid of too much "atmosphere", (contrast with the super-evocative jazz scene in the classic DOA {1950}). Thus, a potential highlight is allowed to pass by.

All in all, it's unfortunate that the fine acting, inventive touches, and genuine suspense are challenged by a key lapse in the plausibility of the screenplay. Otherwise it's an effective little thriller.

The Secret Fury, in many ways a run-of-the-mill romantic suspense drama (directed by Mel Ferrer) boasts top-notch principals in Colbert and Ryan; it stays puzzling if not quite gripping until towards the end, when implausibility conquers suspension of disbelief -- as so often it does in this genre. But for some viewers the film's highlight will be the portrayal of blowsy Leah by Vivian Vance -- the immortal Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy." Oddly, Vance had very few film roles; her true home was Broadway, where (among other gigs) she understudied for Ethel Merman. Here she contributes a winning turn as a chambermaid suborned to play a minor part in a nefarious scheme; watch her half-heartedly trying to wave away the smoke when she's puffing a furtive cigarette in the hotel's linen-storage room -- a transgression for which she ultimately pays the supreme penalty.

In the hands of lesser actors than Claudette Colbert and Robert Ryan this film could have become silly and trite. But, with these two experienced thespians leading the way, I found "Silent Fury" to be a most exciting and pleasurable little mystery. When their wedding is interrupted by a stranger who claims that Colbert is already married, and that he was best man at that wedding, one can sense that there is some sort of plot against her at work. As Colbert, Ryan, and her attorney set out to disprove the strangers claim of a prior marriage, they are met at every turn by more evidence that seems to reinforce the claim that she is indeed already wed. Although it's not very difficult to figure out just who the main "baddie" is, it's still lots of fun as the intensity and pace of the story increases. All in all, a good, solid mystery film with fine performances by the two leading actors and a fine supporting cast which includes the often underrated Paul Kelly.

Ellen R. Ewing (Claudette Colbert) is overjoyed to be marrying David McLean (Robert Ryan). She's from a rich upper class family and he's a regular guy. As the ceremony begins, a stranger stands up and claims that Ellen is already married. The man runs away but the marriage certificate is uncovered. Ellen struggles to prove her innocence as she is confronted by evidences and witnesses which are driving her mad.

I really love the premise. It has Hitchcockian flavor. I do have a problem with Randall's murder. I would like for the thug to reveal how it was done. Also during that waterboarding scene, David should be threatening him with the gun. It doesn't look right if all he's doing is putting him under the faucet. It all gets resolved too quickly. The thug should be revealed to be final villain and more time can be given to David's investigation. I also have an issue with Noosnom. It's unlikely that she remembers it that way. The movie needs to use a window or mirror to do the reflecting while the boat is hidden in some way. These are minor flaws that need to be cleaned up.

Intriguing, but ultimately preposterous noir melodrama with a hysterical performance from Claudette Colbert. It's understandable that Colbert is upset. Her wedding to Robert Ryan is interrupted by a man saying she is already married. Several people back him up and it's pretty convincing. Ryan's having his doubts, and Colbert is doubting her own sanity. A murder takes place and it leads to a trial staged in two of the silliest courtroom scenes ever. The first half of the film is pretty good, thanks to the intrigue, but it can't sustain credibility. No spoilers on the outcome. Roy Webb is credited with an overwrought score, using a piano theme by Robert Schumann that we hear in variations -- the same tune that obsesses Joan Crawford throughout POSESSED (1947). There's some interest in the cast though: Paul Kelly, Paul Picerni, an uncredited Jose Ferrer (no relation to director Mel), Philip Ober and his then-wife Vivian Vance who is quite good in one of her few, but this time memorable, film parts before she became the immortal "Ethel Mertz".

It is a mystery and a thriller from 1950. I have enjoyed Claudette Colbert and Robert Ryan in other movies, so I thought I would check it out. This story kept me interested and, yes, thrilled!

Solid crime mystery noir in which a young woman who is about to get married during the ceremony is confronted with the fact that she is already married to someone else.

She claims it is a lie, but when she digs into the past together with her future husband and family, every witness seems to know her as the wife of the other man.

Things get even more complicated when she tracks down her alleged ex and he is subsequently murdered and she is charged.

The final plot denouement may be a bit far-fetched, but all in all this is a solid thriller with a pretty decent and satisfying ending .

Ryan and Colbert are playing their roles good and the pace of the story is good also.

Why RKO even bothered to waste an outstanding cast in this preposterous dud of a thriller is hard to figure out. At the time it must have seemed like a tired retread of "Gaslight," "Suspicion," or even "Sorry, Wrong Number." The chief attractions for 21st century viewers are two actresses who aren't seen much in films: Jane Cowl and Vivian Vance. Cowl was a renowned leading lady of the stage for decades, beginning in 1903, and a successful playwright as well (she wrote and starred in "Smilin' Through," which was eventually filmed with Norma Shearer, just one of several roles she originated which were played by others in film adaptations). None of this background is particularly evident in her performance here, but her presence is of historical interest. Vance contributes a neat bit as a rather sinister hotel maid, reminding viewers that there was a lot more to her than Ethel Mertz. Colbert, called upon to play a variation on the woman being driven mad, which had already been done to perfection in far better films by the likes of Joan Fontaine and Ingrid Bergman, fulfills the obligations of the script - which isn't saying much. Through dialogue we are informed that she is a concert pianist, but nowhere does her connection to this profession impact the plot or her character. In one scene she plays the piano but she could just as well have been knitting a sweater. One can only surmise that the career references were tossed into the script as a classy, indirect way of explaining why a woman of her age had never been married before- she was too busy with her great career.

On paper this plot about a mysterious and inexplicable conspiracy against an innocent woman might have looked somewhat promising, but its drearily conventional presentation waters down the suspense. The best scenes are the ones that make some attempt at atmosphere: a tightly staged encounter between Vance and Robert Ryan in a hotel linen storage room and a noir-ish one in Vance's cheap boarding house; also, a visitation by Colbert and her fiancé Ryan to a club where they sit in semi-frozen anticipation as an ensemble plays laid-back modern jazz. The depiction of a mental institution where Colbert is sent after breaking down in a courtroom is laughable. And finally, the resolution of the mystery is truly beyond belief.

When Claudette Colbert walks down the aisle to marry Robert Ryan, she thinks the rest of her life will be wedded bliss. She has no idea that someone will shout, "I object!" and charge her with bigamy. Sorry, folks, but you should know by now that Robert Ryan isn't just going to get the girl in the first five minutes and sail off into the sunset. Even when he gets the chance to play a good guy, there are lots of obstacles in his path.

The Secret Fury is a psychological thriller, so if you like movies like Gaslight, you can check it out. I'm not giving a spoiler alert, by the way; I'm only comparing the two movies because an innocent woman starts to question her sanity. Though made in 1950, it does feel melodramatic like movies made in the previous decade. Claudette has a definite style to her acting, so if you're looking for something more modern or original, you won't find it in this movie. If you do like her, though, and you want to see her paired with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome, give it a shot. It's entertaining if you are prepared for something a little on the soapy side.

I rated this movie 6/10 mainly because apart from the good acting of Robert Ryan, Claudette Colbert was directed in an unconvincing way by Mel Ferrer.The most ludicrous scene she had was when she mentally breaks down in the witness box during the murder trial scene and she never convinced as a concert pianist as the director used the old trick of filming her from angles which did not disclose her hand positions.In films about famous pianists with Hollywood actors playing the musician, a good edit has a close up of a professional pianist's hands then cuts to a head and shoulders of the actor.The big fault in the screenplay was supposing every character could be bribed to agree to the same lie.Surely moral turpitude in America was not so base in 1950 especially after the big lie of Hitler 5 years before.The movie gained my attention for its duration and I was pleasantly surprised by the rather Agatha Cristie-like ending.It had its pros (exciting story that kept one guessing and cons (improbability) and this was my first viewing.I recently saw "Since You Went Away" (1944) when Claudette Colbert was better cast in her role as a mother of two daughters whose husband has been called up into the U.S. Army during WW11.

When ever a film is produced or directed by Mel Ferrer, you can bet your life any of his pictures will be seen for generation after generation. Just having Claudette Colbert,(Ellen R. Ewing),"The Egg & I",'47 appearing and starring in the film will make it even more of a great Classic Film. In this film, Ellen Ewing gets married and then she encounters all kinds of mental problems and even murder. The mystery gets very much involved and Robert Ryan,(David McLean),"Battle of the Bulge",'65, comes to the aid of Ellen and sometimes you even wonder about David being on the up and up. As you view this picture you just about find yourself beginning to understand who is the real nutty person and all of a sudden, you begin to change your mind how the film will end. Great acting by Claudette Colbert and Robert Ryan who played an entirely different role than he usually portrays on the screen. I forgot to mention that Mel Ferrer, was married to a great film star, Audrey Hepburn. Great Classic film, with great Classic Actors !

As you must know by now, lovely bride-to-be Claudette Colbert's wedding is interrupted, then canceled, when a stranger insists she was married before in another town, and phone calls to its bureau of records seem to confirm it.

We strongly suspect she did no such thing because she's the star after all, and she seems too busy as a concert pianist to have led this alleged double life. But all sorts of people in the other town claim to confirm it.

I don't think it's giving away too much to reveal that it was all indeed a conspiracy. Nothing wrong with that dramatically, but the main perpetrator's motive turns out be something of which we were given no inkling, and the plot against Claudette is so involved and complicated it would have required at least the CIA, not a fairly ordinary person, to pull off.

The film is well made and suspenseful and all that, but for me the final explanation was just too far-fetched and left me feeling a bit cheated.

(1950) The Secret Fury MYSTERY THRILLER/ PSYCHOLOGICAL

It has architect, David McLean (Robert Ryan) just arriving to his fiance's wedding, a renown piano player, Ellen Ewing (Claudette Colbert). All is well, until a man stands up to claim that Ellen has already been married before when she went on a trip to Fairview to a guy name Lucien Randall (Dave Barbour). She claims he is lying, both Ellen and David then go along with some close relatives and friends to find out whether it's made up or not. Which their first stop was to Fairview to see the document before seeing Justice of the Peace, and were surprised to see that the marriage document was on her handwriting. And upon confronting Lucien Randall, the man who claims is the actual husband of Ellen Ewing. As a result of her agreeing to be in the same room as her, it then appears that she has shot him dead. Forcing her to stand trial with family lawyer,Gregory Kent (Philip Ober) to represent her. The term "Secret Fury" as the movie is called is in reference to a description to person's mental state of "past aggression's of unconscious" which was part of a description about Ellen, once she became hysterical and was then put in a institution.

After watching this movie again after many years, I thought I had remembered who the main culprit was who was like behind all of this, and i was still wrong about it. As the culprit is not obvious, but as a result of watching it again I also got to see some of the inconsistencies, such as how come police are not involved who can prove Ellen did not shoot and kill her alleged so-called husband, Lucien Randall? And normally, when you have a lawyer hired to defend someone, usually that defense lawyer would have someone go and cross examine or return to ask questions to those very accusers, as opposed to the architect fiance, David McLean! And as soon as we finally do see the person who was behind all of this , it made even less sense. You just might say it is a cross between "Spellbound" and "Gaslight".