A Woman's Secret
With Maureen O’Hara, Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Grahame.
US, 1949, 35mm, black & white, 85 min.
Print source: Warner Bros.
Ray met his future wife Gloria Grahame during the making of this early film (they would subsequently split during the production of In a Lonely Place), in which she plays an ungrateful protégé to Maureen O’Hara’s sophisticated mentor. Set in the world of professional musicians, the film, written by Herman J. Mankiewicz, employs a flashback structure similar to his most famous screenplay, for Citizen Kane, focusing its central mystery around the shooting of Grahame’s character. In only his second film, Ray’s signature use of staircases and overhead shots to represent conflict is already evident, as is his incredible talent with actors, particularly the wonderful Jay C. Flippen in a memorable supporting role as a wise, world-weary police officer.
Part of film series
Screenings from this program
The True Story of Jesse James
Bigger Than Life
King of Kings
Johnny Guitar
55 Days at Peking
On Dangerous Ground
A Woman's Secret
