Madeleine (Heddy Lamarr) tries to kill herself at the beginning of the film. We want to know why and it is left in the hands of a psychologist Dr Caleb (Morris Carnovsky) to help her to turn her life around and face the cause of her unhappiness. We follow her journey and pick up bits and bobs about her past during the process. For the first hour of the film, we mainly concentrate on her relationships with Courtland (John Loder) and David (Dennis O'Keefe). Then something unexpected happens.....a murder.....and Madeleine is the accused.....
A first, I wasn't sure where the film was heading but after a while I understood that it was about the character of Madeleine and who she was going to choose for a husband - the 2 candidates being Courtland and David. As a result of this woman's theme the film ticked along at a leisurely pace. But after an hour, it took an entirely new and welcome turn with some stolen jewels and a murder. We know who the murderer is but it is still intriguing to see how the culprit will be revealed to everyone else. The safe in Courtland's apartment now takes on significance.
The acting is good. Heddy Lamarr doesn't do much after the first hour - in fact she's pretty annoying as she resigns herself to being found guilty of murder. Actually, she's also pretty irritating in the first hour as well with her mood swings (she sacks her staff for gossipping about her - bitch!) and her indecision in affairs of the heart is pathetic. Dennis O'Keefe is good as her suitor who is fooled by her as is William Lundigan who plays "Geret", a former work colleague of her's. The cast is also supported well by Margaret Hamilton as the landlady who has a cartoon weirdness about her. The policemen who come to arrest Madeleine are also memorable for their no-nonsense approach.
I have to say that I found Morris Carnovsky slightly preachy and smug in his psychological interpretations. Madeleine knows what her problem is.....she's a slag.
I enjoyed this film - the memorable scenes coming at the beginning with Madeleine's suicide attempt and in the last half hour where the film picks up a gear.
A first, I wasn't sure where the film was heading but after a while I understood that it was about the character of Madeleine and who she was going to choose for a husband - the 2 candidates being Courtland and David. As a result of this woman's theme the film ticked along at a leisurely pace. But after an hour, it took an entirely new and welcome turn with some stolen jewels and a murder. We know who the murderer is but it is still intriguing to see how the culprit will be revealed to everyone else. The safe in Courtland's apartment now takes on significance.
The acting is good. Heddy Lamarr doesn't do much after the first hour - in fact she's pretty annoying as she resigns herself to being found guilty of murder. Actually, she's also pretty irritating in the first hour as well with her mood swings (she sacks her staff for gossipping about her - bitch!) and her indecision in affairs of the heart is pathetic. Dennis O'Keefe is good as her suitor who is fooled by her as is William Lundigan who plays "Geret", a former work colleague of her's. The cast is also supported well by Margaret Hamilton as the landlady who has a cartoon weirdness about her. The policemen who come to arrest Madeleine are also memorable for their no-nonsense approach.
I have to say that I found Morris Carnovsky slightly preachy and smug in his psychological interpretations. Madeleine knows what her problem is.....she's a slag.
I enjoyed this film - the memorable scenes coming at the beginning with Madeleine's suicide attempt and in the last half hour where the film picks up a gear.