Copyright 31 December 1945 by International Pictures, Inc. Released through RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Winter Garden: 21 February 1946. U.S. release: January 1946. U.K. release: 18 February 1946. Australian release: 1 August 1946. 9,501 feet. 105 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Working wife thinks her husband has been killed in WW1. In reality, he has been crippled and disfigured.
NOTES: Although this film is often cited as the debut of Natalie Wood, in point of fact she had appeared three years earlier under her real name, Natasha Gurdin in 20th Century-Fox's Happy Land.
One of the domestic market's top 36 boxoffice movies for 1945-46.
COMMENT: An unrelievedly gloomy soaper, this movie has a major saving grace in the charismatic performance of Orson Welles who invests his role with such authority and conviction he has us almost believing in the familiarly melodramatic story. The other players are also competent enough, though none can stand anywhere near Welles. In fact it could be claimed that they tend to rely too much on their customary mannerisms, whereas Welles subjects his to the demands of his role.
Pichel's direction is more fluid than usual, taking advantage of the film's unexpectedly large budget with its massive sets and heaps of extras. Valentine's photography as usual is a major asset. Even at its most hackneyed or depressing, the picture is always most attractive to look at. Other technical credits are likewise "A"-grade through and through.
It's a pity all this money and expertise has been thrown into such a well-worn and unintentionally ridiculous old gaslight plot. No matter the realistic cleverness of Lenore Coffee's up-dated dialogue, you simply can't disguise a basically unbelievable story-line. Though Welles gives it a great try - and almost succeeds!
OTHER VIEWS: A sudsy melodrama of disappearing husbands and unrequited love, made watchable by Orson Welles' powerful presence and Joseph Valentine's atmospheric photography. Pichel's direction is occasionally stylish, but often plodding and pedestrian. Even Steiner's score seems second-rate, despite the movie's lavish production values. - John Howard Reid writing as George Addison.
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