The Unsuspected **** (1947, Claude Rains, Joan Caulfield, Audrey Totter, Constance Bennett, Hurd Hatfield) – Classic Movie Review 6,341

Claude Rains stars in Warner Bros’ enjoyably far-fetched 1947  film noir mystery movie The Unsuspected as a suave radio host turned murderer who investigates his own perfect murder on his crime mystery show. Joan Caulfield and Audrey Totter also star. 

The great Claude Rains stars in director Michael Curtiz’s enjoyably far-fetched 1947 Warner Bros film noir mystery movie The Unsuspected as Victor ‘Grandi’ Grandison, an affably suave radio mystery host turned murderer.

He has to investigate the plot of his own perfect murder on his crime mystery programme called The Unsuspected, as his secretary commits suicide after his wealthy niece disappears.

A perfectly cast Rains is splendid on his best silky smooth villain Notorious form, Curtiz directs with polished film-noir style, and there are highly entertaining turns from a most interesting cast, including also co-stars Joan Caulfield as Grandison’s ward Matilda Frazier, Audrey Totter as Grandison’s niece Althea Keane, Constance Bennett as Jane Moynihan and Hurd Hatfield as Oliver Keane.

But, alas of course, it isn’t perfect. The story based on the 1946 novel by Charlotte Armstrong is slightly short on invention and the screenplay written by Ranald MacDougall and Bess Meredyth is a little low on convincing dialogue. Nevertheless, it is not at all a bad film noir screenplay and, with such a lot of good work all round, the movie’s pluses far outweigh any minuses.

Also in the cast are Michael North, Fred Clark, Harry Lewis, Jack Lambert, Ray Walker, Nana Bryant, Walter Baldwin, Brooks Benedict, Hal Craig, George Eldredge, Bess Flowers, Ross Ford, Charles Horvath, Faith Kruger, Rory Mallinson, Harriet Matthews, George Meader, Ray Montgomery, Jack Mower, Eddie Parks, Allan Ray, Cecil Stewart, Lucile Vance, Dick Walsh, Barbara Woodell and David Leonard.

The Unsuspected is directed by Michael Curtiz, runs 103 minutes, is made by Michael Curtiz Productions and Warner Bros, is released by Warner Bros, is written by written by Ranald MacDougall (screenplay) and Bess Meredyth (adaptation), based on the novel by Charlotte Armstrong, is film is shot in black and white by Woody Bredell [Elwood Bredell], produced by Charles Hoffman and Michael Curtiz, scored by Franz Waxman, and designed by Anton Grot, with Leo F Forbstein as musical director.

It is the first film of a 14-picture deal between Michael Curtiz’s production company and Warner Bros. Ranald MacDougall wrote the first screenplay and then Curtiz’s wife Bess Meredyth, who was on the board of the company, was brought in to collaborate on the script.

It was shot between January and March 1947 at Warner Brothers Burbank Studios, Burbank, California, with exteriors at Grand Central Station, Manhattan; LaGuardia Airport, Queens; and Queensboro Bridge, Manhattan.

It was released on October 3, 1947 in New York City and generally in the US on October 11, 1947.

Charlotte Armstrong’s novel was first published in serial form in The Saturday Evening Post from 11 August 1945 to 29 September 1945. Warner Bros then bought the film rights before it was published as a novel in January 1946.

Max Steiner recycles one of his themes from The Maltese Falcon (1941) in his effective score. He won Oscars back-to-back for Sunset Blvd. (1950) and A Place in the Sun (1951).

Hurd Hatfield references his The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) when he says Joan Caulfield’s character Mathilda hasn’t changed but her portrait has.

The WMCB radio station call letters are Michael Curtiz’s initials between Warner Bros’ initials.

The cast are Claude Rains as Victor Grandison, Joan Caulfield as Grandison’s ward Matilda Frazier, Audrey Totter as Grandison’s niece Althea Keane, Constance Bennett as Jane Moynihan, Hurd Hatfield as Oliver Keane, Michael North as Steven Howard, Fred Clark as Police Detective Richard Donovan, Harry Lewis as Max, Jack Lambert as Press, Nana Bryant as Mrs White, Walter Baldwin as Judge Maynard, Ray Walker as Donovan’s Assistant, Barbara Woodell as Roslyn Wright, Brooks Benedict, Hal Craig, George Eldredge, Bess Flowers, Ross Ford, Charles Horvath, Faith Kruger, Rory Mallinson, Harriet Matthews, George Meader, Ray Montgomery, Jack Mower, Eddie Parks, Allan Ray, Cecil Stewart, Lucile Vance, Dick Walsh, and David Leonard.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6,341

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