Alma Negra

... since it could refer to both or either main characters Olivia Harwood (Ann Todd) and Mark Bellis (Ray Milland). The two outwardly seem as different as possible. They meet on a ship voyage from Jamaica to Britain when Olivia nurses Mark through a bout of malaria. She is penniless other than for a small property she owns in London and has been recently widowed. Her late husband, a missionary, died of malaria himself after the two had served in Jamaica for several years. Mark is a con man on the run, and out of funds he reluctantly has headed back to London - where he is also wanted by the law - to find those funds and get out of British controlled territory altogether.

At first Mark sees Olivia as just another mark for his cons and uses her attraction to him as a means of control. His actual girlfriend is a rather talkative floozy - Kitty - that he can only take in small doses. He does seem to prefer the quiet demeanor of Olivia, at least when he's got his thinking - or should I say plotting - cap on. However, Olivia begins to really enjoy the art of the con as taught to her by Mark and becomes an apt and inventive pupil. Their joint mark - an old school girl friend of Olivia's, the foolishly trusting Susan, played by Geraldine Fitzgerald, who is married to an adviser to the Queen. Olivia seems somewhat bitter that her life has turned out so impoverished when she was the brightest girl at school while the dim-witted Susan has the world at her feet through the accident of marriage. She uses this perceived inequitable outcome as justification for her actions.

Mark's feelings then become somewhat confused. He begins to have actual feelings for Olivia as he begins to realize that she is as cunning and lethal as he - she just needed a push to get her to have the courage of her lack of convictions.

This one has many interesting twists and turns, however do remember that this is a British production and is therefore probably going to seem somewhat understated for American fans of 40's noir. If you can understand that I think you'll like this one a great deal. I know I did.

Joseph Shearing (a pseudonym) was a woman novelist specializing in tales based on actual murder cases. Her novel AIRING IN A CLOSED CARRIAGE is based on the murder of James Maybrick, presumably by his wife Florence in 1889. SO EVIL MY LOVE is based on an earlier poisoning case, the death (in 1876) of Charles Delauney Turner Bravo, a wealthy barrister, at his home "The Priory" in Balham, England. It is a murder that was never really settled. Although doubts remain as to James Maybrick being a victim of murder or accident, Florence was convicted after a controversial trial, and then got her sentence reduced. In the Bravo case, suspicion fell on his wife, on the wife's close friend, and on an elderly doctor who had an earlier affair with the wife. Nothing was really determined. Ms Shearing has opted for the close friend (in real life her name was Jane Cox)to be the killer, although driven to it here by her devotion to a cad (not historically true). The conclusion of the film, where Ann Todd discovers how Ray Milland used her and turns on him in a closed Hansom Cab seems based on a 1904 New York City murder, the Nan Patterson-Ceasar Young case.

I've casually caught this oldie on a regional network and remained very positively surprised: this movie is a little masterpiece, a misknown jewel of Hollywood false english style and probably the most underrated of the "flamboyant" melodramas of the period. A compelling psychological study for its time, with an absolutely outstanding Ann Todd(I've seen her in "The Paradine case" and sincerely I didn't expect such a performance from her). Both Milland and Fitzgerald, moreover, provide a strong support and the soundtrack is very compelling (if somewhere excessive).

So Evil My Love (AKA: For Her to See/The Obsessed) is directed by Lewis Allen and adapted to screenplay by Ronald Millar & Leonard Spigelgass from the novel written by Joseph Shearing (AKA: Marjorie Bowen). It stars Ray Milland, Ann Todd, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Leo Carroll. Music is scored by William Alwyn & Victor Young and cinematography by Max Green.

"This is a true story...one of the strangest chapters in the annals of crime. Its characters lived more than fifty years ago...the leading figures in a passionate game of love and murder. It began on a sailing vessel homeward bound from the West Indies for Liverpool...."

Lewis Allen's movie falls into that category of films tagged as Gaslight Noir – Period Noir. Marjorie Bowen's literary works were always ripe for such noirish period pickings, given that many of them feature dark doings, bad people, idiotic people and just plain misery, and this filmic adaptation is no different in that respect; gloriously so for the film noir faithful.

While not in the same league as the two Gaslight movies, So Evil My Love pulses throughout with tainted blood. The period flavours are lovely, the lead cast members at home in their settings, yet you will have to search far and wide for someone you can respect. Heading up the cast is Milland, who around this time was thoroughly enjoying himself playing troubled or bad boy roles, and here, as he drags all around him through the mud, he's having a grand old time of it.

Unfortunately the long running time proves a bit much for director Allen, who sinks into deep melodrama for a good portion of the mid- section, and this is where it comes close to being dull, but the final third is worth waiting for as the septic and the stupid trot along to their respective fate. It's also disappointing that Green's photography doesn't always enhance the turbulent atmosphere, so for better work from him seek out Hatter's Castle (1942) and the mightily great Night and the City (1950).

Lots to like here for period and Gothic noir fans though. 7/10

It's not too often that likable RAY MILLAND played a downright villain or rogue, but he uses his roguish charm quite as well here as he would eventually in Hitchcock's DIAL M FOR MURDER. He plays a hard on his luck artist who lures ANN TODD into a romance, while she's unaware that she's a mere pawn in his game to steal money from her friend's husband. GERALDINE FITZGERALD is the woman friend and she, as usual, shines in support.

But it's really a film carried by Milland and Todd and they play against each other very well. The only weakness is that it's difficult to see why a woman as intelligent as Todd would fall so easily for the scheming Milland and then agree to do some dirty work on her friend's husband.

It's a Victorian crime of passion that takes its time in setting up the characters and the situations, but once the plot gets under way the viewer becomes involved in the story, thanks to some good direction, script and photography which gives a realistic feel to the gritty story with a downbeat ending.

Atmospheric and well worth watching for the little nuances along the way.