This may well be Loretta Young's best performance. The undeniable beauty of Miss Young, to me, has always gone hand in hand with a coldness of personality. Even in her pre-codes (the ones I have seen) she always seems to have a "holier than thou" manner.
Directed by the ever reliable Tay Garnett. George (Barry Sullivan) is convinced that his wife Ellen (Loretta Young) and the family doctor, who was an old boyfriend of Ellens, are trying to kill him. He has written a letter to the district attorney implicating them in his murder should anything happen to him. Ellen is innocent but it is not clear at the start if she has something to hide. During
one of his ramblings he has a heart attack and dies. The flashback that occurs showing how they met makes him appear to be a normal fun loving guy but when relating a childhood incident he proves he is anything but.
The rest of the film is quite suspenseful as Ellen tries to retrieve the letter she has just posted from an over zealous postman. I think the film belongs to Loretta. As the "perfect wife" at the beginning of the film she gives way to mounting hysteria as she vainly tries to recover the letter. First appealing to an immovable postman, then to the post office manager, she makes herself look more guilty and suspicious as the time goes on.
The alienation and isolation of life in 50s middle America is apparent throughout the film. The neighbour, who finally breaks the ice and asks her in for a coffee and the little boy, who calls himself "Hoppy" whose only friend seems to be Ellen.
I would really recommend this film.
Directed by the ever reliable Tay Garnett. George (Barry Sullivan) is convinced that his wife Ellen (Loretta Young) and the family doctor, who was an old boyfriend of Ellens, are trying to kill him. He has written a letter to the district attorney implicating them in his murder should anything happen to him. Ellen is innocent but it is not clear at the start if she has something to hide. During
one of his ramblings he has a heart attack and dies. The flashback that occurs showing how they met makes him appear to be a normal fun loving guy but when relating a childhood incident he proves he is anything but.
The rest of the film is quite suspenseful as Ellen tries to retrieve the letter she has just posted from an over zealous postman. I think the film belongs to Loretta. As the "perfect wife" at the beginning of the film she gives way to mounting hysteria as she vainly tries to recover the letter. First appealing to an immovable postman, then to the post office manager, she makes herself look more guilty and suspicious as the time goes on.
The alienation and isolation of life in 50s middle America is apparent throughout the film. The neighbour, who finally breaks the ice and asks her in for a coffee and the little boy, who calls himself "Hoppy" whose only friend seems to be Ellen.
I would really recommend this film.