The Unsuspected (1947)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Did you people see the same film I saw?

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

I like a good mystery and overall The Unsuspected is a decent time waster. The cast is decent which includes Claude Rains who plays a radio personality named Victor Grandison and his radio show tells mystery and murder stories which seem to be coming true. There are two men who are both infatuated the films female lead a woman named Matilda Frazier played by the very attractive Joan Caulfield. Now one of these men whom she was engaged to be married is a man named Oliver Keane (played by Hurd Hatfield) who prefers drinking over working for a living. The second gentleman admirer is a mysterious man named Steven Howard played by Ted North. Our female lead Matilda has been away for a spell recovering from a nervous breakdown only to find out that her second gentleman admirer, Steven Howard has just told Matilda that they were recently married. Matilda has no memory of their marriage so Steven brings her back to the justice of the peace who married them to confirm their marriage was witnessed and as a gentlemen should do, he advises Matilda that he would be willing to have their marriage annulled in a few days if that is what Matilda would prefer since she has absolutely no memory of their so called wedding day.Murders are occurring in the radio personality Victor Grandison's home to which he has alibis for when he is interrogated by lead detective Richard Donovan played by Fred Clark. So we the audience gradually clue in to who is the actual killer and what the motive is as well. Unfortunately the next batter up to be murdered is the naive Matilda and this is where the plot becomes very weak as even the dimmest light in the barn should be able to figure out whose after her and why, but not our lovely and naive Matilda.Lucky for Matilda one of her gentleman admirers has a good head on his shoulders and as luck would have it (luck which requires a happy ending) she is saved before she becomes the next "unsuspecting" victim, thus the film title The Unsuspected. I enjoy film-noir and this is not the best, nor is it the worst, so I rated it a decent 6 out of 10.

The secretary of a wealthy radio star (Claude Rains) is murdered shortly after his niece disappears at sea. Then the niece's husband nobody knew about shows up asking questions. But then the niece turns out to be alive only she doesn't remember the husband. If you think I'm revealing spoilers, all of this happens within the first twenty minutes of the movie! There's a lot going on in this one and I have barely scratched the surface.Very cool noirish thriller with a great director and cast. Claude Rains is excellent as always. I absolutely love Audrey Totter and this is in her top five films for sure. Constance Bennett is fun in a role that seems like it was written with Eve Arden in mind. Hurd Hatfield and Joan Caulfield are also good. I disagree with the reviewer complaining that the murderer's identity was revealed prematurely. This isn't a murder mystery so much as a suspenser where we know who the killer is, just not the how and why. There's a lot of clever business around that. I won't spoil it but I thought the movie was pretty smart with how it handled it. This is a mostly forgotten gem in Michael Curtiz's long and excellent career. If you're a fan of classic films, you should definitely check it out the next chance you get.

Some forms of beauty are best seen from a distance and maybe that's one reason why the stunning cinematography featured in "The Unsuspected" is better appreciated by many people now than it was at the time of the movie's initial release. This dark thriller about murder, greed, blackmail, deception and guilt boasts a group of characters whose complications are only surpassed by those of the twisting plot. The film is well acted and entertaining but it's the exquisite expressionistic visual style that is its most striking attribute.Claude Rains stars as Victor Grandison, a successful radio personality who entertains his audiences by telling them true crime stories. Victor is sophisticated and affable and lives in a mansion where a series of premature deaths occur.Victor's secretary, Roslyn (Barbara Woodall) is found hanged in circumstances which suggest that she committed suicide and shortly after, at Victor's birthday party which had been organised by his niece Althea (Audrey Trotter), a stranger called Steven (Ted North) arrives and shocks everyone by telling them that he'd been married to Victor's ward Matilda (Joan Caulfield), who was lost in a shipwreck and was presumed to have drowned.Steven's arrival alarms Victor who assumes that he wishes to make a claim on Matilda's substantial estate which is close to being settled in Victor's favour. Victor's concern soon proves to be unfounded however, as Steven confirms that he's actually very wealthy and has no interest in Matilda's estate.Victor is again surprised when it emerges that Matilda has actually survived the shipwreck but when she returns to the mansion and can't remember Steven, Victor becomes increasingly suspicious of him.Althea is later murdered seemingly by her husband Oliver (Hurd Hatfield) who himself later perishes in a car crash which is caused by brake failure and Matilda is poisoned but again survives another close brush with death. An attempt is also made on Steven's life by a killer called Press (Jack Lambert) before the identity of the serial murderer becomes generally known and a very dramatic confession duly follows.Althea and Victor are both very calculating and strongly motivated by greed, Steven's motivation is concealed for much of the story and Matilda's gullible nature contributes to her life being put in jeopardy for a second time. Oliver had previously been a painter and Matilda's fiancé but having been seduced by Althea later became a tragic alcoholic who never got over the loss of Matilda.Claude Rains provides a marvellously subtle portrayal of a man who is charming, conceited and very wicked and who talks on his radio show about the sense of guilt that torments the unsuspected, the person who has not yet been recognised as being culpable for their crimes and who fears that one simple error could easily lead to them having to face the full force of justice.The opulence of the mansion in which Victor resides provides the setting for most of the action but these interiors are also inhabited by numerous lengthy shadows which frequently create ominous shapes and project a constant sense of unease and menace. This uncomfortable atmosphere is made even more disturbing by the expert use of deep focus, interesting camera angles and viewpoints which distort the audience's view of certain images."The Unsuspected" provides a great deal of enjoyment for crime drama fans but also, thanks to the brilliance of director Michael Curtiz and cinematographer Woody Bredell, provides an exceptional visual experience which is truly marvellous and memorable.

This is a generally well-written murder mystery film. While I liked it, one flaw is that by the end of the film almost everybody has been either killed, attempts were made on their lives or they were the murderer himself--not too many people were left and there just weren't enough red herrings to make it a true mystery. Still, considering the interesting plot and the actors involved, it's still a nifty story.The film begins with a grisly murder that looks like suicide to the police--however, the audience sees the truth that it IS a murder. Soon afterword, a long-lost heiress (Joan Caulfield) to the estate where the murder occurred turns up alive after a ship wreck. Upon returning, she is met by a man who claims to be her husband, though she has no recollection of marrying him. However, his story does appear true and she's left wondering how this could have happened.In addition to this, the lost heiress finds that many of the people who live in her home are weasels. The man she once intended to marry has married a nasty lady (Audrey Trotter) and Caulfield isn't too pleased to have them there. Before she can get around to telling them to leave, they are dead--he apparently killed her and then died while trying to make his getaway. However, in a poor move, the director shows what REALLY happened, as you see Claude Rains arranging the whole thing--though keeping this a secret for a bit longer would have probably made for a more interesting and exciting film.It seems that Caulfield's guardian (Rains) is a radio personality who has expensive tastes and he's been killing anyone who stands in his way. Ultimately his plan is to kill Caulfield to get her millions, but considering that practically everyone is dead or a near-death victim, by now the film starts to unravel a bit. Rains' brilliant alibi no longer seems so brilliant and the film ends on an interesting but anticlimactic note. Having the film end with Rains committing suicide while on the air would have been really exciting! Overall a very good but certainly not great film. It's worth seeing, but it sure could have kept us guessing longer.