Shadow on the Wall (1950)

★ 6.6 1h 24m IMDb

Angered that her sister Celia has stolen her fiance, Dell Faring kills her and allows Celia's husband David, knocked out in an argument with Celia, to take the blame and end up on death row. Later Dell, finding out that David's young daughter Susan was witness to the crime and is undergoing psychiatric treatment, plans to eliminate her before her memory returns.

Shadow on the Wall

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Cast

Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern as Dell Faring Died 2001 · Valley City, North Dakota, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career...
Zachary Scott
Zachary Scott as David I. Starrling Died 1965 · Austin, Texas, USA Zachary Scott (21 February 1914 – 3 October 1965) was an American actor, most notable for his roles as villains and "mystery men"..
Gigi Perreau
Gigi Perreau as Susan Starrling Age 85 · Los Angeles, California, USA Daughter of French-born Robert Perreau-Saussine and Eleanor Child Perreau-Saussine, she was born Ghislaine Elizabeth Marie Thérèse Perreau-Saussine. Perreau achieved success as a child actress in a n...
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan as Dr. Caroline Canford Died 2016 · New York City, New York, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and the wife of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of th...
Kristine Miller
Kristine Miller as Celia Starrling Died 2015 · Buenos Aires, Argentina Kristine Miller (born: Jacqueline Olivia Eskesen; 1925 – 2015) was an American film actress of Danish descent. Best-remembered for her appearances in film noir and Westerns, she appeared in I Walk Alo...
John McIntire
John McIntire as Pike Ludwell Died 1991 · Spokane, Washington, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Herrick McIntire (June 27, 1907 – January 30, 1991) was an American character actor who appeared in 65 theatrical films and many more television series. McI...

Audience Reviews

John Chard 7/10 Oct 01, 2017
Stupid Cupid?

Shadow on the Wall is directed by Pat Jackson and adapted to screenplay by William Ludwig from the story "Death in the Doll's House" written by Lawrence P. Bachmann and Hannah Lees. It stars Ann Sothern, Zachary Scott, Nancy Davis, Giggi Perreau and John McIntire. Music is by André Previn and cinematography by Ray June.

A nifty psychological hot pot this one. Story centers on a young child called Susan Starrling (Perreau), who after witnessing the murder of her step-mother, succumbs to amnesia. Which is inconvenient for her father since he has been convicted of the murder and sent down to await execution. Can determined psychiatrist Caroline Cranford (Davis) eek the truth out of Susan's troubled memory? Can the real killer ensure that that isn't the case?

It's a personal thing of course, but I have always found there to be something off kilter about doll's houses, and here we are greeted to an opening shot of one, superbly accompanied by Previn's ominous music, it's a perfect mood setter as to what is to come. Story lacks any mystery dynamic since we are privy to exactly what has gone on regarding the who, why and what fors, and in truth the outcome of it all is never really in doubt. So for although it's a thriller pic dressed up in film noir clobber, it doesn't have the verve or devilment to really be classed full bodied as such. But that's by the by, visually and the presence of a child in peril, with main character disintegration the key feature, puts it into noir lovers considerations.

Since the title features the word shadow it's no shock to find shadows and low lights feature prominently. The lighting effects are very striking, the changes in contrasts perfectly befitting the mood of certain scenes. Such as when dialogue is implying emotional discord, or the silent mindset of our antagonists, while a couple of neat shadow smother shots are killer narrative boosts. The main building of the piece is not the doll's house, but that of the hospital where Susan is receiving treatment, and at night photographer Ray June perfectly sets it up for peril and dastardly deeds. While we also get a bit of wobble screen to signify troubled mental confusion.

Cast range from adequate to very good. Honours go to Perreau, who is never once annoying, turning in an involving performance that has us firmly involved in her world, whilst Davis (the future First Lady Reagan) is very understated, where she gets a well written female character whose not relying on male dominance to expand the part. And with Jackson directing in an unfussy manner it rounds out as a pic worth seeking out. 7/10

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