utgard14 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.

Spikeopath The Unsuspected is directed by Michael Curtiz and adapted to screenplay by Bess Meredyth and Ranald MacDougall from the novel written by Charlotte Armstrong. It stars Joan Caulfield, Claude Rains, Audrey Totter, Constance Bennett, Hurd Hatfield and Ted North. Music is by Franz Waxman and cinematography by Elwood Bredell. A girl has been murdered but the police think it's suicide. A woman presumed killed at sea returns to the family home and finds she has a husband she can't remember. Her uncle hosts a radio murder mystery show where the stories seem spine chillingly real. And of course there's finances to be lost or gained. Just what is going on at the Grandison Mansion? If you don't get a hold of yourself your mind will crack! Not as obscure as it once was, The Unsuspected has emerged as a film noir favourite in spite of its self-conscious style over substance being. With similarities to Otto Preminger's Laura, amongst others, and weakness of plot machinations, you sense that the great Michael Curtiz realised he had to up the ante in the art of expressionistic chiaroscuro to off-set the short fall elsewhere in the production. But boy does he! Aided by Bredell (Phantom Lady/The Killers), Curtiz (Casablanca/Mildred Pierce) produces a masterclass in imaginative direction. Lighting and shadows are used to full effect in portraying the psychological discord that beats constantly in the lavish mansion where majority of the tale is set, a place where paranoia, confusion and claustrophobia finds a home. Silhouettes of crimes committed strike atmospheric chords, as do the uses of bar shadows. As the script merrily trundles out sexually suggestive and witty barbs, the array of characters portrayed with relish by a Curtiz inspired cast, the director also inserts some stunning scenes. A neon sign deftly shot, billowing curtains suggesting turmoil, a bubbling glass of tainted champagne a foreboding presence, and many off-kilter reflections used throughout to represent duplicity or a fractured mind. Visually this is noir nirvana for sure. If only the screenplay was as intricate as it thinks it is, where quite often the story gets saddled with giant implausibilities. As the bodies pile up the motives and means start to come off as daft, which is a shame as the radio inspired backdrop is interesting for the time. There's also a couple of well constructed action scenes, though the editing for the cars is suspect, while Hatfield raises a laugh (intentional?) when in one scene he reminds us he was Dorian Gray two years earlier. A must see on a visual basis for the film noir enthusiast, but the core basic melodramatics of the tale may have you hankering for Laura after all. 7.5/10

brendangcarroll In 1947, Michael Curtiz set up his own production unit at Warner Bros. The deal he struck saw this versatile director being allowed to choose his own projects and not merely be assigned films as a house director, while at the same time enjoying the full production facilities of the studio. This film was the first project of what was sadly a short-lived arrangement, chiefly because box office returns on this film were so disappointing.The script peppered with snappy one-liners and wisecracks particularly for Audrey Totter and Constance Bennett, was by Ranald MacDougall from an adaptation by Curtiz' wife Bess Meredyth of a dime novel by Charlotte Armstrong. MacDougall had previously done the witty screenplay for the superb noir classic, MILDRED PIERCE in 1945 (also directed by Curtiz) and his gift for tart dialogue made the role of Eve Arden in that film especially memorable.It is likely that Curtiz envisioned the story of THE UNSUSPECTED as the perfect vehicle for Claude Rains, an actor he had worked with frequently before (The Adventures of Robin Hood, Four Daughters, The Sea Hawk, Casablanca etc) and who was renowned for his distinctive, memorable voice. Victor Grandison is a famous radio star because of the hypnotic power of his voice in relating his celebrated true life crime stories and it would be difficult to imagine another actor in the role, save possibly for Basil Rathbone.The story is complex and not entirely believable, and has several plot holes. The most serious concerns the first murder. If Grandison is able to catch an earlier train because he has used a recording of his broadcast and not performed "live", surely his so-called alibi would have been exposed by colleagues at the radio station - especially his secretary (Constance Bennett)? This is never explained.No matter. What makes this thriller so eminently watchable are the delicious ingredients lavished on the telling - especially the superb art direction by Anton Grot who would have undoubtedly story-boarded the many memorable images as was his practise - and the distinctive camera-work of Woody Bredell.Between them, Grot, Curtiz and Bredell bring a Germanic, expressionistic style to almost every scene and there are some amazing trick shots that must have taken days to light properly. Check out the remarkable scene near the end where, as kindly Grandison reassures his niece that all will be well, a wine glass with fizzing content is in close-up and sharp focus and we then realise it has been poisoned by Grandison.Add to this virtuosity of film making, a beautifully atmospheric score by Franz Waxman, a fascinating cast and a star turn by Claude Rains and this overlooked gem is in a class of its own.I have never understood why Curtiz is so under-rated. I would know his style within a few shots. His fluid camera, always roving and engaging with the action and the characters, makes CASABLANCA the classic it is and is why we always feel we have really been to Rick's café.THE UNSUSPECTED is so enjoyable because of Curtiz holding our interest through sheer visual flair and bears frequent repeat viewing. Its weaknesses are quite forgivable when one considers its many pleasures.

Rindiana Some acidic one-liners here and there and Rains' effectively oily performance add an undeserved touch of class to the protracted proceedings.Curtiz tries to build up a web of intrigue, but gets tangled up from the beginning. Murder and melodrama are paired in an unholy alliance while more and more corpses litter the screen and logic slowly dissolves.In the end, you don't care much about the outcome of this unexciting crime flick.4 out of 10 screaming secretaries