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"The Madonna's Secret" is a noir starring Frances Lederer, Gail Patrick, Ann Rutherford, Linda Stirling, Leona Roberts, and John Litel.

Frances Lederer plays tortured artist James Corbin, who moved to America after being accused of the murder of one of his models. He was acquitted, but found it best to start over. He works with a model named Helen North, but he doesn't paint her face. Her face is that of his dead love, Madeline.

Helen, under pressure from a boyfriend, decides to quit working for Corbin. Part of the reason is that she is falling for him, and it's not going anywhere. Five minutes after she quits, Corbin declares his love for her and wants her as part of his life.

Well, that doesn't last long. Helen is soon murdered in the same fashion as Madeline. A newpaper publisher who recognized Madeline's portraits knows who Corbin is and exposes him to the police. He's arrested for Helen's murder, but they have to release him because he has an alibi.

The police send in Helen's sister Linda (Rutherford) to model for him and to get any information that she can. Along comes a wealthy woman, Ella Randolph, who wants to buy the Madonna's Secret, one of Corbin's portraits of Madeline. She flirts outrageously with him and soon, she sees herself as a competitor for Linda.

Corbin is a chick magnet, and Linda has fallen for him as well. She is devastated when Ella says she and Corbin are going to be married (which isn't true). Then Ella winds up dead. Corbin is slapped in jail.

So what gives here? This is an atmospheric film with a good performance by the handsome Lederer, who really keeps you guessing, as does the script.

It's a good mystery, although I can't see all these women, particularly a victim's sister, falling for this guy. Francis Lederer is one thing - the character is another!

By the way, Lederer founded a drama school and was still teaching the week of his death at age 101. A remarkable man.

Not sure if this strictly a noir film as it runs as a mystery as well. Some evidences of film noir would be the dramatic cinematography, a character that is somewhat of a Femme Fatale, a feeling of hopelessness in the current status quo, and of course, the criminal element that pervades most scenes. Against it being noir would be that this film is not about the average man, but a well to do artist. Also, the fate angle doesn't seem quite pronounced here. The acting is great throughout with special kudos for Francis Lederer and his creepy accent. The cinematography is uniformly superb. Of course, any film shot by John Alton is special. This is a rare film and currently only shown at film festivals. Hopefully it will show up on DVD someday.

Francis Lederer is a successful painter who uses Linda Stirling as a model, but only her body, the face is that of a model from a previous life in France. That model ended up murdered, but Lederer was cleared all of charges, and he moved to the US with his mother. After Stirling begs him to paint her face too, he does. And she ends up murdered as well, in a similar fashion as the French model. Theater columnist Edward Ashley knows about Lederer's past and points the police to him, but they can't make a case. Stirling's sister Ann Rutherford tries to investigate and becomes a model for Lederer herself. Meanwhile a portrait hanging in a gallery has attracted the attention of wealthy socialite Gail Patrick. But when Lederer refuses to sell it to her, she gets him to paint her portrait. The murders are not yet done...

This movie is a competent Republic noir/mystery, that has a slight Gothic feel to it due to the painting angle. Lederer does a nice mentally tormented artist, and Rutherford is great, backed by a solid cast. The story is nothing too special, and neither is the identity of the killer (the suspect pool is rather shallow), but the movie isn't dull, altho it is a bit talky in parts... And it has a memorable torch singer meets knife-throwing act scene at a nightclub. That lady has nerves of steel!

The DoP for this movie was John Alton. Needless to say this movie looks the part (helped by the great looking print I saw). Beautiful shadows, coming from all angles, but also done tastefully and subtly. Director William Thiele does a nice job too, and the cast & crew make this a movie that rises above its Republic standard. Good stuff, recommended! 7/10

Ambience Provided by Top-Notch Film-Noir Cinematographer John Alton.

The Film is Painted with Diagonals and Shadows.

It's a Melodramatic Mystery about a Successful Painter that has His Models being Murdered One After Another.

He has Bouts of Amnesia and Other Mental Problems and He Can't Remember if He's Responsible or Not.

Somewhat Far-Fetched and Contrived Story to Fit All the Murders into an 80min Time-Frame and it Mostly Works with some Good Acting.

The Film Reeks of Melancholia and Frank Lederer in the Lead is a Gamut of Gaunt Features and Droopy Demeanor.

One of the Suspects Completely Disappears in the Third-Act. Playing an Important Role in Acts 1 & 2, and then He just Vanishes.

Such are the Pitfalls in the B-Movie World of Programmers where it was a "Just Get It Done" Attitude for the Most Part.

A Surreal Night-Club Scene in "The Village", with a Knife-Throwing Act is Bizarre.

This One Rises Above its Pedigree because of Alton's Images, Lederer's Laconic Portrayal, and a Good Twist.

Above Average.

Francis Lederer is a painter haunted by his past, using Linda Stirling as his model, but painting the face of his dead model in Europe. He was a suspect in her murder by drowning, but nothing concrete was proven, and so he went free and came to America.

Now he has fallen in love with Miss Stirling and now she too is dead of drowning. Police detective John Litel hounds him, but he has an alibi, and suggests he has an enemy. The cops have to let him go, but they play a spy in his home. Is it Miss Stirling's sister, an actress, or is it rich Gal Patrick, who wishes to buy Lederer's last painting because of the notoriety, or is it Ann Rutherford, who says she has been sent by the modeling agency? Lederer hires her, and while she is changing, he looks in her hand bag and discovers a gun.

It's in interesting set-up for a film noir, and DP John Alton shoots strong, sharp shadows of prison bars. William Thiele directs from a script he co-wrote. It's a good cast, and worth a look, despite a slightly botched ending.