The Whole Truth (1958)

the audience applauded

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

THE WHOLE TRUTH is a solid Hollywood thriller in the Hitchcockian mould; namely it's a "wronged man" story with Stewart Granger at his charismatic/stressed out best as a womaniser whose latest conquest leads to disaster. This UK/USA co-production takes an awful long time to get going, trading on the charms of Italian starlet Gianna Maria Canale for a long while until the real plot kicks in. At that point we get a George Sanders at his most sinister, a great chase sequence, and the right level of suspense as Granger tries to extricate himself from an increasingly desperate situation.

Smoothly directed by John Guillermin (who, 20 years later, would helm my favorite Agatha Christie film adaptation, "Death On The Nile") and intelligently acted by a capable cast (including sultry Italian star Gianna Maria Canale), "The Whole Truth" is a slick, well-made mystery movie. It's not, however, a whodunit, like its poster claims; we learn who the killer is early on. It's more of a cat-and-mouse game between the killer and the hero. Nevertheless, there are quite a few surprising plot developments. Also of note is the lively, jazzy music score by Johnny Dankworth and Lambert Williamson. Not a great film, but one that deserves to be better known. **1/2 out of 4.

This film is quite similar to the George Sanders flick of 1954, "Witness to Murder." Again, Sanders is a murderer who is trying to drive everyone batty. This time, his victim is Stewart Granger, who he nicely frames for the killing of his Italian actress wife. The beginning scenes show this wife as a screaming, hot tempered woman in the same vain as the late Anna Magnani.Donna Reed plays Granger's wife. It appears that she is willing to at first believe that Granger had committed the murder. He was romantically involved with Sanders' wife. Reed is much more subdued in this film. Was she preparing for her kindly the Donna Reed television show on television? She lacks the fire that won her the supporting Oscar as Montgomery Clift's girl friend in the magnificent "From Here to Eternity."

Stewart Granger plays a film producer making a film in the south of France. Causing him no end of trouble on his production is the film's female star, Gianna Maria Canale. Canale is loud, obnoxious and a pain in everyone's ass. She is also having a fling with Stewart while his wife, Donna Reed was off in England. Granger pleads with Canale to behave herself and get the film finished. She responds with a bit of blackmail, continue the affair or she will tell Granger's wife. What is he to do? That night while Granger is having a party, George Sanders puts in an appearance. He introduces himself as a police inspector and informs Granger that Canale has been found murdered. Does Granger know anything about it? "No, No not a thing!" Sanders leaves and Granger jumps in his car and roars off to make sure that he left nothing at their love-nest. He returns to the party and who should appear but Canale, alive and well. What the hell is going on? It seems that Canale is Sanders wife, and now Sanders plans a little payback. Of course Canale does get murdered and Granger is the number one suspect. There are plenty of red herrings, twists and turns and the like in this one. Great back and forth between Sanders and Granger. Good time-waster.(b/w)