A Woman's Secret

1949

Drama / Film-Noir / Mystery

Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 34% · 7 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 34% · 100 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.0/10 10 2185 2.2K

film noir hospital

Plot summary

A popular singer, Marian Washburn, suddenly and unexplainably loses her voice, causing a shake-up at the club where she works. Her worried but loyal piano player, Luke Jordan, helps to promote a new, younger singer, Susan Caldwell, to temporarily replace Marian. Susan finds some early acclaim but decides to leave the club after a few performances. Soon after Susan quits, she is gunned down, and Marian quickly becomes a suspect.

Director

Nicholas Ray Photo
Nicholas Ray

Top cast

Gloria Grahame Photo
Gloria Grahame as Susan Caldwell
Victor Jory Photo
Victor Jory as Brook Matthews
Oliver Blake Photo
Oliver Blake as Mr. Pierson
Robert Malcolm Photo
Robert Malcolm as Minor Role
720p.WEB
749.4 MB
1280*958
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
50 fps
1 hr 21 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by 7 / 10

A Strange Confession

Reviewed by 5 / 10

An Imperfect Why Done It?

I'm not going to bother with the silly story behind this farce. There are several other reviews with that info. The film is full of great actors and Maureen O'Hara is stunningly beautiful. Although there's enough talent to keep you entertained up to the end, my main concern is what this film is not.It is not a whodunit, although Jay C. Flippen as police inspector Jim Fowler at one point says it is. It is not Film Noir, although one flashback scene looks very noirish. Finally, it is certainly not an "All About Eve" as the film is actually all about nobody. In fact, it was impossible for me to figure out why most of the characters do what they do -- but, maybe you can.Why does the police inspector sit and listen to Melvyn Douglas drone on for hours about what a great gal the Maureen O'Hara character is? Why does Maureen O'Hara insist that she is guilty? Why does Gloria Grahame have a German Luger in her purse? Why does the police inspector's wife suddenly turn into a detective? Why is Bill Williams even in the movie? There are many more inexplicable questions that I felt were never answered, but I guess it's just A Woman's Secret.
Reviewed by 7 / 10

fun with some terrific performances

Maureen O'Hara confesses to shooting her protégée (Gloria Grahame) in "A Woman's Secret," costarring Melvyn Douglas. Though this is a drama, it actually has a witty script, a light touch, and wonderful performances.Most of the story is told in flashbacks as Douglas, who plays a pianist/songwriter, describes to police detective Jay C. Flippen why it was impossible for O'Hara to have shot the singer Estrelita, whom O'Hara and Douglas discovered and helped make famous.Melvyn Douglas' years as a great actor came later in his life. For most of his career, he sailed through roles that were beneath his abilities. He delivers his lines here with a dry wit and is delightful. Grahame does a great job as the singer. She's cute, sexy, and funny without meaning to be and, though the character is very self-involved, she's somewhat endearing. O'Hara's role doesn't allow for any humor, and she carries it off well. O'Hara had a lovely soprano voice and starred in a Broadway show, "Christine," but it isn't clear whether or not she did her own singing in the film.Some of the best scenes, though, are provided by Jay C. Flippen and Mary Phillips, who play husband and wife. She's a little too interested in his police work, but their love shines through.All in all, a good watch.
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