Le secret de la madone

This is one of these murder mysteries where we, the audience, are clued in from the start. It's up to the stars to decide whether or not tortured artist "Corbin" (Francis Lederer) is responsible for a murder in Paris (for which he was acquitted) and another in the US. Both women had been his model as some stage, so the finger well and truly points in his direction. It falls to the murdered girl's sister "Linda" (Ann Rutherford) to pose as his latest model whilst he paints both her portrait, and that of the wealthy "Ella" (Gail Patrick) - who might be next for the chop? It's actually quite a wordy exercise, this, with no stand out efforts and little by way humour or jeopardy. Moves along quickly though, and the production is pretty competent. Not a film you'll remember but not one you're likely to hate either.

"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.

"The Madonna's Secret" is a pretty good film. Had it offered more red herrings and possibilities, it would have been even better.

James Corbin (Francis Lederer) is a famous painter who is hiding out in America. Why is he hiding? Because back in Europe one of his models was murdered and he was tried for this crime. Although acquitted, his reputation has been ruined. He is still painting however and once again he's fallen in love with his model...and she soon is found dead!! Once again he's arrested but they have to release him because he had an alibi. But a reporter insists that Corbin in guilty and convinces the recently murdered model's sister (Ann Rutherford) to become the next model to get the goods on Corbin. However, she and another model both soon fall in love with the guy! Are they destined to die as well? And, most importantly, who is doing this and why?

I think the plot was very, very clever and I enjoyed the movie. But it had a few things that should have been done a bit better. First, having Rutherford's character fall in love so easily, considering her sister just died and he might have done it, seemed unbelievable. Second, there just weren't many possible killers introduced during the course of the movie and I correctly guessed their identity almost immediately. A few red herrings definitely would have added to the suspense. Still, despite a few problems here and there, a dandy picture.

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

The Madonna's Secret (1946)

A psycho-mystery that broods and clunks along pretty well but too much a twist on a twist kind of movie. In fact, it's so obvious that the main character, a tortured artist, is suspected from the first minute, you know something else is up. What you don't suspect is what, and so by the end there is that final twist. I suppose this should or could have been a Vincent Price Gothic chiller, but in the hands of the leading man, Francis Lederer, it's a dark and serious affair. No camp allowed.

This comes near the end of director William Thiele's B-movie career (followed by a slew of Lone Ranger t.v. episodes and then, a step sideways for 36 shows of Cavalcade of America, a staple of 1950s American middlebrow normalcy). So we might be glad the movie is as good as it is, and I think the main reason is ace cinematographer John Alton. There are subtle movements of the camera that make an ordinary conversation take on depth, at least in terms of mise-en-scene. And the truly dramatic lighting (including some obvious back projection stuff of Lederer speeding in a boat at night) is great just to watch.

The series of women who pose and/or get themselves killed is curious--they do all look the same at a glance--and might have been more fun if extended a bit more. That is, they are all relatively cardboard characters, including the main character, who can't get out of his angst filled cliché, and so we can't really get involved emotionally in their fates. We just watch. And so thank you Mr. Alton for making that watching worth the ride. If you don't give a hoot about lights and camera, give this a by.