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The Locket

  • 19461946
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 25m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
2.8K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Brian Aherne and Laraine Day in The Locket (1946)
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Film-Noir
Just before a wedding, the bridegroom hears a complex tale painting his lovely bride as devilish and unbalanced.Just before a wedding, the bridegroom hears a complex tale painting his lovely bride as devilish and unbalanced.Just before a wedding, the bridegroom hears a complex tale painting his lovely bride as devilish and unbalanced.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
2.8K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • John Brahm
  • Writers
    • Sheridan Gibney
    • Norma Barzman(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Laraine Day
    • Robert Mitchum
    • Brian Aherne
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Brahm
  • Writers
    • Sheridan Gibney
    • Norma Barzman(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Laraine Day
    • Robert Mitchum
    • Brian Aherne
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 64User reviews
    • 34Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos20

    Robert Mitchum and Laraine Day in The Locket (1946)
    Sharyn Moffett and Helene Thimig in The Locket (1946)
    Robert Mitchum and Laraine Day in The Locket (1946)
    Laraine Day, Reginald Denny, and Gene Raymond in The Locket (1946)
    Robert Mitchum, Ricardo Cortez, and Laraine Day in The Locket (1946)
    Brian Aherne, Laraine Day, and Gene Raymond in The Locket (1946)
    Robert Mitchum and Laraine Day in The Locket (1946)
    Robert Mitchum and Laraine Day in The Locket (1946)
    Robert Mitchum, Ricardo Cortez, and Laraine Day in The Locket (1946)
    Robert Mitchum, Ricardo Cortez, Laraine Day, and Reginald Denny in The Locket (1946)
    Robert Mitchum and Laraine Day in The Locket (1946)
    Gene Raymond in The Locket (1946)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Laraine Day
    Laraine Day
    • Nancyas Nancy
    Robert Mitchum
    Robert Mitchum
    • Norman Clydeas Norman Clyde
    Brian Aherne
    Brian Aherne
    • Dr. Harry Blairas Dr. Harry Blair
    Gene Raymond
    Gene Raymond
    • John Willisas John Willis
    Sharyn Moffett
    Sharyn Moffett
    • Nancy - Age 10as Nancy - Age 10
    Ricardo Cortez
    Ricardo Cortez
    • Drew Bonneras Drew Bonner
    Henry Stephenson
    Henry Stephenson
    • Lord Wyndhamas Lord Wyndham
    Katherine Emery
    Katherine Emery
    • Mrs. Willisas Mrs. Willis
    Reginald Denny
    Reginald Denny
    • Mr. Wendellas Mr. Wendell
    Fay Helm
    Fay Helm
    • Mrs. Bonneras Mrs. Bonner
    Helene Thimig
    Helene Thimig
    • Mrs. Monksas Mrs. Monks
    Nella Walker
    Nella Walker
    • Mrs. Wendellas Mrs. Wendell
    Queenie Leonard
    Queenie Leonard
    • Woman Singeras Woman Singer
    Lilian Fontaine
    • Lady Wyndhamas Lady Wyndham
    Myrna Dell
    Myrna Dell
    • Thelmaas Thelma
    Johnny Clark
    • Donaldas Donald
    Mari Aldon
    Mari Aldon
    • Maryas Mary
    • (uncredited)
    Polly Bailey
    • The Cookas The Cook
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Brahm
    • Writers
      • Sheridan Gibney
      • Norma Barzman(uncredited)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Lovely Nancy seems like the ideal bride to fiancée John Willis... until, just before the ceremony, Willis is approached by Harry Blair, claiming to be Nancy's former husband. The tale Blair unfolds (in a flashback within a flashback within a flashback!) paints Nancy as a kleptomaniac, habitual liar, and perhaps worse. But is Blair telling the truth? And does fate have another surprise in store? —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
    • deception
    • flashback within a flashback
    • flashback within a flashback within a flashback
    • suspected thief
    • suspicion of murder
    • 84 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Her Mysterious Secret Wrecked 3 Men's Lives! Not love, not money...but a haunting hunger drove her to lie, cheat, steal. Why? IT'S THE STRANGEST SECRET EVER TOLD! (original poster)
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Film-Noir
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Norma Barzman's lengthy treatment for this film, which Sheridan Gibney revised into a screenplay, was inspired by a true event which was recounted to her by financier George Peabody Gardner and his sister Belle. When younger, the Gardners eschewed their aristocratic upbringing partly in reaction to an incident in their youth. As children they became friendly with the daughter of the family's housekeeper. It transpired that the daughter was wrongly accused of stealing a locket, leading to the firing and departure of the housekeeper and daughter. Years later, it was learned that the daughter suffered from depression and was implicated in a theft, a consequence for which the Gardners felt their family was partly responsible.
    • Goofs
      American ambulances - shown driven with left hand drive - were not used in wartime London.
    • Quotes

      Nancy MOnks: Okay... you be the dropper, I'll be the deer!

    • Connections
      Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Fatale beauté (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      Hands, Knees and Boomps-a-Daisy
      (uncredited)

      Written by Annette Mills

      Performed by Queenie Leonard

    User reviews64

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Very solid melodrama, well filmed, great pace
    The Locket (1946)

    Well, when you have a post-war movie with Robert Mitchum at his young prime, you can't go wrong.

    The star (or starlet, as they used to say) is actress Laraine Day playing Nancy, and she pulls off a charming, attentive, smart…perfect woman. A bride to be, in fact. The movie starts with people arrive to a high class wedding. Mitchum shows up via flashback (classic film noir stuff). In fact, there is a flashback within a flashback within a flashback (4 levels) and it's sort of fun.

    There are some great lines like, "If you'e lucky you can afford to be nice." But some of the dialog, and maybe the plot overall, is a hair stiff at times.

    Director John Brahm is not well known, but his "Hangover Square" the year before is really great. And this one shows a consistent sense of storytelling and drama with highs and lows if not always fully developed characters. The key character is Nancy, who uses her charm to win over the audience as well as the men around her in the plot. Day plays her role perfectly—swiveling sweetness against a just perceptible insincerity. She's a terrific liar.

    Which brings me back to Mitchum, who is good but seems to be reading rehearsed lines too often. I think there was supposed to be chemistry between Day and Mitchum, but it wasn't there, even though they both look terribly good.

    Though it has a noir-like flavor, this strikes me as a straight up melodrama overall, and with soaring music and lots of dramatic lighting there is no way to not get absorbed in it. There are some short but well done scenes of London during the war (bombs and blackouts).

    A well done and lesser known good one. And a fun curiosity—the crazed music box music that denotes an uneven state of mind is the same as that used in the "Bad Seed."
    helpful•4
    0
    • secondtake
    • Aug 8, 2017

    FAQ1

    • What makes this film a one of the great "Film Noir" of its day ?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 20, 1946 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • What Nancy Wanted
    • Filming locations
      • RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • RKO Radio Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 25 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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