The Reckless Moment (1949)
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- Not Rated
- 1h 22min
- Crime, Drama
- 09 Dec 1949 (Canada)
- Movie
After discovering the dead body of her teenage daughter's lover, a housewife takes desperate measures to protect her family from scandal.
Director:
Writers:
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| James Mason | ... |
Martin Donnelly
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| Joan Bennett | ... |
Lucia Harper
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| Geraldine Brooks | ... |
Beatrice 'Bea' Harper
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| Henry O'Neill | ... |
Tom Harper
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| Shepperd Strudwick | ... |
Ted Darby
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David Bair | ... |
David Harper
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| Roy Roberts | ... |
Nagel
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Jessie Arnold | ... |
Old Lady (uncredited)
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| Al Bain | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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Jack Baker | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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Pat Barton | ... |
Receptionist (uncredited)
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Holger Bendixen | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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| Gail Bonney | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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| Chet Brandenburg | ... |
Department Store Customer (uncredited)
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| Peter Brocco | ... |
Pete - Bartender (uncredited)
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| Paul E. Burns | ... |
Desk Clerk (uncredited)
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| John Butler | ... |
Pawnbroker (uncredited)
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| Kathryn Card | ... |
Mrs. Loring (uncredited)
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| Claire Carleton | ... |
Blond (uncredited)
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Boyd Davis | ... |
Tall Man in Post Office (uncredited)
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Karl 'Killer' Davis | ... |
Wrestler (uncredited)
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George Dockstader | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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| Charles Evans | ... |
Bank Official (uncredited)
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Charles Ferguson | ... |
Policeman (uncredited)
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| Everett Glass | ... |
Drug Clerk (uncredited)
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Robert Gordon | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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Buddy Gorman | ... |
Magazine Clerk (uncredited)
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| Harry Harvey | ... |
Post Office Clerk (uncredited)
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Barbara Hatton | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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Virginia Hunter | ... |
Girl (uncredited)
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Danny Jackson | ... |
Drummer (uncredited)
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Charles Jordan | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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Kenneth Kendall | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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| Norman Leavitt | ... |
Second Postal Clerk (uncredited)
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David Levitt | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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Mike Mahoney | ... |
Policeman (uncredited)
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| Charles Marsh | ... |
Bob - Newsper Vendor (uncredited)
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| Louis Mason | ... |
Mike (uncredited)
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Richard Mickelson | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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John Monaghan | ... |
Policeman (uncredited)
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Sharon Monaghan | ... |
Bridget (uncredited)
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Sue Moore | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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Evelyn Moriarty | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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Bruce Gilbert Norman | ... |
Dennie (uncredited)
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Penny O'Connor | ... |
Liza (uncredited)
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| Pat O'Malley | ... |
Bank Guard (uncredited)
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Joe Palma | ... |
Card Player (uncredited)
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| Dorothy Phillips | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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Ed Pine | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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| Joe Ploski | ... |
Clerk in Bus Depot (uncredited)
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Byron Poindexter | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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Joe Recht | ... |
Newsboy (uncredited)
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Barry Regan | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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| John Roy | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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| Cosmo Sardo | ... |
Man (uncredited)
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Celeste Savoi | ... |
Waitress (uncredited)
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| William Schallert | ... |
Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
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| Ann Shoemaker | ... |
Mrs. Catherine Feller (uncredited)
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Billy Snyder | ... |
Gambler (uncredited)
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Glenn Thompson | ... |
Policeman (uncredited)
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Frances E. Williams | ... |
Sybil (uncredited)
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| Harry Wilson | ... |
Man in Bus Depot (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Max Ophüls | ... | (as Max Opuls) |
Written by
| Henry Garson | ... | (screen play) & |
| Robert Soderberg | ... | (screen play) (as Robert W. Soderberg) |
| Mel Dinelli | ... | (adaptation) & |
| Robert E. Kent | ... | (adaptation) |
| Elisabeth Sanxay Holding | ... | (based upon the Ladies Home Journal story "The Blank Wall") |
Produced by
| Walter Wanger | ... | producer |
Music by
| Hans J. Salter | ... | (musical score) (as Hans Salter) |
Cinematography by
| Burnett Guffey | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Gene Havlick | ||
Art Direction by
| Cary Odell | ||
Set Decoration by
| Frank Tuttle | ||
Costume Design by
| Jean Louis | ... | (gowns) |
Makeup Department
| Carmen Dirigo | ... | hair stylist (uncredited) |
| Newt Jones | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Ella Perkins | ... | hair stylist (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Earl Bellamy | ... | assistant director |
Sound Department
| Russell Malmgren | ... | sound engineer |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Gert Andersen | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
| William Johnson | ... | gaffer (uncredited) |
| Walter Meins | ... | grip (uncredited) |
| Joseph Walters | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Morris Stoloff | ... | musical director |
| Arthur Morton | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Frances McDowell | ... | script supervisor (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Columbia Pictures (1949) (United States) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures Corporation (1949) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures of Canada (1949) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Europa Film (1949) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Union Film (1949) (Austria) (theatrical)
- Columbia Film (1950) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Columbia Films S. A. (1950) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Kamera Film Aktieselskap (1950) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Sony Pictures Television (2002) (United States) (tv) (syndication)
- Sony Pictures Television International (2005) (United States) (tv) (syndication)
- Film4 (2017) (United Kingdom) (tv)
- Powerhouse Films (2019) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray) (Limited Edition)
- Powerhouse Films (2019) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray) (as Indicator)
- Second Sight Films (2005) (United Kingdom) (video)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
In the charming community of Balboa 50 miles from Los Angeles, middle-class housewife Lucia Harper travels to Los Angeles to meet scoundrel, Ted Darby. Her seventeen year-old daughter Beatrice is in love with Ted. He asks for money to leave Bea, but Lucia refuses to give any. Bea does not believe her mother when told and during the night she sneaks out to the boat garage to meet Ted who admits that Lucia told the truth. Bea pushes him and Ted falls to his on an anchor. The next morning, Lucia finds the body and assumes that Bea has killed her lover. She decides to get rid of the corpse and puts it in her boat and dumps it far from home. When the police find Ted, a stranger, Martin Donnelly, visits Lucia to blackmail her on behalf of his partner, Nagel who has several letters Bea had written to Ted. Donnelly wants $5000 for the letters. The desperate Lucia tries to raise the amount. Martin falls in love with Lucia and tries to help her too. The dangerous Nagel wants to receive the amount at any price. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | It could happen to so many married women ! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $882,653 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | The Balboa Island Car Ferry, used by Joan Bennett and James Mason, still travels the 1000 feet distance between Balboa Island and the Balboa Peninsula. See more » |
| Goofs | During Lucia's motorboat ride to dump Ted Darby's dead body, just before she passes under a road bridge, the frothy bubbling wake in front of Lucia's speedboat can clearly be seen, which could only be coming from the vessel carrying the film crew and camera. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Maternal Overdrive (2006). See more » |
| Quotes |
Martin:
Hell is other people... See more » |