The Second Woman is a 1950 black-and-white mystery-suspense film directed by James V. Kern and featuring Robert Young (actor), Betsy Drake, John Sutton and Florence Bates<>.</>
Plot
This psychological thriller tells the story of Jeff Cohalan (Robert Young (actor)). He's a successful architect who is tormented by the fact that his fiancée was killed in a mysterious car accident on the night before their wedding. Blaming himself for her death, Colahan spends his time alone, lamenting in the state-of-the-art cliff-top home he'd designed for his bride-to-be.
Cohalan also notices that ever since the accident, he seems to be followed by bad luck. His horse and dog turn up dead without explanation, leading him to wonder if he has been cursed.
He meets a woman named Ellen (Betsy Drake), and they are immediately attracted to each other. She soon learns about Jeff's past and begins to suspect that Jeff may be much more in danger than he himself realizes.
Cast
- Robert Young (actor) as Jeff Cohalan
- Betsy Drake as Ellen Foster
- John Sutton as Keith Ferris
- Florence Bates as Amelia Foster
- Morris Carnovsky as Dr. Raymond Hartley
- Henry O'Neill as Ben Sheppard
- Jean Rogers as Dodo Ferris
- Raymond Largay as Maj. Badger
- Shirley Ballard as Vivian Sheppard
- Jason Robards, Sr. as Stacy Rogers
Reception
=Critical response=
Film critic Craig Butler had problems with the script. He wrote, "
The Second Woman is an intriguing if frustrating little thriller -- frustrating because it verges on being very good but settles for being merely OK. Part of the problem is that
Woman combines elements of various styles -- film noir, psychological drama, mystery, thriller, romance -- but doesn't meld them into a satisfying whole ... All in all,
The Second Woman is a good attempt that is worth watching, even if it falls short of reaching its goals."
See also
List of films in the public domain in the United States
Category:1950 films
Category:1950s drama films
Category:American drama films
Category:Black-and-white films
Category:Film noir
Category:Suspense films
Category:United Artists films