Lady of Vengeance

Presumably this was made to go on the bottom half of a United Artists double bill.

Most of the film consists of talk. There is virtually no action. The title and much of the plot makes little sense. Dont go out of your way to watch this.

There is actually one murder here, but you never learn anything about it, it is never explained, the murderer is anonymous and there is no reason for it. Indeed, the film starts directly with a startling death, but that is a suicide, and even that leaves you hanging in the air to start with - did she really die, and why did she do it? Well, it is explained later on, as she leaves behind a letter to her jealous guardian, who warned her earlier not to lead such a wanton life, and you are constantly led to believe her trombonist boy friend to be the reason for her misery, whom she commands her guardian to take revenge in for her death, but he isn't. The intrigue is more subtle than that.

Actually there is a murder being meticulously planned all the way through the film, but will it finally be committed, and on whom? That is the question that will keep up your interest until the final surprising end, but there will be no real murderer here except the anonymous one who is never known but who might be the final victim of his own wickedness.

This sounds like an enigmatic riddle indeed, and it is, the construction of the film and drama is an intentional puzzlement, and it gets more contrived all the way - nothing in it is really natural. It is a typical role for Dennis O'Keefe, who is notorious for his unsympathetic leads, and this role confirms the rule. He is a rich newspaper mogul who can afford whatever he pleases in roundabout measures, and he certainly makes his own case complicated here. The only decent and natural person in the film is his secretary, Ann Sears, who is the one who behaves humanly, and she is perhaps the one who saves the film.

A very obscure US British production for sure, not widely known, but rather good to watch. I will prefer Anton Diffring here than a very predictable Dennis O'Keefe in a Alfred Hitchcock style like plot. Forgettable film, obviously but acceptable and fun to watch. Good period atmosphere, noir atmosphere but unfortunately a bit bland and flat. Burt Balaban gives here his first picture and the following ones will be far better: MURDER INC and MAD DOG COLL, two gangsters stories. So, this one is worth seeing if you can reach it and have nothing else to do, and also if you are a die hard movie collector or gem seeker. Excellent ending, far above average.

The film opens with a girl either jumping in front of a train, or was she pushed?? Getting to the bottom of the cause seems to be the plot of the story, from the British office of United Artists. And now we're in flashback! Dennis O'Keefe, Ann Sears, and Eileen Elton star in this story, as we follow their sad tale. SO much talking! did this start out as a play? Plays usually have lots of talking. Story kind of drags along. not exciting or suspense-full. The best scene in this shindig is the last 10 minutes. If you can sit through the rest of it. Story by Irve Tunick. He had worked together with director Burt Balaban many times. Balaban had many ties to hollywood! We all know his cousin, actor Bob Balaban, from Close Encounters, Best in Show and Mighty Wind. And Burt's own father had been president of Paramount, and owned movie theaters. Burt Balaban died quite young at age 43, but i haven't been able to find out the cause... doesn't seem to be listed anywhere. most odd.

1956's "Lady of Vengeance" was an obscure British 'B' rarely seen in its day, issued by United Artists in the US in August 1957, first popping up on Turner Classic Movies in November 2008. Dennis O'Keefe is the imported Hollywood star, 12 years before his death, as powerful newspaper mogul William T. Marshall, whose pretty young ward (Eileen Elton) inexplicably commits suicide by jumping in front of a passing train. Marshall soon receives a message from the dead girl, explaining the circumstances surrounding her decision, which leads him to bribe a shady stamp collector named Emile Karnak (Anton Diffring) into helping him 'commit a murder,' on the condition that the intended victim suffers a slow and painful demise. Bogged down by a romantic sideline involving Marshall's lovely secretary (Ann Sears), plus occasional flashbacks featuring his ward, the film provides an excellent example of villainous Anton Diffring's scene stealing artistry. "Lady of Vengeance" appeared twice on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater - May 9 1964 (paired with 1958's "Terror in the Haunted House") and Aug 28 1965 (paired with 1953's "The Neanderthal Man").