The secretary of an affably suave radio mystery host mysteriously commits suicide after his wealthy young niece disappears.The secretary of an affably suave radio mystery host mysteriously commits suicide after his wealthy young niece disappears.The secretary of an affably suave radio mystery host mysteriously commits suicide after his wealthy young niece disappears.
- Steven Francis Howard
- (as Michael North)
- Cab Driver
- (unconfirmed)
- Bride's Mother
- (uncredited)
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
- Radio Program Coordinator
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe radio station call letters, WMCB, were created by inserting Michael Curtiz's initials into those of Warner Bros.
- GoofsDuring Oliver Keane's accident scene, he is seen driving a gray car at first, but when he skids off the road and tumbles down the hill, it is black.
- Quotes
Steven Francis Howard: Quite a large party, isn't it?
Althea Keane: Would you like to meet anyone?
Althea Keane: It's not very appetizing. It's Victor's birthday. Once a year his friends crawl out of the woodwork.
[Sarcastically]
Althea Keane: This year it's a SURPRISE party!
[Lights cigarette]
Althea Keane: Will he be surprised to see you?
Steven Francis Howard: [He takes her hand with the lit match] I like matches. You never have to refill them...
[He pulls her hand toward him to light his own cigartte]
Steven Francis Howard: ... and when you're through with them, you simply throw them away...
[He blows out the match]
Steven Francis Howard: ... like people.
- Crazy creditsOpening titles and closing credits are typed in a bound manuscript, and gloved hands can be seen flipping the pages. This is a nod to the scripts that Grandison writes for his radio show.
- ConnectionsReferences The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Loved 'The Unsuspected's' concept, the sort of film that has always been right up my alley, and it looked like it would be a little gem. Although it was not quite a gem, 'The Unsuspected' has a lot going for it and is a very good film sadly undervalued today, it deserves much more than relatively unknown status. It could have been better, but it is far from a waste of potential and the things that made me watch it in the first place don't disappoint.
It's not perfect. It does try to do too much in the plot, meaning that some parts are over-stuffed and convoluted. This sometimes hurts the plausibility.
Joan Caulfield also seemed a little bland to me in a slightly colourless role, but that is partly down to that the rest of the cast are stronger and their characters more interesting.
Especially true to this are Rains, who is as commanding and urbane as ever, and Audrey Totter on deliciously acidic form. Constance Bennett has the right touch of brittle and it was interesting to see Hurd Hatfield.
Curtiz directs with ease and control, never letting the pace let up, so the film is never dull and always absorbing despite some story flaws, and with great direction of the actors. It is a lavish-looking film and is rich in atmosphere and evocative mood. The action sequences are deft, especially the climax, the noir-ish suspense is nail-biting and the workings of radio aspects are very insightful. The script is always clever and literate, which is a big plus.
All in all, very good but could have been great. 7/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Sep 25, 2018
- How long is The Unsuspected?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 43 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1