A Woman's Secret

Not a bad film, but it's too low-key to work up much excitement for. Grahame is a joy to watch but the role doesn't give her room to shine. The real treat is Flippen and Philips who get the lion's share of the script's funniest and most clever moments. As would you expect from Ray, the direction is well done, although lacking the moody atmosphere of his superior THEY LIVE BY NIGHT from the previous year. Overall the movie is enjoyable but too lightweight to be worth a second look.

There are so so many inconsistencies in this film. I don't consider Susan a bad person either. The singing was genuinely lovely though.

Something was a little bit off with A Woman's Secret (1949), but it's got enough curious twists to keep one watching. There was this weird over-the-top chemistry between Maureen O'Hara & Gloria Grahame, and Melvyn Douglas had an odd look on his face too. I guess that became part of the intrigue once you got used to it.

Viewed July 5, 2020.

Melvyn Douglas gives the film a comedic air that I very much enjoyed, but it does make the darkness of the film fade into the background. It's a non-mystery mystery, where the little bit of intrigue is overshadowed by lengthy flashbacks, but it's very enjoyable despite the odd structure.

Overwrought, didn't really make sense in the end, but it was watchable and the music was nice.

Nicholas Ray #1