the audience applauded

Don't Believe the Hype

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Ida Lupino (Deborah Chandler Clark), Howard Duff (Keith Ramsey), Stephen McNally (Seldon Clark), Peggy Dow (Patricia Monahan), John Litel (John Chandler), Taylor Holmes (Lucius Maury), Peggy Castle (waitress), Michael Gordon (man with locker key), Irving Bacon (Pop), Don Beddoe, Joe Besser (salesmen), Stanford Jolley.Director: MICHAEL GORDON. Screenplay: Oscar Saul. Adapted by Roy Huggins from a magazine serial by James R. Webb. Photography: William Daniels. Film editor: Milton Carruth. Music: Frank Skinner. Art directors: Bernie Herzbrun, Robert Clatworthy. Producer: Michel Kraike.Copyright 17 March 1950 by Universal. New York opening at Criterion: 22 February. U.K. release: 27 February. Aust.: 27 October. 92 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Bride flees her murderous husband. COMMENT: Photographed by master illusionist William Daniels in true film noir style (reflected even in the movie's still photos), Woman in Hiding is an oddly neglected little masterpiece. True, director Michael Gordon does not rate highly with current cineastes, but his thrillers are all worthy of attention and this one rates as his best. Action highs are staged in a most imaginative manner, and all the players come across brilliantly.

Ida Lupino again proved what a competent actress she was in this taut 1949 thriller. She was always at her best when she played emotionally wrought women, and as always, she delivered quite well here.The problem here was with the performance of Stephen McNally. He just wasn't menacing enough. He did have that evil eye, but there was little force by him to back up the nature of his character.So much can happen in one day-Lupino leaving for N.Y. only to be interrupted by her father's sudden death. McNally proposing to her on that very day and when they do wed, the appearance of another woman at his cottage-nicely played by Peggy Dow-lets the plot unravels regarding whether or not Lupino's father, who let McNally manage the firm, despite disliking him died accidentally or was pushed.Meeting up with Howard Duff during her attempt to flee is interesting as Duff unwittingly plays into the hands of McNally's character.The ending scene is exciting and the picture is basically Lupino's performance as a victimized woman who will have to get people to believe what is actually happening.

This review is replete with spoilers. The plot-line of this movie is ridiculous. It begins with the car going into the drink, and the voice-over saying something like, "They think I'm dead. I'll have to stay 'dead'". Why? Why not come forward and tell everyone what has happened? She thinks they won't believe her? A quick examination of the car will reveal that it's been tampered with.Another major plot hole is where she flees to another town and then acts like Richard Kimble. She hasn't committed any crime, so why is she so afraid of everyone, especially the police? Then, the husband manages to convince the fellow who's been dogging her that she is "ill". Why is Duff so ready to believe that she is "ill"? I suppose it's understandable, since no one has ever murdered a spouse for gain.Then, when the husband finally gets his clutches on her, he informs her that he is going to put her in an institution, because she is "ill". It can't be that easy to put someone in an institution just because it is to someone else's benefit.The whole thing is a crock.

This is a little known classic from the film noir era of the '40's and early '50's. I had the privilege of seeing this movie listed in the TV guide only once and that was in the summer of 1984 on one of the local cable stations. Luckily, we had just purchased our first VCR and recorded it for posterity. I can watch this one over and over again without getting tired of it.It's a simple plot with the usual sex-crime-greed ingredients that were common in these film noirs. And the cast is super! Howard Duff, Ida Lupino, Stephen McNally, John Litel, Peggy Dow and Taylor Holmes round off the principals featured in this movie. Also, look closely for Jerry Paris (of Dick Van Dyke fame)standing by the magazine counter! Steve McNally plays Selden Clark, manager of a local mill owned by John Litel. McNally has a tryst with Peggy Dow and conspires to get control of the mill by pushing Litel off a catwalk inside the mill, then marrying the owner's daughter (Lupino), bumping her off and living happily ever after with Dow. Being the case with film noir, this doesn't pan out exactly as Selden Clark anticipates! Sure, he marrys the daughter, but she finds out (too late) that this guy is a psychotic bum. She manages to get away from him by stealing away in her 1946 Ford convertible (nice car!), but her brakes don't work due to some mechanical failure caused by her neer-do-well new husband. She manages to leap from the car before it crashes into the river. Everyone thinks that she's dead, but the body can't be found.Selden is convinced that she's still alive somewhere and puts up a $5,000 reward for anyone who can produce her. Enter Howard Duff. Duff plays the catalyst in this film; at first thinking that she is a victim of amnesia, cheerfully (and alas) returning her to Selden. He then comes to his senses and manages to rescue her from Selden's clutches. It has a happy ending with Duff and Lupino getting married, as they actually did in real life.It is amazing that this movie continues to be ignored. Many think that Ida Lupino was great in the early '40's in such films as They Drive By Night and High Sierra, but she was actually better by the late '40's and early 50's (The Man I Love, Road House, On Dangerous Ground, Private Hell 36) and was about to earn the distinction of being Hollywood's first female director (The Hitchhiker, The Bigamist, Not Wanted, Outrage). She was an incredible lady.This chestnut is practically impossible to find even in bootleg form. Like many of the film noirs of this time period, Woman in Hiding continues to be neglected. This film certainly deserves to be recognized and marketed to the unsuspecting public. It seems that I have the only copy in captivity and it's not going to leave my collection any soon! Seriously folks, if you notice this one listed in the TV Guide, make a copy for your own personal collection. You won't be disappointed.