Secret de femme

While he waited (and waited) for his unique debut feature 'Your Red Wagon' to be released Nicholas Ray churned out this breezy potboiler which was probably the nearest he came to making a comedy (Mary Phillips is a blast as detective Jay C. Flippen's feisty wife). Just as 'Your Red Wagon' finally hit cinemas as 'They Live by Night', so the shooting title here was 'The Long Denial' (the original novel by Vickie Baum was called 'Mortgage from Life') but it eventually became 'A Woman's Secret'.

Written and produced by Herman Mankiewicz, it resembles a light-hearted cross between 'All About Eve' and 'Rashomon'. A bonus for Ray proved second lead Gloria Grahame, playing a torch singer who went under the name Estrellita, with whom he quickly became an item (Patrick McGilligan later observed that she "had been alluring in earlier film appearances, but Ray would make her glow as never before in his new film") and married as soon as her divorce came through.

Though not really a noir, this emerged a surprisingly compelling melodrama. That said, prior to its late-night Italian screening, the notoriously eccentric commentator Enrico Ghezzi stated that the film – Ray's second – was forced on him by Dore Schary; it is evident because, if there's an auteur at work here, it's screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Ray's treatment, however, is sufficiently stylish to overcome the essential impersonality with which he approached the material and, at least, through working on this film, he met future wife Gloria Grahame!).

Even if controversy still rages over Mankiewicz' exact contribution to CITIZEN KANE (1941), he gives this one a similar flashback structure; of course, comparisons to Orson Welles' magnum opus won't do Ray's more modest effort any favors, so I won't make any! Still, while not especially memorable, the film can stand on its own two feet – thanks largely to a fine cast (an unusually aggressive Maureen O'Hara, the volatile Grahame, the typically cynical Melvyn Douglas, Victor Jory as a wealthy but love-struck middle-aged man, Jay C. Flippen as an understanding police inspector). By the way, amusing though it is, the film's injection of humor is rather atypical for Ray – particularly in the figure of Flippen's wife, who likes to carry out her own sleuthing!

Maureen O'Hara confesses to shooting her protégée (Gloria Grahame) in "A Woman's Secret," costarring Melvyn Douglas. Though this is a drama, it actually has a witty script, a light touch, and wonderful performances.

Most of the story is told in flashbacks as Douglas, who plays a pianist/songwriter, describes to police detective Jay C. Flippen why it was impossible for O'Hara to have shot the singer Estrelita, whom O'Hara and Douglas discovered and helped make famous.

Melvyn Douglas' years as a great actor came later in his life. For most of his career, he sailed through roles that were beneath his abilities. He delivers his lines here with a dry wit and is delightful. Grahame does a great job as the singer. She's cute, sexy, and funny without meaning to be and, though the character is very self-involved, she's somewhat endearing. O'Hara's role doesn't allow for any humor, and she carries it off well. O'Hara had a lovely soprano voice and starred in a Broadway show, "Christine," but it isn't clear whether or not she did her own singing in the film.

Some of the best scenes, though, are provided by Jay C. Flippen and Mary Phillips, who play husband and wife. She's a little too interested in his police work, but their love shines through.

All in all, a good watch.

I'm not going to bother with the silly story behind this farce. There are several other reviews with that info. The film is full of great actors and Maureen O'Hara is stunningly beautiful. Although there's enough talent to keep you entertained up to the end, my main concern is what this film is not.

It is not a whodunit, although Jay C. Flippen as police inspector Jim Fowler at one point says it is. It is not Film Noir, although one flashback scene looks very noirish. Finally, it is certainly not an "All About Eve" as the film is actually all about nobody. In fact, it was impossible for me to figure out why most of the characters do what they do -- but, maybe you can.

Why does the police inspector sit and listen to Melvyn Douglas drone on for hours about what a great gal the Maureen O'Hara character is? Why does Maureen O'Hara insist that she is guilty? Why does Gloria Grahame have a German Luger in her purse? Why does the police inspector's wife suddenly turn into a detective? Why is Bill Williams even in the movie?

There are many more inexplicable questions that I felt were never answered, but I guess it's just A Woman's Secret.

No need to recap the plot, which I couldn't do anyway. In fact, just what the screenplay is aiming at may be the movie's biggest secret. Is it a mystery—well no, since early on the camera shows Marian (O'Hara) pulling the trigger. Is it a noir—hardly, since the atmosphere is pretty conventional. Is it a love story (a Ray specialty)—well maybe, except who loves whom is not always clear. Sure, a movie doesn't have to be pigeon-holed to be good. But the trouble here is that Secret is simply too muddled to fit anywhere, and that's despite a luminescent turn from the incomparable Gloria Grahame.

Director Ray was especially expert at getting triumphs from love story actresses—Cathy O'Donnell, Allene Roberts, Natalie Wood, et al. No wonder Grahame fell for him in real life. However, critics are right: Jory and Douglas are both a shade too old (circa, 50) for 20-something O'Hara and Grahame. Plus, pity poor Bill Williams whose one-note, unnecessary part suggests he wandered onto the wrong set. Then there's the ill- advised comedy relief from the cop's wife that erupts half-way through as if some studio higher-up suddenly intervened.

Hard to believe cult director Ray had anything to do with this muddle. Clearly, he only went through the motions, probably as a result of an unwanted studio assignment (RKO). Too bad. But, I doubt anyone could have salvaged such confused material.