The Kiss Before the Mirror *** (1933, Nancy Carroll, Frank Morgan, Paul Lukas, Gloria Stuart, Jean Dixon, Donald Cook) – Classic Movie Review 12,121

The 1933 mystery film The Kiss Before the Mirror is directed by the legendary James Whale, and stars Nancy Carroll, Frank Morgan, Paul Lukas, and Gloria Stuart.

The 1933 American Universal Pictures pre-Code mystery film The Kiss Before the Mirror is adapted from the 1932 play by Ladislas Fodor, is directed by the legendary James Whale, and stars Nancy Carroll, Frank Morgan, Paul Lukas, and Gloria Stuart.

A Viennese lawyer Paul Held (Frank Morgan) discovers that events in a case he is involved in, where his rich pal Dr Walter Bernsdorf (Paul Lukas) shot his lovely but philandering wife Lucy Bernsdorf (Gloria Stuart) who is dallying with a handsome young man (Walter Pidgeon), are being mirrored in his own life after he has murderous idea when he doubts his own wife Maria Held (Nancy Carroll)’s fidelity.

The Kiss Before the Mirror is a contrived and far-fetched but intriguing and entertaining little item, remade as Wives Under Suspicion by its director, James Whale, in 1938, starring Warren William and Gail Patrick.

Whale fans will have a whale of a time of course, while others can sit back and enjoy the enjoyable fun yarn, the OTT performances and the sleek visuals shot by Karl Freund.

The Kiss Before the Mirror is directed by James Whale, runs 69 minutes, is made and released by Universal Pictures, is written by William Anthony McGuire, based on a story by Ladislas Fodor [Ladislaus Fodor], is shot by Karl Freund, is produced by Carl Laemmle Jr, is scored by W Franke Harling, and is designed by Charles D Hall.

The cast are Nancy Carroll as Maria Held, Frank Morgan as Dr Paul Held, Paul Lukas as Dr Walter Bernsdorf, Gloria Stuart as Lucy Bernsdorf, Jean Dixon as Hilda, Donald Cook as Maria’s lover, Charley Grapewin [Charles Grapewin] as Schultz, Walter Pidgeon as Lucy’s lover, Wallis Clark as Public Prosecutor, May Boley as Busybody in Courtroom, Christian Rub as Man on the Wrong Floor, Reginald Mason as Judge, Mary Gordon, Richard Cramer, Allen Connor, Walter Brennan, Ernie Adams, Robert Adair, John Ince, Michael Mark, and Caroline Rankin.

Some of the sets were previously used by James Whale in Frankenstein (1931).

Frank Morgan and Charley Grapewin both starred in The Wizard of Oz (1939).

The film is set in Austria, but Paul Lukas is the only one from that part of the world, born in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.

It is an early role for Walter Pidgeon, playing against his later type as a loose lover.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,121

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com