The general plot to "Without Honor" is pretty good. But I found myself unable to love or even like the film due to some bad acting and a director who helped elicit some bizarre performances...particularly (but certainly not exclusively) Laraine Day's.
The story begins with Jane (Day) meeting with her lover, Dennis (Franchot Tone). He's there to announce that their affair is over...he's staying with his wife and she should stay with her husband. However, during their argument, they get into a tussle and he's accidentally stabbed with a fork. While he's lying dying on the laundry room floor, she's in a panicked state for pretty much the entire rest of the film.
Soon, Jane's brother-in-law, Bill (Dane Clark) arrives. He apparently hates her guts and has spent years looking to get revenge on her....and he now knows she's an adultress after paying a private eye to follow her. And, he's now there to meet with her, her lover, his wife and Jane's husband (his brother). During this time, Jane continues to do pretty much nothing other than look scared or constipated...not sure which. Of course, Jane does NOT expect Dennis to come walking through the door, as he's apparently dead in the laundry room.
When the wronged wife (Agnes MoOrehead) arrives, her reaction is just plain bizarre. She accepts that her husband is a philanderer and he's apparently done this before...that isn't the surprising part. What is surprising and hard to believe is how nice she is towards Jane....really TOO nice to be realistic. She's almost motherly towards Jane...which makes no sense. What also doesn't make sense is why Jane STILL seems lost in a fog. Sure, she is traumatized, but her reactions throughout the film just seem weird and unrealistic...just like the wronged wife. What's next? Well, the husband arrives home...and there's, of course, a twist.
The twist, though difficult to believe, didn't bother me....what really did, and why I am rating this one only a 4 is that the acting by Day and Moorehead seemed poor...and the writing and direction all contribute to it. Watchable but it should have been much better...and there are many great parts to the plot.
The story begins with Jane (Day) meeting with her lover, Dennis (Franchot Tone). He's there to announce that their affair is over...he's staying with his wife and she should stay with her husband. However, during their argument, they get into a tussle and he's accidentally stabbed with a fork. While he's lying dying on the laundry room floor, she's in a panicked state for pretty much the entire rest of the film.
Soon, Jane's brother-in-law, Bill (Dane Clark) arrives. He apparently hates her guts and has spent years looking to get revenge on her....and he now knows she's an adultress after paying a private eye to follow her. And, he's now there to meet with her, her lover, his wife and Jane's husband (his brother). During this time, Jane continues to do pretty much nothing other than look scared or constipated...not sure which. Of course, Jane does NOT expect Dennis to come walking through the door, as he's apparently dead in the laundry room.
When the wronged wife (Agnes MoOrehead) arrives, her reaction is just plain bizarre. She accepts that her husband is a philanderer and he's apparently done this before...that isn't the surprising part. What is surprising and hard to believe is how nice she is towards Jane....really TOO nice to be realistic. She's almost motherly towards Jane...which makes no sense. What also doesn't make sense is why Jane STILL seems lost in a fog. Sure, she is traumatized, but her reactions throughout the film just seem weird and unrealistic...just like the wronged wife. What's next? Well, the husband arrives home...and there's, of course, a twist.
The twist, though difficult to believe, didn't bother me....what really did, and why I am rating this one only a 4 is that the acting by Day and Moorehead seemed poor...and the writing and direction all contribute to it. Watchable but it should have been much better...and there are many great parts to the plot.