Strange Confession (1945)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This is one of the best - if not the best - film of the Inner Sanctum Mysteries series.Chaney plays Jeff Carter a chemist trying to find a cure for influenza. He is married to Mary (Brenda Carter)and they have a son together. He is not after fame nor fortune but sincerely wants to help mankind. His boss, Roger Graham, is not a nice guy - all he is wanting is the money from sales of the pharmaceutical drug that Jeff is developing. All seems fine when Jeff quits working for Roger but, later on, Roger talks Jeff into coming back to work for him - this is where things turn bad for Jeff and Mary. You'll have to watch the film for yourself to find out what went wrong and why.Great mystery - I highly recommend this one for fans of mystery, crime, and even horror.9/10

From 1943 through 1945, Universal Studios made a string of six movies that starred Lon Chaney, Jr. that were all termed "The Inner Sanctum". Many of the actors were seen in several of the films, though Chaney managed to play the lead in all of them. The stories were B-films--with small budgets and running at just over 60 minutes each. In many ways, they were similar to the later "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" TV series. In addition, Columbia Pictures apparently thought there was money in the concept and brought out The Whistler series just a year after the first Inner Sanctum film. Like the other series, the same actor was supposed to star in the films and they all had different stories about murder and mayhem. Of the two series, I think the Inner Sanctum ones were just a bit better and part of this was because Chaney was excellent in the films. This film is the best of the six films and oddly it just happened to be the last I happened to see--making this an excellent way to complete the series.Chaney plays a kind medical researcher who cares much more about mankind than he does about getting rich. However, his boss (J. Carroll Naish) is a real dirt-bag--with little interest in anything other than getting rich and claiming credit for Chaney's hard work. Oddly, Chaney doesn't mind, as he's happy with his work and just wants to help people. However, when Naish wants to cut corners and possibly risk lives, Chaney is incensed and quits his job.Some time later, Naish finds Chaney and apologizes for the past and begs him to return to his old job--at a much higher salary and all the independence he wants. Chaney isn't convinced, as he knows Naish is a weasel, but Chaney's wife convinces him to take the job. Things go fine for a while, but Naish definitely didn't learn his lesson and comes up with an evil plan to both steal Chaney's wife AND market a drug that could kill. In the end, the plot works perfectly--leading to a dandy conclusion and making the audience really sympathize with poor old Chaney.When it comes to writing, the series had great ideas but often the scripts were full of holes. However, this one is not Swiss Cheezy and works great. Exciting and tense--this is the series at its best.By the way, they never said exactly what was in Chaney's bag. I assumed it was Naish's head or brain but it was deliberately left vague. I like it that way, as it tends to let your mind conjure up all kinds of interesting images.

Strange Confession (1945) *** (out of 4) Fifth in the Inner Sanctum series once again features Lon Chaney, Jr.. This time around he plays a brilliant scientist who's trying to find a cure for influenza. His greedy boss (J. Carrol Naish) puts the stuff out on the market before it has been proved to cure and this leads to a tragedy. This is probably the best of the series as it mixes some Frank Capra like quiet moments with some rather mean spirited stuff towards the end. Chaney gives a very good performance and Naish lends a very strong supporting performance.

The movie starts off with Jeff Carter picking up a tree and Xmas gifts for his family.He'd love to have dinner with his wife and little Tommy on Xmas eve, but he has to work for his mean boss.What is this?A Christmas Carol?No.It is a boring little flick about Carter's unfinished influenza cure released prematurely by Graham, his skunk of a boss.When little Tommy dies,Carter seeks revenge.The Inner Sanctum was a popular radio mystery show.A series of Universal films starring Lon Chaney was released to capitalize on its popularity. But the only mystery is how can you sit through this boring drivel.It isn't a mystery, just a confession.You know where this is going after the first ten painful minutes. If this is on your television, change the channel!