The Kiss Before the Mirror

Not enough melodramas have the word "melodrama" uttered in them. Well, this Whale number (a smaller production sandwiched between The Old Dark House and The Invisible Man) does. As always, a fine director (one may note moments like that pan to the mirror with the pointing finger), and these performances are up to what this calls for. Of course, what it calls for is highly wrought spittle-spewing on wanting to murder unfaithful wives.

58.500

What a remarkable idea and well directed studio standard by James Whale. A lawyer defends a man who has killed his cheating wife. And with his descriptions how he found out about the deceiving wifes rendezvous the lawyer noticed the exact same symptoms in his own wife. Slowly building up suspense as the cheating wife keeps lying him straight in his face and going to her lover, it gets more and more intense waiting for something insane to happen. With that in mind the end is a bit of a let down.