Boring

Absolutely Fantastic

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Great beautiful actress Barbara Stanwyck, always very credible and convincing in her roles. In this one too, not an easy part to play. Wendell Corey convincing too in the role of Cleve Marshall. Same Joan Tetzel in the role of the wife. All the cast is very good. Again, Robert Siodmak doing a very good job. He made also "The Killers" with Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner, "Pyramid of the Sun God"(which enjoyed my childhood) and many others good films.

Very, very good role by Wendell Corey, and very believable, his mistrust and power and commanding resourcefulness, as he is straightened by the events; with the part of Thelma, there's debatable: whether it is lifelike that her affections remains hidden until the denouement, or whether the actress should nonetheless of made it glitter, as it were, now and then (so, whether the leading actress was obtuse, or judicious). Thelma's lawyer stands out, too, with a very sharp performance. Barbara S. does one of her piquant housewife roles from the 2nd half of the '40s, with a mastery (not necessarily an ease) and strength that make her more convincing than appealing. I have tasted the leisure, the relish of one of those superior suspense dramas of the '40s, a movie equivalent of the human comedy, where the tropes of the age's cinema are simply lenses to the plot; and I have also tasted the fun, then the Gothic tonality of the dark old house sequence, with the servant nearing the mansion while the two lovers are fixing the murder scene. I have thought about 'Martha Ivers'; this is grimmer, more suspenseful, tauter than the other movie, and also much more of a romance than a study of jaded people, 'Thelma' is indeed the movie about a 'strange love', and it gains depth, but, thanks to Wendell Corey's role, there's always this undercurrent of passion and depth. Less analytical, as convincing, and very satisfying dramatically. On the other hand, Tony Laredo summarizes what must be to some people the gist of this movie: a story about a fall guy, deceivers and double crossing; which isn't what I take it to be.I do not see the '40s cinema of the USA as breaking with its past.

For about the first 30 minutes of Paramount's THE FILE ON THELMA JORDAN (aka "Thelma Jordan") you get the impression that it is going to be another love triangle with unhappily married District Attorney Cleve Marshall (Wendell Corey) having the hots for 'ready for a fling' Thelma Jordan (Barbara Stanwyck). But then the movie begins to find its purpose and turns out to be a splendid noir thriller. Produced for the studio by Hal Wallis in 1949 it was beautifully written for the screen by Ketti Frings and sharply photographed in monochrome by George Barnes. Adding greatly to the picture is the marvellous atmospheric score by the great Victor Young and the whole thing was masterfully directed, in his best noir style, by Robert Siodmak. Siodmak was a exceptional - but inconsistent - director. In 1945 he directed "The Spiral Staircase" one of the finest suspense thrillers ever made. Followed the next year with one of the best noirs ever produced the unequalled "The Killers". But he was prone to surprising diversity too! He could go from these supreme thrillers to directing such things as the entertaining but clownish swashbuckler "The Crimson Pirate" (1952) and the stiff and clunky western epic "Custer Of The West" (1967). Nevertheless he is best remembered today for his ingenious noir efforts.The plot of THE FILE ON THELMA JORDAN has Thelma Jordan (Barbara Stanwyck) being accused of the killing of her aunt (Gertrude Hoffman) and robbing the safe in her grand mansion. Pleading innocence, she sends for her lover Cleve Marshall (Wendell Corey) to help her. He arrives and commences to divert any blame for the murder away from her. But to no avail she is arrested anyway for the killing and charged. Cleve, as the District Attorney, now plans to prosecute her in court and purposely lose the case so that she will be acquitted. The plan works but to Cleve's chagrin it turns out that she did, after all, murder her aunt and not only that but she also has a husband (Richard Rober) with whom she had planned the whole thing from the beginning. With Cleve now totally dispirited and his career in tatters Jordan, with her husband, go away together to start over but with a change of mind and heart she deliberately causes the car they are in to crash and explode into flames.One of the most tangible aspects of the picture is the musical contribution from the great Victor Young. The main theme first heard over the titles is a gorgeous sweeping melody that becomes a ravishing love theme later. It is one of the composer's loveliest melodic inspirations and gives the lover's early scenes together a tender romantic aura. Then there is the exciting martial cue for the film's terrific set piece as Jordan is being walked hurriedly from the Jailhouse across the street to the Courthouse, flanked by milling press and public, to hear the jury's verdict. The entire pace of this sequence is achieved through the brilliant use of music.THELMA JORDAN is Young's best noir score!Performances are excellent! Stanwyck has rarely been better, doing her powerful devious Femme Fatale bit just as good as anytime before. Excellent too is Wendell Corey! The only actor I know who can deliver lines without moving his lips. An actor who usually played second male lead Corey had heaps of screen presence but was never the ideal leading man. Stanwyck who could be overshadowed quite easily by a stronger male star such as Holden or Ray Milland probably chose Corey for that very reason. She chose him again the following year to play opposite her in Anthony Mann's "The Furies".THE FILE ON THELMA JORDAN is a classic film noir but isn't it a shame that it is not available on DVD. It was on VHS at one time but now I think its about time Paramount gave serious thought to a DVD presentation.

Barbara Stanwyck continues her portrayal of ruthless women getting men orbited around her and invariably in her schemes to commit murder. Naturally, she is always falling in love with the guy or vice versa.There are so many similarities here to the 1944 Stanwyck classic "Double Indemnity." This was a far better picture.This picture even starts off with comic overtones as Assistant D.A. Wendell Corey falls for Stanwyck and is actually funny in his early drunken scenes.The movie shifts to classic film noir as Stanwyck bumps off her elderly aunt and then tries to pin it on someone else. Naturally, Corey is called upon to defend her.It also seems odd that the old lady, awakened from her sleep by a supposed intruder, is able to run around the house with a gun she has in the drawer. The old bird gets blasted by Stanwyck when she enters the room with the safe.The ending where love comes too late has been realized so often in films that this is really cliché.