Woman in Hiding

#265moviwreview

Terrific blend of melodrama and noir, this film doesn't have any surprises but the sturdy direction by Michael Gordon and terrific performances by the always great Ida Lupino good Stephen McNally, good Howard Duff and the terrific Peggy Dow make this worth a watch.

The ending is a bit lazy and during a climactic fight scene, it's kind of a mistake in showing the stunt men's faces in closeup.

But, seeing Joe Besser 7 years before Stoogedom saying "stop crowding me" is worth a watch.

Fun fact: Lupino and Duff got off to a rocky start. She thought he was obnoxious. Obviously their time on screen made their relationship blossom since they got married in 1951.

WATCH IT

3.5/5.

'Woman in Hiding', when hearing of it through a fellow user recommendation, has the sort of concept that immediately had me sold. Being a fan of the genre (a mix of film noir and crime) and that type of film. While not considering Michael Gordon (my first exposure to him being 'Pillow Talk' and 'Move Over Darling') one of my favourite directors, he didn't fare too badly if not exceptionally in the genre. Both Ida Lupino and Steven McNally have been great in other films.

There may be many other films of the genre or with not too dissimiliar stories, both before and since, that are a lot better than 'Woman in Hiding'. It is still a good example of how good Gordon was at directing film noirs when the material was good, which it generally is here despite being imperfect, and how far he had come on from his "B-movie" period in the early 40s. Both Lupino and McNally come over well, though to me both have been better.

Am going to start with what 'Woman in Hiding' didn't do so well. Some of the story is on the ridiculous side and strains credibility, especially towards the end such as Deborah being that trusting of Patricia. Likewise with the rather vague and foolish motivations and decision making that make the characters at times seem idiotic.

Did feel that the hotel convention scene was not as suspenseful as it should have been and came as too busy and silly.

Having said all of this, 'Woman in Hiding' is a tightly plotted film and does have a dark and tense atmosphere a lot of the time. Did get creeps and chills a fair few times. Despite it going downhill a bit from the hotel convention scene, it does pick up in the climax. Which was not a predictable one and was genuinely anxiety-inducing. Gordon directs in an assured fashion and the script intrigues and entertains enough. All the cast perform expertly, Howard Duff's role does not sound interesting but actually he is a strong sympathetic presence in it. Peggy Dow does very well as Patricia.

Lupino has the most difficult part and plays it with searing intensity and pathos. McNally is genuinely menacing, the character is obvious but his performance does give the creeps. 'Woman in Hiding' is very atmospherically and stylishly photographed and lit, really enhancing especially the mill setting later on. The music is suitably ominous and the sound did give me the jitters without over-emphasising.

All in all, not great but pretty good despite a few frustrations. 7/10

It's hard to go wrong with the great Ida Lupino. This thriller's no exception. Deborah's husband (McNally) is ungallantly trying to kill her so he can get his hands on the mill her dead father left her. But she crashes her car into a river trying to get away, and now everyone except hubby thinks she's dead. Cleverly, he offers big bucks to anyone with info on her whereabouts. So well-meaning Ramsey (Duff) thinks he's doing her a favor by contacting the husband with the info. What's a frightened Debbie to do since hubby is one mean, relentless dude.

The movie may not be anything exceptional, but it's got its share of chills, especially the tangled mill scene. That sequence is very well directed for action, and I really like the unexpected wrinkle with Monahan (Dow). Then too, those boisterous conventioneer scenes add noisy color that also proves lucky for Debbie. The woman-in-danger part is one tailor made for the expert Lupino, and she makes it unusually convincing. McNally too, makes a persuasive menace, especially when he's beating the bushes while she cowers beneath. But I do think the script could have come up with a better angle for Debbie & Ramsey's first meet-up since that newsstand gig seems much too tame for a macho actor like Duff.

Anyway, it's a super-slick production from Universal that gets a real lift from Lupino who would go on to film an even better woman-in-danger film the following year, Beware, My Lovely (1952).

To begin with I never liked noir genre and thankfully this movie has only got a small portion of it - all the rest consists of a gorgeous drama, chilling thriller and a romance that happened unintentionally and all the three genres perfectly blend together making it one of the best movies in its genre which is unfairly forgotten now. Ida Lupino is an absolute master and her stunning performance has been playing the first fiddle throughout the whole movie, not allowing us to leave it in peace. "Woman in hiding" keeps you guessing until the very end, it hints, gives clues to what might happen but you can never really be sure what exactly and this is the best thing about movies in general as an art. For me, unfortunately, this is a one-time movie as I don't really like paperthin storylines and no subtext but it was a brilliant ride anyway.

As the opening credits roll, newly wedded Ida Lupino (as Deborah Chandler) desperately tries to stop herself from crashing her car. In an attempted murder, the brakes have been disabled. We see the car drive off a North Carolina bridge and listen to Ms. Lupino's ghostly narration. But don't assume she's dead, or that the accident ends the story… After the prologue fails to uncover a dead body, we begin earlier. Inheriting a profitable mill upon the subsequently suspicious death of her father, Lupino marries the plant's general manager Stephen McNally (as Selden Clark). Apparently, they were a long-term couple; the wedding is the first of several implausible story developments. Lupino asks, "Why didn't I see it?" Don't know...

When they arrive at Mr. McNally's mountain cabin for a honeymoon, sexy Peggy Dow (as Patricia Monahan) is waiting. She reveals herself as McNally's "little business trips" lover and is understandably furious with Lupino's presence. After husband and lover smack each other around, Lupino decides she wants the marriage annulled, but McNally refuses. Lupino runs off, changes her name to "Ann Carter" and tries to hide from her homicidal husband. She meets handsome and helpful Howard Duff (as Keith Ramsey), but he isn't sure who is telling the truth. Beautiful black-and-white photography by William Daniels, effective direction from Michael Gordon and engaging performances make "Woman in Hiding" well worth following.

******* Woman in Hiding (12/27/49) Michael Gordon ~ Ida Lupino, Howard Duff, Stephen McNally, Peggy Dow