Mister X, l'uomo nell'ombra

Wow, what a great piece of 50's trash! Lush, colorful sets, great old cars and Esther walking around in sexy 50's tight dresses. The plot has already been mentioned above so I won't rehash. One question that sticks out in my mind, who would say no to John Saxon, he is a sex god in this movie, like an hunkier, hornier Sal Mineo! If they had gotten George Nader to take his shirt off more in this it would have been a 50's wet dream! Sexual repression doesn't get any better than this movie! Even Saxon's dad played by Edward Andrews is an old perv..everything was so subtle in this era...Esther Willaims actually was a pretty good actress here, they should have used her in more movies like this!

The Unguarded Moment is directed by Harry Keller and adapted to screenplay by Herb Meadow and Larry Marcus from a story by Marcus and Rosalind Russell. It stars Esther Williams, George Nader, John Saxon, Edward Andrews and Les Tremayne. Music is by Herman Stein and cinematography by William H. Daniels.

Music teacher Lois Conway (Williams) starts receiving notes from a secret admirer, it's merely the start of something that will have severe consequences for all involved.

It's a little tricky to say exactly what the intentions of the story's creators were for this one. Is it meant to be a sharp observation on sexism, misogynism, some other ism? or maybe just a caustic warning on the dangers that can lurk in teacher/student relations? Whatever the case may be, and it really isn't all together clear, it's a quirky, yet dramatic, trashy slice of entertainment.

Opening with a wonderfully Hitchcockian type score (Hitch could have done wonders with this material), pic serves us up the dead body of a woman and then thrusts us into the sexually charged atmosphere of an all action college. It's a school where the girls swoon over the jocks and where the main teacher of the tale is one of the sexiest and most beautiful teachers ever! From here there's mysteries to be solved, who is stalking teacher? who is the murderer? is it the same person? and so on.

Narrative revels in lurid teasings, with the Technicolor photography vividly aiding the cause. Keller's direction is sadly plodding, but he does show a keen eye for shadow play and tension mounting sequences. Perfs are good, especially an out of type Williams in a thankless role, while a brilliantly creepy Andrews steals the show.

It's all a bit wild and rickety, but I have to say I really liked it. Newcomers will have to roll the dice and take their chances with it. 7/10

An extremely enjoyable film which sees Esther Williams battle the stereotype of the single woman in the not-so-fabulous '50s. For anyone who prefers the noir side of 1950s cinema (ie Cape Fear as opposed to Oklahoma) it portrays both the dark side of human nature and the seething naivety of the decade. After hearing about Esther's biography it was amusing to see her in a role which so strongly defended her sexual innocence!

Esther Williams is a hot teacher. So it's natural for her boys to have a crush on her. But to act on it! John Saxon, in his screen debut, is the boy in question. Goerge Nader is the law, who's brought in, when she is coaxed by a series of letters to meet the boy in the boys' locker room at night! In the scuffle, she is shaken up and her clothes a bit torn, and the officer, who is quite taken by her, is out to get the boy, despite the fact she wants to forget the whole thing and put it behind her. He's just a boy! But if you don't punish the behavior, they don't learn, says George Nader. Then there's the question of whether Saxon is the suspect they are looking for in the case of a young girl murdered. Despite the facts that the movie starts out really melodramatic with corny dialogue and that George Nader has practically no screen personality, I got really engrossed in the film. I thought I had heard that this film was really bad. It does have some parts that were overdone or done to extreme, like Edward Andrews' performance as Saxon's father. But, costarring good supporting actors like Jack Albertson and Les Tremayne, the film certainly delivers a punch. '7' is still a little generous, but for pure entertainment and camp value, it sure fits the bill.

This time, don't expect anything "wet" in this Esther Williams performance, nothing at all. She on the contrary shows us that she was more than a swimming pool ingenue, or a simple comedy faire valoir...she was a genuine good actress. I won't come back to this stiry, but it's a surprisingly good suspense, especially starring an actress who was always put in a specific category, swimming musicals for MGM company. Don't miss it.