The Second Woman

It's opening speech tries far too hard to evoke associations with 'Rebecca' (it even features one of the original cast), and it also shoehorns in references to 'Suspicion' and 'Spellbound'. But it actually works perfectly own on it's own terms - with a bit of postwar psychology thrown in and Tchaikovsky on the soundtrack - and ironically harks forward towards later Hitchcocks (notably 'North by Northwest') with it's hero and heroine meeting cute on a train and the hilltop Frank Lloyd Wright-style house that serves as a backdrop to some of the drama.

A chicly attired Betsy Drake - ironically Mrs Cary Grant at the time - provides an attractive and robust female lead.

This fine "B" film project is basically a psychological film, in the category of the many 1940s and 50s films that were made to explore depth-of-character and motivation. The idea their producers had was to go beyond the inspector calling and assembling suspects in the drawing room to detail who'd done a murder; in the newer mysteries, emphasis was placed upon gradually discovering clues and lines of inquiry, upon revealing actions, pretenses, questionings and complex relationships. This "modern" peeling away of layers of truth relating to an old crime's influence often works brilliantly in my judgment, especially in this movie, Not the least of this unpretentious and beautifully- photographed work's accomplishments is its avoidance of Freudian and false notions that so often muddy attempts to understand individuals' characters in film; Freud applies only to totalitarian societies. Here the investigator is in fact a beautiful woman, very intelligently played as insurance expert and woman-in-love by Betsy Drake. The object of her interest is a man who may or may not be crazy, well-portrayed by Robert Young. He has been suffering a series of accidents or breakdowns that are ruining his life; he has begun to doubt his own sanity. But she insightfully feelss someone is trying to wreck his career and his hopes for happiness. Their search for the perpetrator of the acts being done against him help them to unravel the mystery of his late wife's death and the secrets of the usual nasty small United States town and its equally small-minded citizens (a favorite target of intellectuals in the period, genuinely or not). The director was James V. Kerns, the cinematographer Hal Mohr, whose work was outstanding also. The cast apart from the attractive and bright leads was comprised of Morris Carnovsky, Jean Rogers, Steven Geray, Shirley Ballard, John Sutton and Florence Bates, all well-cast and in top form.. This film was an attempt to do on a low-budget what "Spellbound" had been able to accomplish; the house architect Young designs is outstanding modern architecture; the music by Bernard Nussbaum and the Tschaikovsky excerpts used are I believe add to the atmosphere very nicely. And the relations between characters, acerbic or warm, are unusually well-realized in dialogs and blocking.. This is a true sleeper, with its roots in "The Fountainhead"; and one that deserves much more attention that it has ever received; many elements of an intriguing mystery-noir storyline are quite successfully filmed here indeed.

What this b&w noir has going for it is the scenic grandeur of the central California coastline. The roiling sea and rocky outcrops, along with the ultra-modern (circa 1950) cliff house, provide an unusual backdrop to this psychological drama. Bad things keep happening to architect Jeff (Young) for no apparent reason, starting with the highway death of his wife. Enter Ellen (Drake) who seeks to uncover the mystery, though the finger of guilt begins to point at a grieving Jeff who may now be unhinged.

Both the script and the staging are excellent until the climax, which should have been reconsidered from both ends, especially the ludicrous gunshot that seemingly takes minutes to register. Drake's an appealing actress and projects intelligence in the part. At the same time, she's unusual for a decade that emphasized buxom sex-goddesses, which she definitely is not. She and Young do make a well-matched screen couple. However, Young's performance is rather strange. I don't know if he was reaching for a particular effect, but his low-key demeanor never changes despite the many provocations. Unfortunately, it borders on both the boring and the implausible.

Nonetheless, it's an intriguing mystery and a real treat for the eye thanks to cinematographer Hal Mohr. Also, I can't help noticing that Harry Popkin produced this film, along with the noir classic DOA (1950) and such imaginative B-movies as The Well (1951) and The Thief (1952). I expect it was he who insisted on the scenic locations for this film, proving that noir need not be confined to gritty urban settings. Anyway, I think it's fair to surmise that Popkin was a producer, unlike many, who understood the artistic side of movie-making. It shows here.

Intriguing psychological thriller which reflects the forties zeitgeist when psychonanalysis was the craze (see "spellbound" " the dark mirror" "secret beyond the door"...)Because he feels responsible for the death of his fiancée in a car crash ,Jeff is brooding .And he's a victim of strange incidents (he has to shoot his horse whose front leg is broken, his dog is poisoned ) ;"it cannot be a coincidence " says Helen (who plays the role of Ingrid Bergman in "spellbound" although she's not a shrink ) .When the unfortunate man's house is burnt , all coincidence must be ruled out:

Is it a self-inflicted retribution ("he wants to be punished for what he's done) ,as the friendly doctor says , warning Helen and her aunt who accomodates him after the fire against a man who may become dangerous :he destroys everything he likes , and he loves you!

Or is there a criminal mind behind these strange events : hence a whodunit side: is it Ben,the late fiancée's father who treats Jeff like his own son?Keith the philanderer? Or the doctor himself ?

The screenplay sustains suspense throughout and the ending makes sense ; Robert Young as a brooding wistful man down on his luck and Betsy Drake, as headstrong energetic Helen come up to scratch.

This interesting psychological drama has a number of strengths that more than make up for the low-budget look and a few minor flaws. The story is full of tension and dramatic possibilities, and things are built up nicely, with the flashback opening and a number of the plot elements frequently reminding you of "Rebecca". It's not really on a par with that story, or with the Hitchcock film version, but it has the same kind of psychology-driven story that takes some skill to tell.

Robert Young plays a talented architect whose life and mental stability have been troubled by a recent tragedy. Young is well cast, since in his earlier years he came across well as this kind of character, who is likable but whose behavior raises a lot of questions. Betsy Drake was an interesting choice for the female lead, emphasizing sincerity, intelligence, and loyalty rather than the glamour and mystery that often characterize noir heroines. Florence Bates also works well as the aunt of Drake's character, though it would have been nice to see the script give her more to work with.

The past and present are tied together in an interesting and unpredictable plot. A more carefully scripted climactic sequence, bringing everything out in a more deliberate manner, would have topped it off even better. But even so, it remains among the better B-movies of its genre, and it makes for an hour and a half of good drama.